The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-01-07
Bod Company
By CARLTON JAMES
@ Associated Newspapers.
WNU Service.
INSPECTOR WARREN carefully

lay IN the bed, and then turned TO
the girl. She was pretty girl,
dark, with blue eyes. Just now the
eyes held a look of fright. They
were wide and staring. She stood
near the door watching the officer
intently. Something vaguely famil-
lar about her features caused him
to hesitate. He frowned, trying to
remember. Then suddenly it came.
81 guess you're the girl I've seen
in company with Blackie Gaskill.
Isn't that right?"
She seemed a little bewildered at
the question. "Why, yes-that is
Blackie and 1 are engaged"
That's bad, Miss Hartley. Bad.
Sometimes a person-quite often, in
facts judged by the company he
or shall we say she--keeps."
Instant anger lighted the girls
eyes. Her lips were white. "Do
you mean to insinuate-"
But Warren had turned and was
studying the articles on bedside
table. There were a variety of med
icine bottles, tumbler, spoon, a
lamp, a clock with Illuminated fig
ures, and a book. He turned to
face the girl once more.
"Your uncle" he indicated the
bed with slight tilt of his head
your uncle was paralyzed, wasn't
he? A shock victim?"
Eyes. He had lost the use of his
left side completely. Fortunately
his right arm was unaffected,
though he couldn't move more than
to hold book in his right hand"
The officer frowned. Lets see
now. The doctor said he died from
an overdose of medicine. When
could he have taken that medicine,
Miss Hartley?"
'Why probably last night. l was
out for a short time. I'd been here
with him all day, and wanted
breath of air." Her voice had an
apologize note. HE seemed con-
tented enough. He was reading
when l left And when l came in
he'd turned off his light and gone to
sleep. 1t wasn't until this morning
that l found him" She shrank
from uttering the word.
Warren shook his head sadly.
'"There are still some things I can't
seem to puzzle out" He looked up
suddenly, and saw that the eager
ness had vanished from the girls
eyes. Something in the inspectors
tone had caused the color to drain
from her cheeks. "Of course" War
rem was saying, you'll inherit his
entire fortune? You're his only
heir?"
81 hardly see what that has to do
with uncle's death. If you're through
with your investigation, inspector,
l wish you'd 60"
But Warren seemed scarcely to
hear. "a million dollars" he
unused, as if to himself. perhaps
more. Blackie would like that. Now
wouldn't he though"
The girl suddenly stamped her
foot Indignantly, yet behind that
mask of dignity Warren discerned
another emotion-fear.
inspector Warren, if you're in
sinuating that Blackie-that /"
She paused, confused.
IF Blackie, if your" questioned
Warren.
The girl placed both hands to her
head, as if striving to restrain her
self. "Oh, what is it you can't I'M
derstand? What is it? Can't you
see that Uncle's death has unstrung
me? That in itself is enough, with
out having to listen to your prattle."
"Prattle?" said Warren mildly.
"Prattle?" And then his voice took
on a sterner note. "Would it be
prattle if l accused you of murder
ing your uncle, Miss Hartley?"
The girls face went chalk white.
She swayed against the door frame.
"Murdered?" she whispered. "Mur-
dered! Me? Not-not mel"
'Blackie might have had some
thing to do with it" Warren agreed.
HE probably thought up the idea,
and you carried it out. That's like
Blackie. He lets others do the dirty
work"
'But-but-how do you-that is,
why do you say such things? Why?
Why?-" Her voice faltered, and
Warren said sternly:
''You might as well make a clean
breast of it, Miss Hartley. I know
you killed him"
"You know" She stared at him
incredibly. Howl"
''Why, because someone must
have given him that medicine. And
who, besides yourself, is there here
to do that?"
"But I've already told you l was
out. l can prove it. I was at a
dance with Blackie. Uncle took the
medicine himself while l was gone"
"But that's absurd, Miss Hartley.
Absurd. Unfortunately Blackie
didn't warn you. But you see, this
bedtable is on the left side of the
bed. 1t would have been impossible
for your uncle, paralyzed as he was,
to reach over with his right hand,
pour out the medicine himself, drink
it, switch off the light and lie back
to die. Oh, that would have been