The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-18
SERIAL STORY
MURDER INCOGNITO
nv A,oDAAAhi HAuu COPYRIGHT. -
BY TNONVHNN NfNT1L NIA 8ERv1cE.
COPYRIGHT. 1870.
NEA 1ERWcE. ING

'eWhen your mother died, she left
all her money to Sayler?"
Dale looked at the girl. 'Te1
him. Dale" she urged
"Tymay as WE'LL" the young man
decided. Most of my mothers
money was left to me, you see
but in a trust fund over which
Sayler had almost unlimited pow
err. He didn't need to give the
money to me, ever when I reached
q, if he didn't feel like it-and he
didn't feel like it."
did you even ask you stepfather
for the money, Mr.. Appleby?"
"Yes-but he refused"
"Why?"
Dale flushed. IT don't think
that"
'I'n tell you why" Rhoda ex'
ploded. Her delicate features were
tense. Her pretty fists were tight.
ly clenched. Martin Sayler hated
me. He told Dale he wouldn't re.
lease the money until I was Out
of the picture"
Sergeant Carroll leaned for
ward. "You didn't like him very
well?'"
Dale answered for her. Crank
~, we didn't" ~
"okay," said o'Leary. "Just one
more thing-do you know where
Sayler kept his papers?"
"I'm sorry, I don't" Dale said.
81 just wondered. There isn't
much in the desk"
O'Leary glanced at his wris,
watch. "Twenty-thiry. It's too late
to do very much more tonight. Mr.
Appleby, I'm going to ask a favor
of you. I'd like everyone to stay
here tonight. Can you arrange it?'
Dale looked startled. "Of course,
but"
Thank you," said O'Leary.
Forty-five minutes later, the two
officers were still sitting in the
study. All the lights had been turn
ed out.
"Chief, this case h a me
stumped," said Carroll.
"Yeah," O'Leary responded
noncommittally.
Il don't get it all. A murder
couldn't have been committed
and yet it was. All the suspects
were in the other room, and the
window wasn't opened, and
He stopped suddenly. From
somewhere just outside the d O o ]
that led into the library, they
heard the sounds of shutting feet
O'Leary stole quietly behind the
dlvan in which the two men hae
been sitting and whispered c ur
orders for the sergeant to stan6
in the recess next to the fireplace
The door opened, and a SHARP
beam of light from an electric
torch cut across the room. O'Leary
held his breath as the beam passed
the sofa behind which he was hud
died.
1t was impossible, in the dark
ness, to tell who the man was
His light was turned toward the
books in the built-in cases on the
east wall, and he seemed to be
studying the titles. Finally, he Sc
lected two large books and pulled
them out of place. He reached his
hand in the space where the books
had been.
Suddenly O'Leary realized what
the man was doing. Behind those
books, secreted by a panel, was
Sayler's safe. In a few minutes,
the man pulled aside a small, steel
door and reached his hand into
the chamber.
O'Leary lifted himself to h S
feet. "All right, buddy" he said.
Drop it." He spoke quietly, but
in the stiffness of the night his
voice doomed across the room.
The figure at the bookcase
wheeled around. He swung h S
beam swiftly over the room and
caught O'Leary square in the face.
In the next instant, there was dark.
ness as the torch was switched off,
and then -. a flash of flame and
a crashing sound as he fired a
shot at the detectives head. 8
(To Be Continued(