The Wilmington morning star., 1940-10-04
CHAPTER FORTY

Ronald answered Sue Acker
mans questions for Sarah. She nae
asked, "Just to whom did you enc
YOUR gun on the house party IL
whom-and why"
"She didn't loan it to anyone
but me-" he said. g" wanted te
examine it."
He wasn't telling the truth
Sarah's face gave the fact away
at once He was lying to protect
the girl he loved, to take any blame
that might accrue from a careless
gesture on her part.
Sarah's handkerchief had slippec
to the floor, and Linda, sitting
near, stopped to reclaim it for her
1t was a good linen, with a ia
miliar scent. She thought OF this as
she picked it up. Then her eyes
widened into darkened greenness'
Once before she had seen that
hand-blocked English IN" in the
corner of a fragile kerchief. once
before, on the night when Clara
bell had been murdered.
How she managed to say casu-
ally, You dropped your handker-
chief" Linda didn't know.
AS the inquisition of the prose
cutor went on she was thinking
one thing only. If this circumstan-
tial evidence meant anything, then
Sarah had been in the Bagley of
fee at the time of the shooting.
The prosecutors assistant was
linking Sarah and her gun in some
way with the murder. Sue Acker-
man believed that Sarah had loan
ed the weapon to the INT who fired
the fatal shots.
But only she, Linda Avery, knew
that the handkerchief in Sarah's
lap was an identical twin to the
one Which reposed in the prose-
cutor's office as one of the exhib-
its in the case. She did not want
to stare at it, but it held a curious
fascination for her eyes and they
would not leave it. Sarah followed
her gaze, and Linda became aware
that Sarah's face was serious and
taut and she was crumpling the
tell-tale handkerchief.
But Sarah couldn't have done
this murder. She couldn't h a e.
Didn't she know that she would
be caught if she shot a girl with
her gun? Didn't she know that
murder would always out and the
man she wished would not give
her the peace and happiness she
wanted? Sarah was smart and
shrewd. She had other, better wea-
pons than death.
But why had her revolver been
used and why was she hiding this
handkerchief? Like everyone else,
she must know of the handkerchief
that was Exhibit A in the coron-
er's inquest.
But who could have done this
thing? Not Sarah, unless that abb
OF hers was a flimsy thing, manu-
featured by herself, upheld by Ron
ME, who loved her, and her ia
theirs employees, who wished to
hold their jobs.
Not old John Parrish, unless the
time element of everything was
wrong.
Il know the Parishes" Sue Ac-
herman said calmly. HE and INV
father once had a small business
together. They lost it and we al.
ways thought that is was due to
Mr.. Parrish's bad investments. We
know noW-we found out two weeks
ago."
"Then-then-you mean maybe
ne did it because he was afraid
Linda half spoke, half whispered.
i didn't say that" the woman
answered, eyes a little amused. as
though she enjoyed holding the
center of the stage. Besides. I
was still at liberty"
Mr.. and Mrs. Parrish both
worked, but they didn't want people
to know about it for fear She
might lose her job," Linda volun.
teered.
She tried to be near her hus-
band. He has heart trouble and
often needs drops which she fixes
for him. Digitalis, you know. She
was afraid to leave him alone. She
was always near by" Sue Acker-
man said.