The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-11-02
. SERIAL STORY
NEW YORK JUNGLE
BY WRAY WADE SEVERN

a SAID grlmy
IT know that, Hugh. Just now
picked up bit from Togi. Be-
fore dinner Nella told me what
she had seen = an instant before
the shot was fred"
Hugh Langdon's lips hardened
over the stem in his mouth.
I'm sorry Nella saw-what she
saw. 1t was rather terrible sight
1t will be an indelible memory for
her, Sid"
Brait rood nodded. Here's the
story, Hugh. Correct me where I'm
wrong" he said.
pat had threatened to have
Adam declared incompetent. His
mind had really begun to break,
though he had lucid days. He had
the coffee table placed under
shelf on which his porcupine
stood. He sent the electric per-
colator away so that the old
fashioned one would be used. 1t
burned a flame In front of his wife.
"Then he counted the buttons
on his vest so that he would know
Just how high to hold his elbow
when taking aim in the dark
except for the target Of that tiny
flame, he had planned darkness.
In the afternoon he had practiced
shot using the Lilliput, because
1t made little noise"
Hugh Langdon got up and
I1i n Iri,aLy Af roy15Sy
GO on, Sid"
adam had even provided an
alibi by locking the door so that 1t
would appear to have been locked
from the outside by thief. And he
had also broken pane of glass in
direct line with the block OF the
new lioness and the coffee table. In
that way 1t could have been made
to appear that a shot had been
fired through the broken window at
Pat, instead of from the lioness,"
HE was not himself. He was
mad - but cunning!" Hugh NUT
tered.
Adam intended to tell the po-
lice that Pat had looked up at the
open window and had recognized
the thief, that the thief had fired
at her. Uusually the lamp in the
driveway Is lighted just back of
that window so that a person could
be seen. Last night, for some rea-
son, it was not lighted, but Adam
did not realize 1t.
Using penknife, he short
circuited the lights in the smaller
room and he had switched off the
lights in the larger room before
he sent Togi for bulbs. When 1t
was dark he mounted the block,
took aim and even had pulled the
trigger of his revolver. So much
Nella saw"
did Gundrum tell you this, Sid,
or did you reason 1t out for your
self?'
"Gundrum! Did he see the shoot
ing, Hugh?"
HE saw everything. He kept ST.
lent for obvious reasons. He told
Pat what he saw and persuaded
her not to tell what she knew. I
hope you agree?"
Then only two of us were really |
In the darkp" Sidney mused
Three. You forget Togi."
THANK God enough of them saw
what happened. We shall need their
testimony, old man. Henry Barkes
has been arrested for the murder"
The big engineers face Withered at |
the announcement. For an instant |
he remained silent and then he said |
slowly, Arrested that limp chauf-
feur? Does Plowman really believe
him guilty or Is he trying to force
our hands?"
II can't say. But can we afford |
to take that chance?'
I'm common decency, no, Sid. |
How did you know who shot - In |
Pats defense?"
Given similar circumstances any |
one Of us might have done 1t, Hugh,
but there Is only one who had the
instant aim and courage to act.
And only one man tall enough to
hide the Liliput In the appraised
hand Of the ape without standing
OH the block. There were no marks
on that block"
yes, dlQ ~, Hugh SAID calmly. |
There was only one load in the
gun I'd taken from the rack, so
I slipped the Lilliput into my |
pocket. 1t would have shown
Adams own fingerprints as we'll
as mine had I not wiped 1t off.
Unless, Of course. he'd cleaned 1t
after using 1t that afternoon. I'd
used the one bullet shutting the
lock, so I'd slipped the gun into
my pocket and had hold OF the
Lilliput.
"Then came the terrific light
ming when the women say they COW
cred their eyes. Nella, apparently
did not cover hers. I turned to tell
Adams to remain with the women.
I'm the flash I saw him stand
ing on the block, He had raised
his gun and aimed at his wife,
He looked exactly as Nella de-
scribed him"
Hugh paused moment before
continuing. Il knew then that he'd !
lost all reason and shouted, |