The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-10-24
@ EE. VAN "a WATER
w. ". y. SERVICES


The dim figure l had seen dart
through the doorway had seemed
sighter than either. 1t could not
have been the buxom Everett. Why
had it been lurking in a basement
hallway of all places? What had
dropped to the floor with a clink
of metal and then had vanished?
Suddenly, wanted to confde in
someone. 1t was the lonely wretch
edness of the overburdened. I
thought, as l slapped at my dusty
overcoat and trousers, of Shannon,
of Miss Agatha, of Allegro, and each
time found at once good reason why
l could not go to them. AS picked
up my suitcase, an amused voice
asked behind me:
Ever try a whiskbroom, accom-
plice? You can buy them at all the
better stores"
Jerry Cochrane's coat collar was
turned up about his ears. His round
face had been spanked red by cold
and wind had watered his canny
eyes. He was sane flesh and blood.
| l was SIdO 10 see MIN.
Whats this?" he asked, nodding
at my suitcase. ''The body?"
He was medicine for the jitters.
AT my question he gave a ges-
ture, half shrug, half SILVER.
Il trailed Lyon Ferriter from the
Babylon" he said. "Your hall force
wouldn't let me wait in the vesti-
bule. l was across the street when
I saw you go down the cellar. So
when you came out, L"
grabbed his arm so hard that
he stopped and stared. / had trouble
getting hold of words.
''Who came out ahead Of your" he
repeated, wide-eyed. "Out of the
cellar? Nobody"
81 groaned. eff you'd only
watched" l began, but he cut me
short
Listen" he babe. ''I didn't have
anything else to do, except freeze.
No one came out of the basement
except you. What's all the heat"
"Save it" I told him and ran to-
ward the Morello My suitcase bat
tered my legs. I swore at it and
myself. If Cochrane were not mis-
taken, if the intruder who fed had
not gone up to the street, he had
lurked in the area by the stairs I'M
til after I had left. He might still
be hiding in that black pit.
Beyond the Morello, taxi swung
into the curb. Someone entered it..
The door slammed and it slid away.
We were too far off to see the Ii
cense number or even the passenger
clearly.
Sometime" Cochrane asked po-
litely, when you're not quite so ac-
tive, you'll let me in on this?"
I told him, as well as could, for
was winded, what had happened.
"Who was it?" Cochrane queried.
81 think" / answered, sit was
Mr.. Addison Sims of Seattle"
The wind doomed in the area
while we talked in hushed voices. It
struck my sweating face like the
gush of cold shower bath. Coch-
rane was painting, yet he shivered.
Lyon" he asked. wondered
why it should have been his first
thought, as well as mine.
Lyon Ferriter," I answered, els
upstairs = in Miss Paget's apart
ment. He couldn't have got down
here ahead of me-"
UNLESS he took the hidden way
the murderer travelled" Cochrane
pointed out stubbornly, and his teeth
chartered ''I'd like to know where
he is, this minute"
I turned toward the steps and
said:
81 can go back and find out If
he's still upstairs
''I'd like to know" Cochrane re-
peated in a cold-shaken voice, as
he followed me upward. eff I'm
going to live to understand all this,
I've got to get taxi and drink
fast. Find out if Ferriter is still
upstairs and then"
But we had no need for search.
As I came out of the area, a lean
figure left the Morello vestibule.
Shoulders hunched against the wind,
Lyon Ferriter strobe past us.
thought he recognized me, for he
looked hard and seemed about to
check his pace and then pressed on.
We watched him to the corner.
Anyone" Cochrane gasped
through his rafting teeth, "who can
go without an overcoat on a night
like this is a murderer or sui
eide. Hi, taxil"
As we bounced along toward the
address he gave, his questions prod
ded me once again through the story
of my struggle in the basement.
sit doesn't make sense" he COM
| planned. Maybe it was someone
colder than me, even-some Forgot
ten Man ducking In out of the wind. I"
He wasn't too numb to move
FAST" I reminded him. "And why
should he hang out in the area after
| I'd flushed him, unless there still
was something in the basement
that he needed?"
.sTrue," Cochrane said. Perhaps
he wanted to get his watch, or what
ever you heard drop"
'I heard it DROP" told him, ''but
| it wasn't there. looked"
''It was, but it wasn't" he said
bitterly. "And there you have the
case in a few words, accomplice.
I'm sorry we hired you. You keep
messing up the puzzle. I owe you
one, though, for your tip on the
Babylon. ! don't know who was
sorer-Shannon or the Ferriters-
when ran 'em down"
ITO BE CONTINUEDI