The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-09-12
@ FF. Van DE WATER :
W. ~. y. Service

1unOlny. be sure the door Is
locked behind you
"Yes'm,'' he replied and we heard
it slam. The old lady looked hard
at me as moved toward the hall.
''It might be WE'LL" I explained,
''to look through the rest of the
apartment"
She shook her head. I have seen
few murders, even at my age, but
understand it is best to do nothing
till the police come. Usually, there
after, they follow your example"
She sat quite still In her chair
by the door and her eyes searched
slowly through all the room.
After moment she asked, nod
ding toward the concealing couch:
when did he come in?"
81 don't know" I replied. ST
never saw him"
She leaned back in her chair, her
hands folded in her angular lap, her
eyes narrow with thought She asked
at length:
when did Ione-Miss Ferriter-
come in?"
II think it was she who rang the
bell while I was In your apartment.
She had to walk up."
She appeared to turn this over in
her mind. The clock licked loudly.
Miss Agatha emerged from what
ever inner communion she had held
and looked at me again.
You heard her screaming. What
did you think of it?"
I did not answer for so long that
she shrugged at last and said:
THAT was silly question. For
get it."
mo, it wasn't" I replied slowly.
''It's just that hadn't thought of it
before. You mean there was some
thing more than fright in the
sound?"
do u" she retorted.
I went on: "WeIl, mean it then.
She was frightened by finding man
dead on her floor. There was some
thing else. A deeper terror per-
haps."
Her gaze abashed me a little. !
grinned and shrugged.
That's probably all magma
tion," I told her. Anyway, Miss
Ferriter is a gifted screamer. She
sounded like the Eumenides on the
wing"
Her thin eyebrows arched. Again
felt that she regarded me as
curiosity and once more it irked
me.
They were surprised grinned
at that patrician, puzzled face
when spoke to the waiter in
Greek"
She started to reply and turned
her head sharply as the outer door
opened. Higgins and hard-breath-
ing patrolman entered the room.
"Over beyond the couch he lays"
the superintendent informed the po-
Lceman with discoveries pride.
The fear that had been bond be-
tween US was gone now. He stared
at me and growled:
go downstairs, Mallory. Miss
Paget, there'u be nobody let in here
now till the Hommycide Squad
comes"
Hoyt brought the car down and
came to lean against the switch
board with a shaky grin.
''Whew!" he said. "That girl do
it?"
I said mo-" prompted more by
vestige of chivalry than knowl-
edge. Hoyt glanced over his shoul-
der at the loiterers IN the foyer,
and strove to keep the secret that
for a few minutes made him their
superior He numbled:
He had a black beard, Ell? When
did he come IN? We'd "a spotted
him, wouldn't we? A guy with
beard, hey? When did he get IN?
Tell me that"
'T can't" I said. I was shaky
and I ached for another cigarette.
Maybe he came in September and
hid till he grew it."
Jaw" said Hoyt and stared to-
ward the front door. The police
man on duty there had admitted
half-dozen men In civilian clothes
and then had barred the way to 9TH
ers who strove to follow.
The intruders tramped down the
hall toward US, satchel-laden, indif-
ferent and unspectacular as the
first half-dozen men off a suburban
train. A man with reddish gray
hair like embers and a stubborn
freckled face, paused and said to
Hoyt:
Homicide Squad, Mac. Take us
up"
Eddie obeyed. Lingering tenants,
when I evaded their questions, wan
dered back to their apartments.
Higgins emerged from his base
ment apartment He had dotted VIII
sons regalia, evidently on the the
DRY that one uniform at the door
was all the house required. He
squinted about the foyer and then
ambled over to the switchboard. His
breath was heavy with the fumes of
a recent drink. I envied him.
Alcohol had softened him and
something less apparent worried
him. He bent confdentially toward
me-
Listen, Mallory" he said with
the glibness of rehearsal. Maybe
I was a mite hasty while ago.
Well let bygones be bygones. Lis
ten: They'll be questionin' all of
US. See? There's none of us to be
leavin' the buildin' till they're
through. You do me good turn,
now. was upstairs when Miss Paget
came in Sure I was. But / was
on the roof, lookin' at the water
tank. It's been leakin' VIII ye-"
ITO BE CONTINUED