The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1946-02-01
CHAPTER vi

Whats that about heel-plates?"
young Dane demanded.
"Well," said Tope, somebody
with heel-plates has walked through
the woods near PARKWAY; and man
with heel-plates left some tracks up
at the quarry; and Kell, Holdom's
chauffeur, had a pair of shoes with
heel-plates on them. They're in his
closet down at Holdom's right now"
"Then we want Ken!" Dane ex-
claimed. "And-Mrs. Ken? Was
She running around with Ledforge?
We've got to find her tool"
Tope nodded. ''It would help a
lot" he assented, "if we could talk
to her." He took Mrs. TOPICS arm.
''Let me know when you're ready to
salvage the car, Mat. / want to be
there. I'll be at the Mill if New
York calls"
And despite Danes efforts to de-
tain them, he and Mrs. Tope went
down the stairs, and got into the
little roadster at the curb. When
they were under way, she said
thoughtfully:
81 don't like that young man, but
he's right about one thing: You've
got to find Mrs. Kell, make her tell
you
81 guess we'll find her." he re-
piled grinly. "But l don't expect
her to tell us anything!"
She looked at him. "You know
where she is?"
"Well," he confessed, "there were
two or three little things didn't tell
theml That gray suit in Kell's clos
ct, looked at the name on the
tailor's label. The name was Led
forge"
She uttered a low ejaculation.
"But Mr. Ledforge might have CIV
en- it to Kell-when Ken worked for
him."
"It wouldn't fit Kell," Tope told
her. ''KelPs big man. His uni
forms were big. This suit was
small"
She frowned in bewilderment.
''But even So" she insisted, what
has that to do with Mrs. Kell?
WnC1G yOu tIlIklk Sic ISt
He said heavily: 81 think she's in
the coupe in the quarry"
"Why?" she whispered, in still
terror. "Why2"
adam and Bee found a mans
tracks leaving there" said Tope.
"Shoes with heeIplates. But there
were no woman's tracks! And that
gray suit in Kelps closet, there was
blood on the sleeve of it, and the
dead man hadn't any cut or wound
that would have bled at all!'
When Mrs. Tope and the Inspec-
tor reached Dewain's Mill, Tope
himself went indoors, but she stayed
outside. The camp seemed desert
ed, till Adam Bruce and Bee De-
vain, hearing the car arrive, came
together from the direction of Far
away.
well, you located the car. That's
good"
Adam said: eyes. And 1 don't
know when I've ever had to do any,
thing that scared me more than div
ing down into that gray water; but
I felt the axle, and wheel" He
added: "And while ! was doing that,
Bee found the mans tracks. What
do they mean?"
You're as bad as Joe Dane, al
ways asking questions. Son." he
ecs1ntered, 'how long are you going
10 hold out on me?"
Adam protested: ''Hold out?" But
his face was red.
'Wlly, yes-just that. Why, for in
stance, does Balser Wade dislike
your"
Hes just a harmless crank"
Adam insisted.
The Inspector relaxed in his chair.
"An right, son." he said. ''You do
rs you like about telling me-"
Adam hesitated in some distress.
ANY idea yet who the dead man
may be?" he asked at last.
Tope answered mildly: eyes, in a
way. Mrs. Tope thinks he's Led
forge, the. Utilities-Why, what's the
matter, Adam?"
For at that name, young Adam
Bruce had come to his feet in quick
Astonishment, stood now leaning
ever Tope, and cried out:
''Ledfcrge?"
Mrs. Tope says So" the old man
Insisted. "She saw Ledforge once
ut stockholders meeting"
Adam relaxed; he chuckled. "You
startled me for minute" he con-
eessed.
Eyes, ! noticed thatp' said Tope
aryly. Matter of fact, meant toll"
"But Mrs. Tope is wrong, Inspec-
tor" Adam declared. He hesitated.
Il felephoned our people in New
York this morning, from Ridgcomb,
% ask about Ledforge. He's In New
York; I checked on that"
Eyes, so did we." Tope assented.
s1sedforge Is In New York, all right.
but Adam. how did you happen to