The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1946-01-11

falls. He's the secretary Of an as.
sociation for the protection Of our
streams. don't know whether there
Is any such association, but he's the
secretary Of 1t, anyway"
Tope looked at the young man
thoughtfully. "Your-vacation UP
here have anything to do with him,
Adam3 gathered he didn't like
YOU"
Bruce chuckled. "You're cute as
a weasel. Tope, for smelling out q
trail, but you can cross Wade off,"
The older man did not press the
point. "All right" he said. ''We'n
cross Wade off. But two men came
In tonight after we got here. One
OF them-called himself Whitlock--
was talking to Priddy after supper.
think they're after something; but
= they weren't here Saturday
night?"
"No," Adam agreed. Nobody
here by those namesl"
"How about the Murrells?"
Adam chuckled. "Out," he said
positively.
"And Miss Dewain? She doesn't
seem as stubborn and cantankerous
as you said she was. What about
herr"
"Why, ! met her two or three
years ago." Adam explained. "While
! was working in the bank commits
sioner's office. I came up here to
look over the local bank, and she
was secretary to the president. A
man named Eberly." He spoke rue
fully. II liked her, and she liked
me, but the bank was in bad shape.
After I made my report, the COM
missioner closed it, and she has held
1t against me ever since. Or at
least she pretends to. She was de-
voted to Mr.. Eberly. i. But Tope,
this doesn't get us anywhere. Not
on this business. I don't see that
we've got any place to start, on
this"
"Well, son, we know some things"
Tope reminded him: 'We know
there were two people in it, because
one of them struck matches to make
light, while the other did the job.
And by the way the bed was made,
wouldn't be surprised if one OF
them was woman. Not many men
can make a bed right. Then there's
another thing: That's electricians
tape around this mans mouth and
eyes; and the wires he's tied up with
are old ignition wires off a car;
and the clothes on him are greasy.
Maybe whoever tied him I'D was a
mechanic, chauffeur"
"That's just guessing"
"Well, believe in guessing"
Tope insisted. "Then those pieces
of blanket wrapped around his hands
and feet and head-a dog had slept
on that blanket. A police dog, I
think. You can see the hairs"
PLENTY of police dogs aroundl"
Tope considered; and then he
asked, in the tone Of one who has
made a discovery: "Adam, why
were his feet and his hands and his
head wrapped up in pieces of blank
ct? Why were his hands tied to his
body behind?"
Bruce shook his head. 81 don't
know!"
Tope said positively: "Why, to
keep him from making noise, by
kicking, or butting with his head,
or beating with his hands. A noise
that some one might hear"
Bruce stared at him. "You mean
he wasn't dead when they put him
here?"
"Well, it's sure he wasn't dead
when they tied him up, anyway"
Mrs. Tope spoke swiftly. 'Inspec-
tori" They looked at her. "Inspec-
tor, no one would kidnap q poor
man! This man has on old, shabby
clothes"
Tope watched her. "Oh, they
changed his clothes"
"Why?" she challenged, as though
she knew the answer.
$50 he couldn't be identified by
what he had on"
"You mean they changed his
clothes after they killed him?"
"Why-yesl"
"But you just said," she argued,
"that the reason they tied his hands
and feet, and muffied them with
blankets, was because he was alive
and might make a noise"
"Of course"
She cried triumphantly: ''But
don't you see that won't fit? If he
was already tied up, they couldn't
change his clothes without untying
his hands and feet; and if he were
already dead when they changed his
clothes, there wouldn't be any point
to tying him up again afterward."
And she urged: $50 he was alive
when they changed his clothes; and
he was alive when they brought him
here, because otherwise there was
no point in muff1ing his hands and
feet and head to keep him from max
ing noise"
They heard the sound Of footsteps
on the drive-Ned Quill returning,
with Mat Cumberland and Doctor
Medford. Cumberland was large