Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-22

door, set rather low. One OF them must nave
turned it back while the other talked to the bar
tender. And then you see they must have intended
to set it up again, the same way, when they left
| saw the clock as ran out Of the bar and it was
half an hour SLOW
did you - see him turn the clock back?'
''Oh, no. 1t wasn't necessary to see it. knew
/ have a perfect sense Of time. It's like perfect
pitch. ! always know exactly what time it is
Like like dogs, you know, when it's dinner
time. l knew that it was six-thirty when they
came into the bar"
This, to speak bluntly, finished me; being a
banker, approached in the course Of duty for
loans, have listened to some preposterous stories
but none as preposterous as this. / said sternly,
what about all that money in your handbag?
There was at least five thousand dollars -"
Twenty" she said. Its mine, and want it!''
The story was preposterous "a perfect
sense Of time indeed! And why was she carrying
about twenty thousand dolars7 There was no
accounting for her motive in telling me such non
sense unless, in confused way. it was intended to
enlist my sympathy. There was clearly only one
thing for me to do and that was call the police.
/ started for the kitchen telephone and someone
knocked at the back door.
mo, no!'' she cried, but ! opened the door.
man came in swiftly; he wore brown hat
and coat; he was young, handsome, slick and
polite.
"Oh, there you are, Aunt Maisie," he said.
i've come to take you home. I'm sorry if she's
troubled you, sir. She's quite all right, really,
doesn't need to be in Sanitarium. But she does
let her fancy run away with her -"
you've been listening at the door" the lady
and almost certainly the gun MOL - cried
with unexpected spirit YOU'RE the other robber!
You shot the man with my handbag!'
And he had told good story, too, l reflected
SPECIFICALLY; story that was almost certain to
get his accomplice out Of my house. There must
be wheels within wheels, a complex situation
between the two Of them to which had no key,
except my previous conclusion that thieves do
fall out
Come now, Aunt Maisie," the young man
said and advanced upon us. The lady ciutched
my arm practically to the bone and cried, Hes
got a gun!' looked down, naturally, to sec if
she had broken my arm, saw her white bare
wrist - and suddenly saw the truth.
And there wasn't anything could do about it.
Undoubtedly he did have a gun. The telephone
was at least five feet away. Wilkins was asleep
the third floor. And at that point the lady gave
piercing shrek. Lola" she Shrieked. Lola. :"
] have read the words, 'pandemOnium
broke loose: l never comprehended their mean
ing until the house rocked with it. Howls. yells,
thuds and the rending crash Of doors broke out
from above; somewhere there were many nladly
running feet. l thrust the lady under the kitchen
table and. since am not brave man, ducked
under it myself. Happy hurled through the
kitchen door. swinging it back against the muir
derer, who went skittering across the floor Lola
flashed into view and into the corner from
whence savage growls, thumps and curses arose;
and suddenly two revolver shots crashed through