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Not a Case for Science
By Abncr Anthony
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IM CREADY laid
down his book at I
entered.
"I'm glad yon
dropped In." Im
naJd. Tm full o
dope on these new
fangled way of
cstchla' crooks-
tinner prints, cigar ashes and all that
aorta thing. Honest, I believe If I was
to see you steal the cuckoo clock off
the wall there, I'd run for a piece of
paper and soma lamp black to take
your finger prtnta. Instead of bumptn'
yon on the head and draggin' yon off
to the can."
'Science baa made wonderful strides
In your profession, I began.
"Science me eye!" ha Interrupted
me. "It listens all right In a book,
but for me. I'll take a chance alongside
any of these magnlfyln' glass Investi
gators. All I ask la a hunch from old
man Human Nature, a good drag-nM
system, a couple o stool pigeons where
they're moat needed and soma lock.
"Olre ma all that and then bring en
your robbery or murder, or whatever
else yon got a mind to, and TO oome
pretty near to gettln' hold of some
body that know something about tt.
"After that. It's not the hardesl thing
tn the world to get at the truth, tha
whole troth and nothin' but the truth,
slielp me. There's ways of dola tt
that work out pretty good."
"Ton mean the third degree?" I
asked, knowing I would bring a storm
about my ears.
Third degree, h r" he shouted
angrily. "Ton been goln to tha movies
again, alnt yon. No, It dont take the
third degree, and tt dont take one of
tbeae new-fangled machines that tell
when a guv's tellin' the truth, either."
Ha poked the book on the table
with a contemptuous forefinger.
"Them machines may do all they aay
(hey will, but I'd hate to depend on a
lot of aig-sag Unas Instead of tha shif
ty look In a liar's aya and the, kllp-up
he always makes. The mora a man
tries to alibi himself, the mora chance
there Is -for him to give himself away.
If they'd aay a thing . and no more,
and just stick to It, they'd get by
much better, but they're always try in'
to strengthen their story by addln'
this and addln' that until, finally, they
Up up and crab tha whole works.
Too many times the up-to-date meth
ods add a lot of frills and make a
mystery out of what ought to be noth
in' but a plain pinch."
, Now that Cready had gotten under
a full head of steam. I carefully re
frained from making any comments.
Nor did I give him any visible signs
of encouragement I know well the
bast way to gat a story from this vet
eran of tha polios department
"Take that Lyons murder two years
ago," he continued. To tha public
that looked Ilka a dead open and shut
proposition. Dick Lyons waa killed
and Harris Andrews was arrested less
than aa hour later. Of course, you
remember tha outcome of the trial
Guilty, first-degree murder.
T made that pinch and there was
lota of obanco to do soma scientific In
vestigating that may or may not nave
ended In tha same thing, but ril bet a
week's pay that the, stories that flew
around for a few minutes after I got
there on the Job would have tied that
truth machine np in a double knot.
"I'm stallin' around headquarters
the night it happened, with not much
on my mind except a Stetson. Things
are slow and I'm waltin' for four bells
when it'a my time to hit the hay.
"Along about twelve o'clock tha tele
phone rings and a few minutes after
the Chief yells tor me.
"'Jimmie.' he saya; 'take a couple
of men with you and get up to tha
Everglade Apartments on Nlnty-flrat
street. A Mr. Harris Andrews tele
phones that his friend Lyons was shot
by a burglar who made a get-away.
Get tip there as fast as you can and
keep your eye-peeled for bad actors In
the neighborhood.'
"Well, me and three cops start off
and It dont take us no time to get to
Ninety-first street. We're just going
in the door of the Everglade when, I'm
a sucker If there ain't a guy dodgln'
behind steps and actln mighty auspi
cious. "I got one of the cops to grab him
and he makes a holler and swears
he's waltin' for somebody. I give the
sign to bring him along. It wont hurt
him any and it might do us some good.
Anyway, his actions looked bad.
"We go up to apartment five, which
Is the number the Chief gets over the
'phone. I goes In first with one of the
cops and the other two stay outside
with the guy we picked up.
"Andrews meets ns, and he's excit
ed as h . As soon as I looked at
the man stretched out on the floor, I
knew he was dead. The whole top
of his head was blowed off, pretty
near.
"Andrew's story is as straight as a
whip. He and Lyons bad been out on
a theater party with a woman and
they had come to the woman's apart
ments. They're sluing and talking
when the door opens and In cornea a
fellow with a gun.
. "Lyons makes a jump to get tha gun
and the crook lets him have it Then,
frightened; ha covers Andrews and
makes his get-away,
"When he had finished, I mentioned
tha guy we picked up 'and had tha
oops bring him In. Andrews gets one
look at hlra and says 'That's the
man."
"'Are you sure? I sake him. The
other fellow, who was not much more
than a kid. looked puszled and wanted
to know what was coming off.
. "'Positive,' answers Andrews.
"Walt," and he calls out: 'Blanche!
Coma here!' .
"Out of the next room there oomes
a woman who looks about thirty-five,
although I guess she might be more.
She's all dolled up In evening clothes
and she's been cryln'.
" 'Come here.' said Andrews. 'Here's
the police and they've caught the man
that killed Dick. Take a look at him.'
' "The woman comes over and takes
one look at the kid.
" 'Walter!' she orles, holdln' out her
arms.
" 'Mother,' says the kid and makes
aa though to go to ber, but the cops
yank him back. 'What does this
mean? he asks her.
"The woman turns to me. "Let him
go,' she says, and her voice is awful
weary and tired. 'Let him go. He
didn't do it. He did tt,' and she point
ed to Andrews.
" 'If s a lie,"- hollers Andrews. 'She's
tryin' to save her boy. Take him
away.
"I don't know what gave ma tha
Idea, but I had a hunch that Andrews
waa aa much surprised at tha kid be
ing her son as he was although he
don't say anything about it. 1
"The woman la cryln' now and
wrlngln' her handa, Here's tw dif
ferent stories and It's up to'n lo "hd
out which la nearest to tha truth. I
guess one of them machines woulda
had to go some,, eh ? '
"'How did It happen? I asked the
woman.
- "She looks at thekld for a minute
and then moves her shoulders In a
funny way. Just ss If sheSraa throwln'
off a heavy weight
"I live here in this flat. Tonight
I had gone to bed. I did not expect
Andrews After I had retired Dick
Lyons came to the door and I got up.
He waa In love with me and wanted
me to break away from Andrews.'
"'It's a lie!' shouts Andrews.
"'You shut up!' I tells him and mo
tions tor the woman to go on.
, " 'Dick begged ma to go with him.
and then Andrews came In. He la
very jealous and without saying a
word he shot Dick.
"'After he shot him, he called up
the police department and made ma
change to these clothes. Then ha lnT
vented the story he told you and made
ma promise to back Mm up in it '
" 'I guess I would have done It, too,'
she went on, 'only ' and her look at
the kid finished what she meant to
say.
"Of course, by this time Andrews
was wild. One of the cops had grabbed
him by the arm while the woman was
talkin' or I guess'' he'd 'a made a
spring at her.
" "Wall," I said to him when she fin
ished; 'what about ltr "
"All this time the kid stood lookln'
from one to another without aayln' a
word.
"It's a lie, Captain," said Andrews.
I guess ha thought that "Captain"
stuff would help some with me. "I'm
a fool to have let myself tn tor this,
but it's my own fault I didn't give It
to you quite strsight before, but I will
now," and ha shot a glance of hate at
tha woman. .
"Dick Lyons was my best friend,
and It waa to save bis reputation that
I lied. I figured that as long as you
got tha right man, a little lie wouldn't
do any harm, particularly If It saved
others from pain and suffering.
" 'Lyons waa In love with this wom
an. Ha was making a fool of himself
over her and neglecting hia family. I
knew he waa here tonight and that he
was going to try to get this womsn to
run away with him. I came to prevent
tt She pretended that aha loved Ly
ons, but she wanted only what money
she could get out of. him, and when
she saw that Lyons was listening to
reason and was beginning to get a lit
tle sense and see her In her true light,
she signalled to her confederate and
tried to pull off the old badger game.
"'Tha badger gamer I asked him.
"Yea; this fellow came In and pre
tended he was her husband. He swore
he was going to shoot Lyons for load
ing his wife astray. You know how
they work it, I guess. They had It
framed up well. Their game was to
have Lyons come across with a lot
of money to keep tt quiet and get out
of trouble.'
" 'I guess It might have worked, ex
cept for one thing. Lyons waant the
aort to aland tor that kind of a hold
up, and suddenly he made a diva for
tbla fellow, who waa covering him
with a gun.
"'As soon as Lyons Jumped, I
Jumped slso, but he,' pointing to the
kid, 'grabbed me by lbs throat and
held me off at arm's length while he
shot Lyons.
"'Then he covered me with the gun
and got away. After he had gone, I
made the woman dress and we re
hearsed the story I told you. I want
ed to save his family. I told her If
she didn't back me up I would tell the
truth and that, aha would be held as
an accomplice, so she agreed.
" There's the man that killed Dk-k
Lyons, and now you know tha truth.'
"'Yep,' I said to htm, 'I know the
truth,' and I motioned to the cops to
put the bracelets on Andrews.
"The woman stood with bar head
banging down, and when the oops let
the kid go, be went over to her and
looked into her eyes. The next min
ute she waa cryln' and Bobbin' all over
him.
"You see," said Cready, "there was
a plain pinch that came near being a
mystery. And from the lies that was
flyln' around that room, I'll bet one of
them machines would have busted a
aprlng."
"But." ssld I, "I don't see"
"Certainly you don't see. But If you
had listened to Andrews tell how the
kid held him off with one hand while
he shot Lyons with the other, you'd
see. Especially." he mused, "If you
knew, aa I did. that one of the kid's
srma was paralysed so that ha couldnt
move It an Inch."
When Realization Came to Her
By Phil Moore
8 soon as she stepped
Into the room Mo
nica, felt the keen
eyes of her aunt
M u dying her.
"Changed your
drees, eh T" Inquired
the old woman,
"Yes, auntie."
"Put on your best white one, too.
Come here and let me straighten the
skirt It'B all crooked."
Monica approached and stood pa
tiently while Aunt Betsy twitched the
folds of the -dainty white voile into
place,
"Expecting Jason 7"
Monica had known tt was coming.
She flushed and jerked away. "No,
I'm not expecting Jason."
T see. Then it's that Dairy Kent"
Monloa bit her Up. "Oh, dear. Aunt
Betsy, I just wish you wouldn't gins
me aa," ahs cried.
The old woman, who had kept and
loved Monica alnee her babyhood.
sighed as she resumed her knitting.
"It's for your good, child. " she said,
quietly. "Dont loas your head over
Dairy Kent He la every girl's beau.
' And besides " She paused aa It she
eonld have said more if aha chose.
"Jason Is worth a roadful of Darry
Kenta," aha ended.
"Not to me," Monica muttered as she
escaped to the porch.
There she sat down apparently to
read in reality to wait for the b'g
black ear that ao frequently now of
an evening came bounding down the
humpy street,to Annt Betsy's door. It
was Drrrry Kent's car, and Darry Kent
himself always sat behind the wheel.
Monica had gone to school with Darry,
and she had a foolish notion- that he
had been in love with her. It flatter
ed her to have the best car in town
pause at her door and to be seen rid
ing in tt All the other girls envied
her and tt made Jason jealous. She
enjoyed making Jason jealous. Jason'
lived In the next honse, and even If be
did not always see her with Darry. bis
mother would tell him. There was a
sort of pact between Jason's mother
and Aunt Betsy that their young peo
ple should marry. And Jason waa
willing too willing, Monica thought
when she was not willing enough. 8he
liked htm, but she had no Intention
of marrying him for he did not suit
her. Ha was common.
As she sat waiting she saw Jason
swing out of his own bouse and start
down toe street Although she was
there In p'ain sight, he did not look
toward her. He walked quickly, with
his head down. There waa something
so boyish and so sulky In his appear
ance that Monica giggled softly In'
amusement. Jason knew that Darry
was coming, and he was hawing an
extra attack of Jealousy.
"Jason!" It was his mother's voles.
She had run out after him and was
calling. "Jason!"
He turned obediently, Jason wss du
tiful to his mother, and Aunt Betsy
persisted In holding tbla fact up as an
earnest of the kind of husband be
would make.
"It you are going over to Mary's,
Jason, will you ask her mother to send
over her recipe for pineapple con
serve?" Monica's mouth opened In a gasp.
Msry! Mary who? Why, Mary Arm
strong, of course. There was only
one Mary whom Jason would be go
ing to see. What did it mean? Could
It be possible that he was actually
paying attention to her? Monica's
heart sank. He was whistling as be
turned the corner. Perhaps he waa
not Jealous after all just absorbed In
the thought of Mary whom he was
going to see.
Monica had never dreamed of such
a thing, but she hsd every reason to
believe it now. She began to feel very
sober. For a whole year she hsd
grown used to the Idea that Jason be
longed to her. She bad rested assured
of his devotion. And now It was per
haps snatched away by some ona else
by Mary Armstrong.
Monica waited until 9, but Darry
Kent did not appear. She aat biting
her lip and tapping her foot between
nervousness and anger. He had
promised and be had broken bla word.
Or perhaps something had happened to
klm an accident or
"Monica!" Aunt Betsy waa calling
sharply. "Somebody wants you on the
phone."
It was Darry to explain. It was.
however, not Darry's voice that came
but another's a girl's voice-
"Ohrthat you, Helen?" Monica said,
with a too apparent note of disap
pointment In ber voice. "What do you
want? To tell me something? What?
No. I shan't ears. Go on. About some
body getting engaged? Oh, I know!
It's Jason Worth! To Mary Arm
strong. ' No news at all. I know all
about it It Isn't? Be Isn't Who,
then? Darry Kent! To Louise Baker.
Announced. Ob, wait Helen, I'm sor
ry somebody's come." She bung up
the receiver.
Pallid and limp, she leaned against
the wait Darry Kent engaged to
Louise Baker, the rich manufacturer's
daughter, whom Mrs. Kent occasional
ly entertained as bar guest! Monlra
had been there to parties given in
Louise's honor, but It had never oc
curred to her that Darry favored
Louise. Once he had said, "Oh,
Louise Is a nice girl, a sort of sister.
And mother's fond of ber." It wss In
no way an excuse, rather an explana
tion of his fueling toward Louise.
And here they were engaged.
It was Aunt Betsy who cams to her
snd Monica wilted on Aunt Betsy s
shoulder. "Oh, Is It true?"
"I'm afraid it Is. I heard it this
afternoon, and I wanted to tell you,
hut I guess I was cowardly. Mrs.
Kent alwaya baa wanted Darry to
marry money, and Louise la a fine
girl. It's a pity Darry Isnt more de
serving of her. He probably knows
you must have heard It by this time
snd that's why There, there, don't
cry, lovle. You don't care. You've
got too much sense tor that Why,
you knew all the- time that Darry
didn't mean anything, and you can
tell them so. It was fun to go riding
In his csr Just as the other girls did.
but thst'a sll It amounted to. Darry
lnn't the sort of man who could win
my girlie."
"But, Aunt Betsy," csme In a flood
of tears, "Jason I've lost Mary
Armstrong. Oh. Aunt lletsy!"
Aunt betsy lifted her head. Her
eyes were full of gratitude, her sensi
ble old mouth touched w ith an expres
sion of deep Joy. She stroked Monica's
hsir. "Don't you worry about Jason."
she said. "Jason's true blue. I bad
a man like Jason snd I know! No,
don't you see a mite of trouble about
Jason, lovle. There, wipe your face
and I'll tell you something. Jaaon'a
out there on the veranda watting for
you now!"
She Accepts His Proposition
By Elsie Undkott
pwa ii' i u.J
1, - I
' - v.
H1LE they sat oat the
steps that early
aprlng morning
Bobby Moreland
devotedly stared at
Dorothy Preston.
She, however, did
not return bis case.
She was very much
more interested in bar thoughts than
In his presence, that much was cer
tain, and tor tha hundredth time Bob
by sighed heavily. Bobby waa des
perately In love, in fact he had been
desperately In love aver since he had
known Dorothy and that had been av
er since he could remember. But Dor
othy waa such a very disconcerting
little person that Bobby bad never
been able to tell her anything about
bow mnch be loved her, and this
morning sitting there in the sunshine
be wsa being cruelly convinced that
he never would be able to do so. He
sighed again.
Dorothy seemed suddenly to remem
ber he was there. "I am going to buy
a house.", she announced thoughtfully,
her pointed little chin In the pink
cupa of both hands.
"A bouse?" echoed Bobby punled-
iy
"Exactly," agreed Dorothy cheer
fully, "I am going to buy a dear little
gray house, way out on the West road,
a house all covered with red and
brown woodbine and with wide, tiny
paned windows snd a little flower gar
den In back. It has four, rooms and
a dove of a fireplace in the living
room. There Is no one living In it
now, and I am going down to see the
owner this morning."
"And you said this house was out
on the West road and covered with
woodbine, and untenanted?" inquired
Bobby Interestedly.
"Yes, aad the caretaker gave me the
address of the owner, and I am to see
him this morning," finished Dorothy
cheerfully.
Bobby rose lazily and looked at his
watch. "Well, I must be getting on
down to the office. Dad and I expect
to put over a big deal with a Montana
man this morning."
Dorothy flashed him a smile. "How
fast we are growing up, Bobby," she
laughed. "I'm buying real houses and
you're one of the Arm. It doesn't
stem possible, does It?"
"I've been thinking a lot about It
lately," admitted Bobby,- and then,
with a confused "Good-by," he was oh
down the walk to bis car.
"Now what In the world Is the mat
ter with him?" puzxled Dorothy,
watching the car disappear down the
road. '
"But I didn't have the slightest idea
it was you!" gasped Dorothy, sitting
down suddenly in a big chair.
"If you called on me more often at
the office you would have recognized
the address!" he retorted cheerfully.
"But you'll sell me the house, .won't'
you, Bobby?" she smiled.
Bobby picked up a paper-weight and
considered It gravely. "On conditions.''
"But what are they?" questioned
Dorothy, a surprised frown wrinkling
her pretty forehead.
"Well, there Is really only one. You
see I've always wanted to fix that lit
tle house up and run out there week
ends. Now this could be arranged
very nicely. All you will have to do
is marry me and"
"Ob!" Bobby looked at her sudden-'
ly. She was sitting very still with her
hands on the arms of the big chair.
Her eyes were very big snd dark and
her cheeks were flushed a deep rose.
The next instant Bobby was kneeling
beside ber, quite oblivious to the pos
sible appearance of the office boy or
the man from Montana. "Won t you,
dearest?" he pleaded.
Dorothy met bis eyes slowly. Her
own were softly shining. "I want the
house so badly, dear, that I think I'll
take It conditions and all." She
breathed ever so low snd the next
Inslant well, the office-boy did ap
pear, but being an exceptionally con
siderate young fellow with a sweet
hesrt of his own he withdrew noise
lessly and told the man from Montana
that, "Mr. Moreland Will see you in a
few minutes. He has some business
on hand Just now that can not be de
The Little Peacemaker
, By Joclla Johnson
i ,', 1 1,,, p- , , ili. i
VERYTHING had run
so smoothly be
tween them that
Iris wss very much
surprised and hurt
when the village
gossip dropped In
one sfternooa and
remarked:
"Ttat's a pretty girl John was with
last night snd Mrs Brown said they
staved tbe whole evening In his office.
Hop you're not losing your beau."
Iris' face went red. then white, for
U waa last night that John had tele
phoned her he could not call as ha had
some business to attend to and so
thst was tbe business! She must not
let Mrs. Jones know she eared. "Oh.
yea. she is pretty, and isn't that Mary
calling me?"
When John called that evening It
was a very -determined young lady who
met him at tbe door, and. drawing the
ring from ber finger, said: "If you
wish to spend your evenings with oth
er ladies you can not expect me to
keep this."
"But Iris, let me ex "
Two day a went by and a very sad-
faced Iris dragged herself up the
stairs to her room, for she had not
realized she could miss John so much,
and now sbe wished she had waited
for his explanation. She would write
him a letter telling him how sorry she
was.
Little Mary, Iris' fsvonte niece,
looked In the door several times, won
dering why auntie did not come and
play, and saw ber tear the letter and
throw it In the basket, and then cry
as though ber heart would break.
Mary went away, her childish mind
troubled, wondering why Auntie Iris
looked so cross whenever she ssked
her why John didn't come any more
and why she should cry over the let
ter she threw away.
She wanted someone to play -with
ber, so soon she trudged upstairs sgsin
snd finding no auntie, saw the torn let
ter. 'She picked up a amall piece and
saw the word "John," the name he hsd
taught her to read and write. "Why.
it can't be auntie's and she torn it."
Downstairs sbe went with the psper
in her band, and seeing no one around
ran down the street to John's office.
John waa a lawyer and waa busy
with several men, hut when he saw
Mary ha left them and picking ber up
In his arms ssked her why she had
run away. Mary slipped the paper in
his hand. "I brought you your paper.
Auntie tore It up and then waa sorry,
for she cried.
John was very much surprised and
put Mary down. She ran borne as fsst
as her little legs could carry her, glad
she had given John what belonged to
him. In the meantime John looked at
the slip of pspcr and read. "Dear
John: I am ao sorry" That was all,
but- quite enough tor John, who with.
all haste disposed of his clients and
hurried to Iris.
When he reached the house, not
finding anyone around, he went Intd
the garden, where he found Iris and
Mary. When Iris saw him with out
stretched arms, she ran to hlra quick
ly, hiding her face on his shoulder, so
glad he had come to her without her
sending for him. Mary looked on In
wonder snd In a wee little voice said:
"You didn't care 'cause Iris" John
shook his head, but sbe went on
"lore your lettej up. did you, John?"
Iris looked up, bewildered. "What
does she mean, John?" ,
"I'm sure I do not knowrun ana
play, Mary." .
But Mary stood still. '.'I picked up
John't letter you tore and gave It to
him," she said, half crying. '
John quickly produced the paper.
"It is time for explanations, 4ear.
That lady was sent to mo by a friend
to get my advice about securing her
divorce snd 1 was going to t3ll you all
about it tho next night. Caa you for
give mc?"
"Let's have that iapt, ,'tamutL"
whiupcicd Iris.