T II K R O X N K V I 1 .1 H l> A M C H K O X
UNCONFESSED
W.VU Service
C H A P T E R V II— Continued
There
were three
people, I
thought, on whom suspicion might
Justifiably rest; there were the
Prince and Princess Rancinl and
Letty Van Alstyn. but there was
■ot a scrap o f evidence against any
o f them.
No, there were four. I had to be
honest with m y self; I couldn't pre
tend. There was Alan Deck. And
against him was all the evidence
they had.
I wanted to see Deck. I wanted
to talk with him. Not here, with
Clancy at hand— yes, here, even
though w e could say nothing that
mattered. I f I could see him again,
I thought I could find an answer to
that w orrying uncertainty In me.
The testing was a difficult busi
ness. The handkerchief had been so
thoroughly washed that I began to
despair o f uncertainty In my ex
periments. Not about the rust
marks; those I did make sure of.
Then, In one o f the corners, close
under the fold o f the hemstitched
hem, I found traces o f stain that
yielded a blood reaction.
“ That's blood,” I said.
In the Intervals o f waiting and
drying I walked up and down the
gallery.
I found myself wishing to get at
the records o f these pictures to be
gin the real work fo r which I had
come. F or a few moments I forgot
the nightmare o f that murder. I
grinned at a Magdalen, attributed
to Titian, analogous to the one at
Naples, and then I was caught by
a lovely little Virgin whose sup
pliant, adoring curves and pure,
poignant ecstasy made me yearn to
prove her the creation of Angelico
that she was labeled.
As my mind bit on these fam iliar
realities my nerves steadied, and
when I went down with the police
man to make my report I was feel
ing more like myself.
Alan Deck was with
Monty
Mitchell, and when he saw me he
came forw ard quickly, with a “ Good
morning, accomplice 1” In his mock
ing way. Monty said, “ Find any
thing?’’ And they both came with
me while I had my moment o f Im
portance, making my report to Don-
ahey.
I used all the words and tech
nical terms that I thought he would
not know but the main facts were
clear— blood in one corner, and five
marks o f rust
Donahey nodded, as If he had
guessed It all the time, and I moved
away with Deck. Mitchell stayed
with the Inspector: I remember see
ing him turn the handkerchief about
very slowly In his hands.
Deck said thoughtfully. “ That
blood rather disposes o f the theory
that the diamonds might have been
put there by some one who just
picked them up— afterwards.”
And at my assent he said, “ Well,
that’s that I” in a hard voice.
Grant now appeared before us,
announcing that a buffet luncheon
was being served In the dining
room. As I went to wash my stained
fingers I saw Miss Van Alstyn In
the hall ahead o f me. As she paused
at her door, opposite that closed
door behind which Nora Harriden
was lying, I saw the maid, Anson
atop her, holding something In her
hand.
“ Yes, I threw It away," I heard
Miss Van Alstyn say. “ It’s broken
— throw It o u t”
“ I t ’s so pretty," Anson murmured.
" I f you don’t mind my keeping
It— "
“ As you like," said Miss Van A l
styn indifferently and disappeared
Into her room.
Out o f an impulse o f friendliness
fo r that pretty Anson I turned and
asked her what she had.
“ I t ’s fo r the hair, miss, only the
comb la broken,” she told me. “ May
be I could get another fixed on. It s
so pretty— "
It was pretty—a sharp-pointed
crescent about four or five Inches
long, glittering with bright brown
stones. The comb, at right angles to
the crescent, had been broken sharp
ly off. I picked It up; It seemed
a little large and too heavy for
anywhere except the back of the
head, above a froth of curls. It was
of some solid brown metal and I
thought another comb could easily
be soldered on.
" I t ’s worth It," I told Anson, and
she said she had been afraid to
carry It away without asking, for
fear It had fallen In the busket by
mistake.
I was reflecting that costume
Jewelry, to Miss Van Alstyn. was
not worth repairing, and then, star
ing at those hard, pointed ends, that
solid metal—
I f a woman had a thing like this
In her hands . . . If she struck out
with It, furiously. . . .
“ When did yon find this. Anson?’’
Last night, she told me. When
she had been arranging the room
for the night.
“ W ere the broken pieces of the
comb In the basket, too."
“ I did see some broken pieces.
But they went with the trash. They
couldn’t have been fixed."
“ With the trash? Where did the
trash go?"
“ Why, In the Incinerator, Miss,"
she answered, eyes widening at my
questions.
“ And was the Incinerator going?"
“ Last night, miss? I couldn't say.
I know It hasn’t been going this
morning for that policeman gave
orders
not
to
have
anything
burned.”
I turned the crescent about. No
sign of a blood film over any of Its
brightness— but blood could be su
perficially washed off In running
water. A blow with It, a Jab with
one of those viciously pointed ends,
would have broken off the cornb. . . .
ri-
Q
1\
SP-
eZV-
m\
The Prince Rancinl Walked By.
8 y M A R Y
HASTINGS
BRADLEY
nothing to do with the actual mur
der— It might have been Deck, or
ltanclnl or llarrlden for all his de
nials. . . .
Suppose It had been llarrlden j
Suppose he hud gone on down to
dinner, and Nora had been In bed,
resentful, hysterical, when Letty
had dropped In on her way down.
Nora might have surmised that
Letty had been sOrrlng up Dan’s
Jealousy, so there • I s every reusoti
for a scene between them. A ter
rific scene. In which Lelly. In blind
rage or In self protection had struck
out with the first thing at hand. . . .
1 had to Imagine her picking up
one of Dan’s handkerchief* to wipe
off the blood . . . thrusting Nora
Into the closet . . . waiting till she
was sure the rest were down at
dinner, then putting her out the
window. Perhaps the blood stained
handkerchief had been a crumpled
hall In Letty’s brown bag and after
dinner she had gone up to wash
It out— that was when she bad met
me In the hall, outside Mrm. liar-
rlden’a door.
I’ erhapa the yellow diamonds had
been In Letty’s brown bag. too. And
late that night—or rather early In
the morning—she had torn the Ini
tials out of the dried handkerchief
and stolen up to my room
The pieces fitted together.
1
thought, excitedly. But there was
nothing In the world to sustain
that wild suspicion but my vivid
imagination— nothing unless there
should be blood upon the piece of
broken comb In the Incinerator.
I fairly raced down, then, to the
buffet luncheon, eager to poor thla
out to Mitchell.
Mitchell was busily filling a plate
so 1 went over to him. Ills eyes
looked darker and more alert than
ever; his black hair, which began
quite far back on hla forehead, was
standing up In an excited creaL We
sat down at a corner of the table—
he hated eating In his lap, he de
clared—and under my breath 1
poured out my conjecture!.
Promptly he dashed my hopes
I "Incinerator been going for an hour.
! Donahey let them start It up when
he saw there wasn’t any raga there
—Just trash and garbage. Did you
keep the crescent?”
When I said I hadn’t, he a dvlaed
me to get It and test It for blood.
But he seemed a little detached. He
even said, "I think you’re burking
up the wrong tree.”
“ It was your tree," I told him In
dignantly. “ You thought she would
he a guilty soul.”
"Oh, a possibility—yes. But some
how— ” He left It In dubiety.
IN e went on talking. I remember
saying about the Inquest. “ Why
don’t they have It today and get It
over with?" And he said that Dona
hey wanted to do more work on the
case, wanted enough for an Indict
ment, If possible. And he snld, “ By
keeping people herded up like this,
In an Isolation camp, he can Induce
a state of nerves that may cause
a breakdown.
Anything may de
velop any moment.
That’s psy
chology."
A fter luncheon he had me get
my hat nnd coat and, with Dona
She might not have thought to wash
h s ’8 permission, he took me out
off the pieces of the comb. . . .
doors and marched me up and down
In Imagination I snw Letty Van
the landscaped road In front of the
Alstyn snatching this crescent from
house where cool winds and sun
her hair, striking out recklessly. . . .
shine had their tonic effect.
Anson was staring at me; I hand
The shore was being patrolled by
ed It back to her, saying some
guards to keep reporters and cu
thing about my Interest In Imita
rloslty seekers from landing and I
tions to excuse my absorption In
had a feeling of being under mar-
It. , . . Letty Van Alstyn came out
tlal law in some Internment camp
o f her room, passing down to lunch
Other members o f the house-partr
eon, and in the vague smile she
were out taking exercise, too; the
swept over us I felt a sharpening of
I rlnce Rancinl walked by ver»
curiosity.
smartly turned out with apa'ts and
Scrubbing my stained fingers,
,A ft* r W*
>»««<’<1 each
brushing out my hair, I tried to fit ^
Hher twice he turned, smiling, to
the pieces together In this pat
nsk permission to Join us
tern. . . . Suppose Letty were guilty
Without his w ife’s presence he
— how about that scene at the win
expanded into gaiety; he seemed to
dow? W ell, that could have had
me
t*e a big, light-hearted pleas
1 C I- F
ure loving fellow , with a Conti-
nental’s casual cynicism ahojit life
nnd euiotlonnl reaponalvenesa to
beauty. He stopped to show ua a
particularly lovely contrast o f light
urn! dark blue In the acn, pointing
w-lth hla stick, nnd he told ua o f
Ids swimming feats at Capri nnd
Ids skiing records at St M erits and
o f Ids shooting triumphs In Scot-
lumL
For a time I was amused at thla
distraction; no one could have Im
agined that we three |>eople, prom
enading up and down those atntely
avenues, chatting o f tournaments
were three inemlwra o f an Isolated
household darkened by death and
shadowed by suspicion.
Mitchell snld very llttlw— he bud
small chance ngulnst the prince e x
cept through Interruptions. But he
created a diversion by suddenly
tripping over a root and em itting a
succession o f fervent danma aa be
hop|ied about distressfully. “ It's this
confounded ankle— strained It a
year ago. May I borrow your atlck?"
he naked the prince.
I thought Rancinl passed It over
rather reluctantly. At the time 1 Im
agined be fancied It aa part o f hla
own costuming. M itchell leaned on
It as he walked along with ua. re
fusing to return to the bouse. “ He
all right In a second.”
Then Rancinl began telling about
hla palace In Home that he wan do
ing over and about hla efforts to
collect the tapestries and furniture
that be hnd previously Bold. 1 gath
ered that he was doing all this with
his wlfe'a money.
It w*s when we returned to the
house, and Mitchell was passing
back the cane, declaring himself
completely recovered, that he made
a casual sounding observation.
“ This la one o f those trick things.
Isn’t it, prince? Isn’t there a spring
I f.-.-l here— ?"
"But yea.” said Rancinl, without
the slightest hesitation. "Y ou press
thla— please take your hands away.
I do It— I know thla thing. So— like
that. And out comes this little toy."
What cu.ne out was the point o f a
substantial looking knife, quite a
stabbing tool. "Another press and a
bayonet,” said Rancinl, laughing.
"Quite a toy." Mitchell comment
ed, eyeing It qulzxlcally.
“ And not auch a toy at th a t In
Rome now. the afreets are safe, but
In Paris, when one la late— in the
quarters o f a little milliner, per
haps— "
“ With a Jealous lover around the
corner." Monty Mitchell suggested.
"HI. si I” Rancinl laughed, then
under hla breath to me he mur
mured In sw ift Italian, “ When the
h« art la empty one m uit pass the
hours," nnd I smiled up at hla smile
and asked to nee the knife agnln.
I l<«.,k*-d hard at It. T h ( sharp,
strong point aeerned bright, un
stained.
C H A P T E R VIII
bridge.
*• WH
*1 don’t Mdnk thsj tlksda«'
Ing ln on thrm, anl u;„ ,
■ ')»
...... ..
frankly
, *
*».en ! n»ki-d f„r llw Cf^
Bh® ,,ui1 «»ken lt back, »h,
ber eyes rsvrrtlng to the cmrA-
rallier thought she'd get Un*
otlier nue ur».l 10 dldn’t
pllcnte about Certain], |
look at lt If J wlihed; lt m
w liera lu ter room ■>,'
vaguely.
• J,,«, i.k Auoi',
lt. I rb"o-,| the door upttha
ly breathed but perfectl, ,
“Kxtraordlnary."
But Anson could Bot ta,
créèrent H lie prnmlsed ta |
up to me w lien ali« did, -m
locked lt up wlth ber > n
SUggented.
I drclded to sralt for tu
o f Anaon's s<-nrrh, tnd |
•le e p y , n fte r tl.e wakefgj ai
J
*W m
►
% V
tû
H I * E y e s L o o k e d Me Thrw#
Through.
the walk In the op « air
curled up In my row t*-
chalr f»r ten minutes *nd
forty. I v- ke to find IUC
my room, sitting atolldly tkm
fronting me with sn »if ^
scrutiny.
I sat tip quickly, pduj'
my rumpled gray frock **<
Ing my hair out of my eyd
at him with somethin* rey
like fright. Behind Mm til
was closed.
, J
••you needn’t try to ran. *
me. nnd I flung back.
->
run? What do you *»<»• *
rlden?"
—
" I want to know
-T,
about all this." he povW*!
“ You’re In with Deck-
know w hat nil th,t roW,W
— that row with Klklo»-
Ills voice fum bled»»!
that I felt a pang of
spite of all my other f t * '
“ I never saw Alan De»
IT C H E L L said very naturally,
" A useful thing, that I A pity
Nora llarrlden didn't have one at
hand when that fellow net on her.”
enme here,” I *“ 1J ‘ n. f*
Not a quiver o f Itanclnl'a face, as quietly and gentlj » « '
far as I could see. Perhaps the fnct don't know unythlng
that there wasn't a quiver, that his fairs."
,]
voice was blandly expressionless
"T h a t’s your *,07 ’ nlhtrl
meant
something.
Smoothly
he •tick to It before the
agreed, “ It might have made all the want the fuels. .»J
difference."
to pay for them. *
W e were back In the house ngnln. off— I ’ll l‘‘t you <>ff
Its walla shut upon ua. closing ns those stones have t
In to tension and uncertainty and you’ll tell me everything I
the strain o f our own thoughts.
“ I know nothing-
ffrtt
“ You know why J
,
Mitchell went off to Donuhey,
coming back Just for a moment to my w ife’s room lu®t n
/ o0a-
J #
report that no trace o f the pendnnt ■ome reason-even
had been found. When I went to slapped you wouldnt l
Anson to get the crescent, with a that— ”
, . «k-otlcal.'
Ills eyes. i rl®lyb,rJ ib.
little made-up apoech about my In
terest In Imitation atones, she told mo through * n<J. an- wool
-You can t l*u» ■"*
j-
me that Miss Van Alatyn hnd naked
for It back, giving her Instead a eyos. You were ™ ,o kae*
fore dinner. I * * '
star o f brilliants.
She was Immensely pleased and I be and-w hat he
my w ife «hoot-
„
Immensely puzzled.
from
her—w
«*n
0
j*
Letty Van Alstyn had been In d if
J i« #£
ference Itself before me as to the never net 111® ^
he’s Interested eooUg
fate o f that broken ornament. Why
the sudden, surreptitious chnnge?
I tried, on the impulse, to find her
but ahe wasn’t In her ro o m ; my
maid at last located her la the
M