had been murdered at his home in the Paradox Apartments. He stayed to answer no questions, but hung

n case he should be identified as the man who had been seen going to and coming from the apartment of the murdered man. He could not explain why he was there without implicat

d to protect Rose, but his heart was filled with pity for her. He understood her better than he did any other woman, her loyalty and love and swift, upblazing anger. Even if her hand had fired the shot, he told

the "News." The story of the murder had the two columns on the right-hand side of the front

ld have been worth a column. But the horrible and grewsome way of his taking off, the mystery surrounding it, the absence of any apparent motive unl

he murdered man. They had told him that a young man, a stranger to them, powerfully built and dressed like a prosperous ranchman, had knocked on their door about 9

column "box." He read it with no amusemen

lt suit and a white, pinched-in cattleman's hat. He is about six feet tall, between 25 and 30 years ol

khaki brown. Otherwise Mrs. Hull had given a very close description of

nocked on their door, unless it was a printer's error or the reporter had made a mistake. Kirby knew this was wrong. He had looked

mentioned his uncle's name the woman had been close to collapse, though, of course, he could not be sure that had been the reason. To his mind there flashed the memory of the note he had seen on the table. The man had

ar and the evasion of

a morsel of hope, but

ham had been murdered in his rooms. Who was this man? Could he be the murderer? If so, why should he telephone the police and s

where Wild Rose was staying with her sister. Rose was out, he learned from the landlady. He ask

d himself as a friend of Rose. He was worried about her, he said. She seemed to him in a hi

d gone out for an hour alone. The look in her eyes when she had come back had frightened Esther. She h

she began to sob. She knew well enough that

now?" asked

didn't tell me wh

ething queer about

e you af

inda fierce,"

as though his quiet strength could move mountains. He was a man. Besides, every

were of herself and the plight in which she had become involved. She looked at the big headlines of the paper and

words of the headline

t her heart. She

NNINGHAM

sed fainting