The unseen ear

THE bedroom door opened and closed on its oiled hinges without a sound, and a man walked over to the closet. With methodical care he hung his coat on its accustomed peg before m...

DETECTIVE FERGUSON laid an impatient finger on the bell of the front door of the Hale residence and, removing his hat, fanned himself vigorously. Coroner Penfield’s message had...

MRS. HALE rattled her coffee cups and looked over the top of her silver urn at Joe Richards; he had asked for a third cup of coffee and he drank it clear. Mrs. Hale was shocked....

ANNA, the waitress, took one more comprehensive look around the prettily furnished boudoir to make sure that she had not overlooked the sugar bowl; it was certainly nowhere in s...

RAIN and snow followed by sleet had reduced the traffic in the streets of the Capital City to venturesome taxicabs and occasional delivery cars. Few Washingtonians, not required...

IT was lacking twenty minutes of noon and Polly Davis frowned discontentedly as she consulted her wrist-watch. She was under positive instructions from Robert Hale to complete t...

THE death of Austin Hale under mysterious circumstances had created a veritable sensation in Washington, and the residents of the National Capital read with avidity every newspa...

AT sight of John Hale towering head and shoulders above the others in the outer office of Latimer and House, Stockbrokers, the senior partner hastily excused himself from severa...

POLLY DAVIS closed the vestibule door of her home in C Street with a veritable slam and proceeded up the street oblivious of greetings from several of her neighbors. The street,...

ANNA, the waitress, found the time lagging in spite of the game of solitaire she was playing to wile away the tedium of her enforced idleness. She cast a resentful glance at her...

FROM their corner table Judith watched, with total lack of interest, the gay throng which filled the public dining room at Rauscher’s, although the scene was one to arrest atten...

JUDITH had not inherited her mother’s fondness for being waited upon and therefore she had never employed a personal maid. After her interview with Polly she went immediately to...

DETECTIVE FERGUSON completed his tour of the suite of three rooms and bath which Judith and her husband occupied and took up his station in the boudoir. At Richards’ earnest sol...

“Polly.” John Hale swayed slightly, then lunged for the nearest chair and dropped into it. Latimer wasted no words, but poured out a liberal pony of brandy and placed it in his...

“Dr. McLane told me to walk about as much as possible, madam.” Anna’s manner was respectful almost to the point of servility. “He promised to be here this afternoon. Indeed, Mrs...

ANNA, the waitress, answered Robert Hale’s persistent ring of the front bell with all the speed her strained ankle would permit. At sight of her, Hale restrained an outburst of...

ON hearing the slam of the front door behind her uncle and Frank Latimer, Judith went to the windowed alcove of the library overlooking the street on which their house faced and...

ROBERT HALE crossed the central hall and entered the library with characteristic haste. On finding only a solitary light burning, he stopped and switched on the other lamps unti...

Ferguson, who had followed every act and word with rapt attention, picked up the bamboo cane casing which John Hale had tossed to the floor when he drew the concealed weapon and...

IN stunned silence the little group eyed Detective Ferguson and his prisoner. Slowly the latter rose from his hands and knees, the handcuffs clinking musically as he knocked aga...