umped his arms until at last he
was able to gasp: "Get that----! Get that----!"

"It looks as though you had a little disagreement here," a laughing
voice sounded behind us. "This isn't at all my idea of a hospitable
reception for my guests."

We all turned to look into the smiling face of Woods. As we helped the
coroner to his feet and began brushing him off Woods continued:
"Gentlemen, if you are going to present me with the key to the city,
please make it as unostentatious as possible." His smile still
continued, but there was an odd glint in his eyes. Mary had left his
side and was walking away. She had evidently seen me and did not want
to speak to me.

The coroner cleared his throat. "Mr. Woods, I'm not here to make any
presentation speeches. I am here to accuse you of the murder of James
Felderson."

Not for an instant did the smile leave Frank Woods' face, nor did his
expression change. He looked us over calmly and slowly and then he
said: "Why, that is very interesting, but you seem to forget that I
have already been accused of that murder once."

"You were accused on mere suspicion before, but now we have the proof."

The red-haired mechanic sauntered out of the doorway and walked over
toward the aeroplane. Behind him followed another youth with a bunch
of waste in his hand. The coroner pointed to the former.

"I had the machine gun with which you did the murder until your man
there kicked me in the stomach and jerked it away from me. It's in the
hangar now. But we don't need the gun, we've got enough evidence
without it to convict you."

Woods looked us over carefully. He was by far the calmest one of the
party.

"Gentlemen, I have already sent to the papers a statement that I am
able to produce testimony as to my whereabouts during every minute of
the night when James Felderson was killed. When the trial comes, I
shall produce that testimony. If you think that machine gun is any
proof against me, just step inside and I'll show you that it is of an
entirely different caliber from the gun that killed Felderson."

We hesitated for a second, I think because of the brazen effrontery,
the splendid calmness of the man. A doubt began to form in my mind as
to whether he had anything to do with the murder at all. Woods noticed
my hesitation and turning to me said with a smile: "Surely you aren't
afraid of me, Thompson, when you so readily trust me with both your
sister and your fiancee."