Midnight
Twelve hours after Sir John 's departure -- which will bring the time , to the morning of December 8 -- the headlines of the Daily Mail stared up at me from the table . They were black and heavy : those headlines , and horribly significant . They were : FRANKLIN WHITE Jr. . FOUND MURDERED Midnight Marauder Strangles Young Society Man in West-End Mansion I turned the paper hurriedly , and read : Between the hours of one and two o'clock this morning , an unknown murderer entered the home of Franklin White , Jr. , well known West-End sportsman , and escaped , leaving behind his strangled victim . Young White , who is a favorite in London upper circles , was discovered in his bed this morning , where he had evidently lain dead for many hours . Police are seeking a motive for the crime , which may have its origin in the fact that White only recently announced his engagement to Margot Vernee , young and exceedingly pretty French débutante . Police say that the murderer was evidently an amateur , and that he made no attempt to cover his crime .