Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-06-12
Gales aud Sketfhfs.
An ODE sroRr OF YHE JUSTICE RooH
Continued from yesterday. }
CHAPrER iii.

! to be nearly q quarter of an hour late o.
Monday morning. As he hurried up tn
!. alley he was surprised by the sight nf
group collected about Parkmaus' dor
Among them were one or two of Park
mans clerks looking unlike themselves
and one or two policemen unable to lool
anything but them-eives.
What is np!'' he asked lightly; bu
though they all SEEMED TO be looking
him. no ore answered Instead. aclerk
one Of the juniors. said audIb'y. ''lhat D
Mr.. Crisp!F' and a st ange voice answrre'
lemphatically, .'that is the man J. I'M
seemed TO cause a sensation, amid which
a short, stout person, with blunt hesri,
voice and humorous e, pushed thr0ukf
the group. ard said. ''this way ,sir. please,
in a voice Of authority.
What in the world is the matter ?
asked Crisp.
..TeII Won In a moment, sir. Please Il
step with me up to Mr. Parkman's room.
And he took Crisp by the arm, in wha
The LATER thought an odd fashion, and 81
led him up. and swiftly through the
clerks office, which was half full Of star
ing gapers, and INTO the junior partner
room.
Crisp looked round him in utter Devil
derment. On the hearth rug stood Mr.
Parkman, pale and agitated. By the win
dow two gentlemen were talking. At the
table. apparently making some notes, sal
a police officer.
| WATSON" said his conductor. shutting
the door firmly behind them. do you
take him - and fell back into corner Of
the room whore he seemed to busy him
self with an old Joe Miller so very face
tious that it rendered him obliviOus to all
going on around him.
While Crisp stood looking from one to
The other the Superintendent rose abrupt
ly and stepped to him. mime is pain.
ful business, sir; you are MIR. Ernest
Crisp. thinkp''
1t darted into Crisp's mind that the chief
had put the police in motion in the matter
Of that little discrepancy in his accounts !;
but a single glance at Mr. Parkman's pale
sympathizing face sufflced to dispose 1T
that. Yes" he said. Il am. That is
my name"
You NAV or may not know, then, that
a great crime was committed here on Sat
urday afternoon. The cashier. Mr.. Criirh
low, has cen found dead in his Office,
stabbed to the heart from behind"
"Mr. Critchlow P" the head clerk whis-
pered, with white. shaking lips
And you have been identified as the
person last seen TO leave the house. I'm
sorry to say must take you into custody
on suspicion: | NUT warn you. too. Mr..
Crisp. that anything you say will be given
in evidence against you"
"On Saturday aiternconw Crisp NUT
tered in awed accents. looking around him
with ewes that did not see. "But what
why am | suspecled?'
"All that you will hear at the Mansion
House. am anxious to take you there
at once. and with a. little unpleasantness
10 yourself as possible"
at is mere fnrmality, Crisp" Mr..
Parkman volunteered, speaking for the
first time with earnest kindness. 81 will
attend. myself, and say how perfectly
ridiculous your conduct for years makes
this charge appear The color came
back to the clerks face. Thank you,
sir" he said.
perhaps you will let yourself be
searched here ?" asked the policeman
Crisp nodded acquiescence, and did not
finch when the operation began. But
the first articles to appear were two KEYS
The policeman looked careleSslv at the
first. but his face lit up wonderfully as he
held up the second.
This is the missing kev!" he exclaim-
ed. and thrill of intelligence seemed to
pass round the room.
That KEY" said Crisp. still bewil-
dered, ard graphing with the memory #
things which seemed to have happened 81
long ago, that is the KEY at MIR
Critch--." he stopped with trembling lips
lie had gone 30 far minimizing, and then
his position in all its bearings flashed
across his mind. He remembered all that
the presence of that key upon him, all
that the words he had uttered might mean
for him. The room began to GO around !;
visions of Ethel and MIR. Critchlow swan
before his eyes. Amid an appalling silence
which had greeted his words. he fell to
the floor in dead faint.
Five minutes later the room was cleared
OF all save its owner and the short. stout
man. 81 cannot believe it now," Mr..
Parkman was saying. land yet the kew -
the key! How can he explain thatp How
can he explain that P"
"You remember. sir, told you it was
a pretty clear case p' answered the de-
tective-for such he was, and a well
known one.
"You did. and did not believe you,''
the merchant answered with a groan. He
was very greatly distressed, and no won
der.
well, sir. am inclined to think that
you were right and ] was wrong" the
other answered, drily.
"Ehp Less clear now, Inspectorp But
the kew p''
ut is the key and another matter or
two that puzzles me-" the man answered.
thoughttully. you've read. dare saw.
of murderers doing stupid things. sir
There was that nurse who strangl.d her
patient and then could not refrain from
laying her out. Yes. quite So hut |
never heard of murderer carrying a
proof against himself in his pocket. and
that proof thing he had no motive for
keeping, ard every chance to get rid of p
Ii almost seemed as if the merchant, in
his interest in the puzzle thus presented
~ him. forgot his anxiety on behalf of his
poor clerk. But. he suggested, lit was
very likely sheer carelessness. Its discov-
cry YOU can see. twas terrible shock TO
him -"
Quite true. SIR" the detective said.
And the female who, if the policeman
is to be believed. was with HINT YOU
could get clue to her she might clear /,
all up"