Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1891-03-31

!. !" !. I. ]" e. e. !. !. !. J.
a ~
~ = w NeylthouEh they
.GZLeEN.1clung ol'slinately
Z Z<tk 20 their theory
NN that Trmplcton
AVT1 had b-~n Killed
IN for some one else.
On his way down
town. on the morning following his
walk with Annie. llolbrcok had stepped
into headquarters. and had talked with
the high Official who had supplic'i.him
with the sample ~ cloth and the dia.
monl huitnn. m. hal discussed the
theory with tbc high official, and was
comI-ll-l to acknowlc,lgr that from the
standpoint of tile authorities. aud with
the Information they Posscsse'i, the
theory was plausibly argued.
lie was troubled over his own conceal.
meni ~ certain things and while be
i,li-itaisd himself upon the fact that
neither Tom nor himself had said a word
concerning founiain. nov that IL was
/ clear that h. was not the guilty man.
", hc thought hc ought o. tell the
authorities 10 the susplcions they hal a.
o. Tcmplcion's AMI Fountains relations
to each other and a. the deal hcrson.
hat What Was be- Ia sayi lie was In pfc-
ci~ly thc same pr,licanent a. he ~as
l-cforr they had found Fountain o. b.
,uililcst IL couldn't spcak without
bringing fl,ra into the affair. AMI II u
hal bcrn difficult Ia do 90 bsforr. no~
after his Interview with her. AMI after
what vas practically pfOmi., on his
part not a. ~ his knovle-lgr to the de
advantage % herself OF Fountain. u ws
dOubly -. B.sidc-. 10 opcn himself 10
the high official would b. to prove trcach.
eruus to Tom.
~. without revealing any 81 his
thoughts, b. leit and ven, his way 10
hi. o,iicc. lie dismissed all further con.
sidsnliou u his duty M the matter with
th. though, that b. va. - involved by
circumstance that be could not DO what
s-ms-l to H. an obviou. duty without
doing greater hAum In other directions,
and ", HI, mind run on the JOYS ~ his
vail with Annie on the previous even.
INK and her charming qualities ~ mind
AMI I-r-on.
Thu. engaged. be reached hi, Office.
~ be- ot-ncl the door of the outer room,
With morr than usual ,igor. be- was star
ticl by loud crash. 4 clerk had ~
plac,,l ladder that one lex vas immc-
diaisly IN froni u The door, lie had
mounted u 80 a. o. gain acccss to a row
- high shslvc. surrounding the office,
ON which wrrr kept green wooden boxes,
the fi.sur-- - Ias, years. the names ~
clients ani oi c.taics who's affairs the
Office had In charge bcing Uttered In
white on them.
When llolbrUnk had hastily swung
OPEN ihc door 1, had struck lex u the
Ladder. ncarly topping over the clerk
AMI causing him "a drip one % the botes
20 the hoof. upon which !, fell - heavily
A. O. burt op~n
This vas the crash which had startled
him. several - the clerks sprang To
ave th. loN. AMI as they lifted it up u
Tell apart. scattering it, contents
What paper. arr thcyT asked Ilol.
bruok. viewing the wrrck be- had caused.
"Old onc'. .hould judge replied
Clark. tlc managing clerk, l-nding over
10 pick one u the package, m They
rfcr a. Sampson. llurcomb & Co. .
CONCERN that has bccn out - existence
the-c ten years Their affair. are all
cl0-.,l up
Amung the Iapsrs was a small tin boN.
what l. thaty' a.kcl II,lbrook
Il dout know. aid the clerk. picking
IL up "L,ok for the Key" hnding u
locked and the key No, In the lock.
Tie Office lny paved over the papers,
but coald lind none.
IIolbruok took tho box and turned u
around AMI around. On one end be- saw
the letters 80. T."
"what can u BE- he said. struck by
the Initials bring something 10 break
u open"
lie carried IL into his private room,
and there they brought him hammer
AMI broken dining knife.
With thc-s be broke open the box and
found II fille,l with papers.
The iirst one he lifted from the box
was a note long since overdue.
II was drawn 10 the order of Charles
Pier-on and signed ~. T.. Duncan"
lit IL as ! supposed he muitcrei.
"It belonged to P,crson and escaped tle
t.pys when his papers were returned. 10
must have becn misplaced In that box
lie lifte,l out other IapcrS They were
all overdue notes. drawn 10 Persons
order and mostly signed by Duncan.
Holbrcok did not know and did no.
care who Duncan WAS
lie turned the contents of the box out
on hi- desk.
Al the bottom vas large blue envel.
oT-r tied with rel tape, and sealed with
rel wax hack aud front over the tape.
The tape was wound around the mar
row AMI then the long way. ~ that u
could no, Ia oJenel without the seals
bcing broken.
ON the hack was inscribed:
"Priva,e papers of Charles fierson.
Not a. h. opencl unless upon the writ
ten consent of Charles Pierson. or after
his death. anl then only b. Judge iiark'
ner.-
"But Judge iiarkner died before he
did," said iIolbrook. talking 10 himself.
m: balanced u In his hand.
Should hes open ~
IL tore 1t uIrn and took oui a written
paIsr Il was "a sheet ~ legal cap writ
ten on luih sides.
The content. of tile sheet hal been
rennc.l iy the same hand a. had written
the inscription.
II was signed "Charles Picr-on.-
CHATTER XXvi.