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

w nat an oli rcaups How uhoi.shs
ly he writes % his villainy'-
"And yet tries tp make amends at the
clo~. % a long and evil life" commented
Holbrook.
"woll.- said rm. hardly recovered
from hi. asionishnlent, "ths motive ly.
ing at the bottom u the murder Is clear
enough
"lIut who IL the murdererr
There lies the Information replied
Tom. striking the paper he had laid upon
Ilolbrook's dcsk. "jut which, IL was
not Tcmpleton. Tor be didn't kill himself
for his own benefit. ltwas not Fountain.
Tor We know be didn't DO H. II l. either
Messing. the woman Simpson OF Pres
ton
Preston. What Prestong-
"Why. James Pres,on-the oil drunk.
ard
"ycs. but where /. he' Who ever
heard of himi-
"who ever hear,i-why-hold hard
I say. didn't p-why. blcs. my souli but
! did tell you. didn't ~
"You are particularly lucid and In.
tslligcnt this morning. no, 10 say ejacu.
laiory.-
"Bui say. didn't ever tell your
"ln the course % our somewhat en-.
tended and frequent intimacy you have
told me many things and left untold
many others, suppo~e. But which
particular piece of information you are
referring a. In your usual T-rpicuous
manner. am unable to ascertain with.
out little morc light
"Oh. stow that gibing' you are never
- uninicrcsting a, when you think you
are sarcastic. Hut ! say. didn't ever
tell you What the Shadow reported 10
me about an oil man Preston and
Parker"
Never. my royal youth
Tom. who was too seriously intent
over the discovery 81 the paper 90 fall
into the vein Of Ilolbruok. told with
br.vity the sccno In tho old house In
vafick street
The recital soon won lIolbrook's close
attention
III you had told me this. +" he said at
IT, conclusion. 1--WE would have hccn
veil along In the quest without the aid
% this document.
II cannot for the life % me tell how I
came % neglect Il. bat you scc. on my
siic ! never knew, Tor YOU never told
me. that the name ~ Mr.. T,mplstons
father was Carroll Preston"
"lloWevcr. We have the connecting
link now. and the question a' 20 who IL
the I-rson l. narrowed to very few
"Tms II must h. either wessing. the
woman simpson. OF Preston
"Or Parker"
"Ah. by George. be comes into the
game. too. doesn't hcy'
"Ycs. by rcason - his connection and
conspiracy with Preston"
"llolbrook.' saii Tom. after a mo-
mcnts thought. II 10 no, believe that
either Preston o. Parker are In this part
u the iob."
why equally ~ with the others
Listen "a mc a moment. In this IA.
pr. Pierson Is ai pains a. state that Far.
ksr hal no knowle,igc ~ his previous
hfc-that be- never knew that be- lore
another name previous to that of Pier.
sOn.
"Yc.. remember: sce what your
line % reasoning will L."
"wsll Sow be- dil know about the
Fountain and Simpson marriages. In
my inicryicS with him BE- was only dis
iurbcI when tilkc,l of Fountain. lie
was lawyer enough 90 know that u therc
was no prior marriage, the Fountain
ceremony. whether mock or not. would
D. binding " the supposed Fountain
could b. identified with the dead Pier.
son. Hence his disturbance at my
knowlcdgc ~ the maitsr-a knoWlcdgc
which az that time ! did not have, but
mott rccklcssly assumed to have.
"well. but you forget Preston, the
drunkard."
"So. don't. This paper 1. dated ls'i,
ten years ago. and IN IL u distinctly stated
tha, OLD Preston. the drunkard. turned
up i've years previously. The old sot,
you will remember. wanted to argue
with Parker that be certainly was a
brother. because Tor fifteen years Pierson
hai paid him money. AMI you must give
full weight io the answer of Parker. that
IL made little difference whether money
Vas paid him bccause he was a brother
or whether it was L-,canse b. pp,-s--ed a
ss-rrct which induced old Picr-on % give
hush money-be was brother enough for
their purposes Now thi, argues that
Parker VAS No, fully acquainted with
thi. relation. and that be- really enter
tained doubts ~ the verify % the
brothcrship bstwecn the two-thai the
relation. N not the acquainianceship, b.
twecn Preston and Parker had sprung
up since Iisr.on'. death"
"Isec. sec Yes, your reasoning is
Close"
"Now.- continued Tom, "whateSer
else We may think Of Parker. IL won't DO
Ia take him Tor a fool. And fool he
would have been Ia open up this prop
crtyship question. by his own motion,
right on tl,e heels u the murder. II he
had bcen guilty ~ II. or implicated In IL.
The fact that be and his client would
have b-cn brnsiited by II would have
bcen too patent. and " he knew the rela-
ton Templcton bore 10 the property. be
had every reason 20 believe others would
know IL: and with a guilty conscience
would think that thab fact would b. the
iirst To be pitched on"
Il ann disposed 10 relieve With you.
Tom"
"You will. the Inore you turn over la
your mind that scene In NaTick street
and my conversation with Parker. Ill
send for the Shadow. and together well
go over the conversation again. and Ill
write down both for you To study at your
leisure. II Is quite as important To get
tbos. out of the case who did not do IL,
as 10 get those In who possibly could
have done a.
"That is shrewdly put. Tom, replied
IIOlbrOok. "Bu, you do not forget Park.
er's call on mey'
"No. I do not. That cali. In my jude.
meni. was To find II possible whether or
not Pierson had been engaged In mock
scnpes prior ,o the foun.
tain episo,h. and of which he had no
knowledge. Now. take fast hold Of this
fact. Fountain could only be disturb
ing claimant In the event of there hav.
ingbccn no previous marriage. lfParker
had known OF the marriage OF Carroll
Preston, the issue of which was MrA