Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1894-03-03

ble."
He stops In his walk before the man
who Is watching him-looks into his
face.
"And you, you are an officer of the
law. Despite the fact that you are my
friend, you are an officer. You come "a
do your duty"
Taker does not finch. He looks him
calmly in the eyes, and says.
II have a warrant for your arrest in
my pocket" ,.,,.
me innocent. will tear me from my
wife and little ones, incarcerate me,
hang me2" He speaks bitterly, con-
temptuously.
go easy, my friend. II Is true am
IN officer OF the law. have come to
arrest you, to incarcerate you, as you
have said, but not to hang you. You
will not hang. will save you"
The man looks upon him with bitter
doubt in his eyes.
''Save me! How can you save me?"
"Sit down, and for goodness sake
don't look SO contemptuously upon me.
I have come to save you and will.
For that purpose ! managed to get the
privilege of arresting you. SO that !
could see you, hear what you had to
say. 1t Is better for you that I, your
friend, should take you in charge rather
than one who looks upon you as a muir
derer and would treat you rs one. 1t Is
better that you should be confined, for
you in prison the guilty party, or par
chance TO work. have my ideas. l will
unfold them to You later on. First,
must ask you few questions. You
may b. able to help me. This crime,
to my mind, was not committed for the
mere sake OF robbery. Perhaps 1t was
only an accidental one. The robbery
was committed to cover the theft of an
article which was of no value to any
one apparently. but the doctor. But l
think il was OF great value to the guilty
one. Namely, small black note
book. used by the doctor to record the
condition of the different patients
visited by him during the day. They
were Conrad Gardner's wife and your
sister-in-law, Alice Dyke. All. you
know this we'll Then Conrad Gard
ner and Adrian Dyl,e were interested
In the record OF that night Why, I
cannot say. but ! firmly believe they
were"
The suspected man looks at the de-
tective with bewildered surprise.
"You do not think my brother COM
mitted this deed"
"He knows something about t."
81 cannot believe that. He has not
been q gooa brother to me, but | can
not bring myself to look upon him as
murderer"
perhaps not. He may not have
struck the blow that robbed Ezra Will
bur of life, but he knows something
about 1t; would be willing to stake
my professional reputation upon
''But in what way could that note.
book be of benefit to him? He would
hardly kill man to gain possession OF
such thing. You must be
wrong, Takcr. Depend upon it, you
are on the wrong track"
"As ! said before, there was q record
of interest to Adrian Dyke and Conrad
Gardner in that book. ! know what
that record was. Your brother testi-
fed to It at the inquest. He saw the
book three times. First, when the
Doctor entered the house. He claims
that upon the top Of the page was re.
corded the facts of the confinement OF
Elizabeth Gardner. the sex OF the
child. and so on. The next time he
saw it. the page was full, the birth and
sex OF his own child being written in
the child, boy"
The man springs to his feet; utters
wild cry.
"A boy" he gasps.
Ives. why, does this surprise you?"
The brother falls back in his chair,
his mind distracted by the wild
thoughts that had come to him. He
does not reply to the detectives words.
lie cannot tell this MAJ the story OF
his brothers wild speculation, the
story told him that night in the recep-
ton room. He'has been cautioned to
secrecy. has promised.
The detective is watching him. Why
this agitation? Why should his words
cause such distress?
Franklin Dyke, tell nc, why are
you SO agitated? Do you lnow some.
thing which You are hiding from me?"
The man looks up, his face hard and
set. He has determined to keep his
secret.
mo, Taker!" he says, 81 know moth
ing, except that am innocent"
"Your action was strange"
Nothing more than surprise. !
knew Adrian longed for SON, an heir
to his property"
"ls that alp" stcrnly.
"What else can II be?"
Taker is not quite satisfied, but he
says no more. He looks at his watch,
q large open-faced .mepiecc, and says:
"We have not much time to catch
the train. have given you my ideas
in part. have others which you will
know later on. Prepare yourself; we
must be Off"
The words strike like the weight Of
q heavy sledge upon the heart of the
man.
MY wife and children!" he says.
"They shall not want: will see to
them. 1t is not necessary to tell them
where you are going. Just say you
were going out Of the city and will re-
turn in few weeks The papers can
be kept from her."
"She cannot read, thank God"
"Ah, so much the better. She may
hear Of It, from the stores where she
deals. But shall try to guard against
tha;< We can stop in at the different
places.< md order provisions sent her.
Even ifshe should hear of II, ! shall
say that 1t is not likely, a misprint.
error, or something OF
the kind. shall make 1t my business
TO look out for this. Go, bid them
and hurry"
Franklin Dyke takes the hand OF the
:.
There are tearsuin his eyes. "God
bless you, Takcr," he murmurs. "You
are true friend"
"Ah, that's all right Don't mention
II, only hurry up"
The parting is soon over. The wife
Is surprised at her husbands sudden
but feels that II IL for the