Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-01-13

'ou 10 bt ounuySiuo early Vno
next morning.
The night in that house was one
Nhir ] shudder to remember. Sus-
Plclon y = rampant. In my own mind
uanieS Marshall and Hilton figured in
urn as me murderer. Then the alb
sence OF the weapon suggested the
mysterious stranger whom the butler
had seen. My thoughts were In =
~i' ana fhelr confusion became
more as | perceived that both Hilton
ana Marshall were coming more and
more closely into conference and con.
splcuously stunning me. u
heard one of the servants saw to
another that Capt. Marshall had done
1t, and the reply was that, whoever had
tired the shot, Margaret Holiday was
certainly party to the crime. Another
servant in response to my questioning
said that he had seen Hanley enter the
Long Room from the dining room which
adJoined 1t, not ten minutes before my
discovery of the murder. Hanley, with
white lips, denied that he had been in
that room since the morning.
Marshall and Hilton divided between
them the care Of the body and did not
consult me. passed the night in tor
ment, relieved only by an occasional
sight of Margaret, who twice or thrice
came from her mothers room to speak
with me. She would not see Marshall.
l think that she believed him guilty.
At eight o'clock | was standing on
the veranda in front Of the house when
the sound of wheels startled me, and
saw carriage containing Bernard
Kelly and a man who leaned far back
with his face in the shadow. It flashed
across me in second that Kelly had
solved the riddle, arrested the muir
derer, and was bringing him to the
house. IL that was 50, the prisoner
could be no other than the man whom
Hanley had seen. And then thought
of the steps that had heard, and had
supposed TO be Marshallis. as | lay in
the hammock. Had the murderer passed
me then2
The carriage rapidly approached. In
a few seconds it was near enough for
me TO see the face of the shadow.
Kelly's companion was Horace Preble.
hope TO get through this mortal life
without suffering such a shock as that
again.
Preble got out of the carriage with
Kelly close behind him.
"In heavens name what is this?"
demanded.
The young man looked dsconsolately
down upon the ground. He had at
first extended his hand toward me and
had withdrawn,
'rhis thing had to come out. be
said. I've tried to cover itup as much
as 1 could, but it was no use. You
might as well know the truth"
Speak | cried.
"Why, YOU see. about two years ago.
when lost all my money, l was in
desperate fix. / had hoped to live
without work and that hope failed
me. got into sad straits, and ut last
of course you'll regard this as conf
dential?"
confidential"
"Well, its known to a few. Every time
n thing of this kind happens to me,
somebody has to be let in
Look here, Preble,n l exclaimed
Tin altogether too nervous to stand
this strain any longer. Since yester.
day I've been suspected of mTrder by
half dozen people, and have con
victed, in my own mind, half a dozen
others jim town. / convicted Won,
when saw you with Detective Kelly.
But of course when l stand here face
to face with you, L know it can't be
true. Yet you have some part in the
shameful secret, as you have con
fessed to me. What it? Don't keep me
in suspense"
A siclxly smile distorted Preble's hand
some face.
81 am detective in the pay of the
New York police department, he said.
I'm here professionally"
He shuddered at the thought.
Its a little different from the old
times" he continued. I'm heartily
ashamed of it, my boy, but it can't be
helped now There's little to choose
between detective and criminal in my
opinion The criminal infiicts an
injury on society, and the detective in
ficts an injury on the criminal and