The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-20
CONTINUED

NV first procedure was TO secure the
piece of paper which had found in the
bottle. II may want Captain Shannon's
autograph one of these days." l said to
myself, "and even were it not so l
should be unwise to leave this document
upon the scene. If, when the body is
found, it is believed that Green was
drowned by misadventure, there is less
chance of awkward questions being ask
ed and inconvenient inquiries made
Such inquiries might bring to light the
fact that he was engaged, by my direc-
tions, in investigating Mullen's anteced-
ents, and the matter might come to the
ears of Mullen himself.
"And now, another thing. I'm afraid
Green papers have been taken by the
murderer; otherwise | ought to secure
them. They might contain clew to the
secret to which the poor man attached
such importance. All! l thought SO.
They've gone, for the pocketbook which
/ know he carried is missing, although
his watch, chain, money and other be-
longings are left. But stop q minute.
When | gave Green my address, l re-
member he took out his cigar case, re-
moved the cigars and showed me that
the case had secret pocket for papers.
He said that he never carried important
papers in pocketbook, which is the
first thing thief or rogue who wishes
to abstrac. document goes for, and
that he had had his taken from him
twice-once by force and once by cum
ming theft.
"But Mullen would not know that
Green kept documents in his cigar case
and probably wouldn't trouble TO take
it. Let me see. Yes, here it is, in the
breast pocket, and think | can feel pa
pers inside the silk lining. Well look
at them by and by. Anything else in
his pockets that / might require? No.
Then I'll slide the body back into the
water. He's evidently been dead many
hours, and it can make no difference to
him, poor fellow. That's it. He's just
as he Tas when found him. Now I'll
be of Good night, Mr.. James Bake
well Green. won't press you for that
1. o. u. "
Still wondering at my heartlessness,
turned ard walked in the direction of
Yarby. But had more important mat
tiers than my own mental attitude to
consider, for tho first thing which had
to ask myself was, "By whose hand did
Green meet his end?" 1t was of course
possible either that he had committed
suicide or that the paper bearing the
signature of Captain Shannon" had
been placed where L found it by some
one who, for reasons of bis own, had
taken Green's life and hoped, by at
tributing the crime to Captain Shannon
to divert suspicion from himself But
soon decided that neither of these alter
natives was worth consideration. For
the motive Of the crime one had not far
to look. Green had, on his own show
ing. discovered something which might
lead TO Captain Shannon's arrest, and
there could be no doubt that, should
the fugitive get wind of this, his first
step would be to rid himself Of SO dan
gerous an enemy.
From the circumstance under which
/ discovered the body Of my unfortunate
agent / came TO the conclusion that he
was on board a yacht when the crime
was effected.
Having often yachted off Yarby, Twas
tolerably familiar with the coast and
knew that the place where l found the
body was the very spot toward which,
with every incoming tide, strong cur
rent sets. And as matters stood it look
ed as if the corpse had been carried
thither from the open sea. That it had
not been placed where it was by any
one on the shore--at all events since the
outgoing tide-was evident from the
fact that my own were the only foot.
marks on the soft, smooth stretch OF
sandy mud which led down to the wa.
ter's edge. But what struck me as espe.
cially strange was that, though Greer
was otherwise fully dressed, he was
wearing no boots. It was very unlikely
that he had walked two miles along 9
rocky beach with unprotected feet. Blu
il he had for any reason been persuaded
to go upon yacht il was quite possible
that he might take his boots off--firstly
because no yacht owner who prides him
self upon the trimness Of his craft an,
the whiteness Of her decks cares to hav
q visitor tramping about in heavy ant
perhaps muddy boots, and, secondly, be
cause landsman who Is 20 shod woul
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