The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-06

under such inspiration to find out. To
all these conditions, adroltly imposed,
poor Gertrude, in the stress of the rash
course on which she had entered, felt
herself constrained to yield.
Mrs. Heaton received the intelligence
silently and without sign of emotion,
save a more livid pallor on her wan
face. And when she had again gone
into the seclusion of her protracted de-
votion the girl felt herself more alone,
more helpless, unless she followed the
gimmer of truth which Paul Poloff
held tantalizingly before her. And so
the fact OF the engagement went
abroad and was accepted and the Hun
garian lensmaker strutted through the
works and about the grounds with an
air of proprietorship far different from
the demure bearing which had charac-
tcrized him.
But Gertrude misjudged her mother
in thinking her apathetic. The tidings
that Poloff pretended to be able to
solve the mystery of her husbands
death reused recollections and
strengthened suspicious which she had
striven to Danish from her mind as in
definite and unjust. Her nerves had
been so racked and spent by sorrow
that this fresh information had for
the moment crushed her with it's awful
possibilities, but the supreme force OF
maternal love soon asserted itself and
sent her to Judge Marcellus, beseech-
ing him almost from her knees to. in
some way, prevent so obnoxious, Sc
unnatural a match!
The judge was inclined to make mat
ters smooth for a hysterical woman.
1T is certainly injudicious at this
time, madam" he said, "but then, you
know, it may prove nothing but an in
fatuation as short lived as 1t was sud-
den. At the worst he Is worthy
young man, with a great future before
him, am told. Really you take 1t all
too much to heart. Unnatural? Pooh,
pooh! There is nothing unnatural
about such affairs SO long as young
men are young men and young maid
ems young maidens."
There came a specter of a flush to
Mrs. Heaton's cheek, and she straight
ened as she spoke: Unnatural. most
urnatural!" she persisted. II have
prayed my God to keep my thoughts
from unworthy themes, but when l see
my only child consenting to 1oin her
self to the only man her father dis
trusted l mu It speak out, not to her
since even hint might drive her from
one wild extreme to even a Wilder but
to you, his friend and our counsellor.
/ don't accuse Paul Polof Of anything,
II Lch less, o my God, OF that one thing
but the very day that Merrill was
taken he told me that thoie had been
serious losses over at the works and
tina; he feared the outcome must be
his dismissing this young man."
The judge, knowing Mrs. Heaton's
deliberate habit of thought and action,
was more impressed by this statement
than he saw fit to show. He recalled
the old legal maxim about it being
dangerous to intrude into council un-
invited, and concluded that Poloff by
forcing himself thus bodily into the
family circle had exposed himself to in
spection. He therefore advised that he
be encouraged in his hopes for the
present, and having assuaged his
clients distress with the balm of well
chosen words and moral sentiments he
went straightway with the tidings of
these fresh complications to Abe Cron-
kite, whose progress thus far in the
case had been the barren one Of deter
mining an utter absence of clews.
ABE CRONKITE'S THEORY.
The former detective coincided with
his patrons views. "Poloff's story"
he said, "is either true, false, or partly
true and partly false. If it is either
true or false the probabilities are that
the fellow Is merely cold blooded
rascal seeking to take a cruel advant-
age of the young lady. But If it is part
one and part the other then, Judge
Marcellus, l discern the indications of
graver crime-or murder, to wit The
safety of murderer lies in silently
pursuing his ordinary course Of life.
When this Is done, unless he was
recklessly careless in his crime, he is
apt to escape, But this seems to be
the one thing, hard, almost impossible,
for him to do. 1t Is characteristic of
all criminals to have absolute faith in
their own cleverness; they yearn to
take the initiative, to divert suspicion.
In the case of murderers there is, be-
sides, the impulse, the irresistible. fatal
impulse, to contide, which seems to
constrain them, in telling such yarn,
to bring in a part of what actually
happened.
Now, 1t Is easy to conjecture that
Poloff may have distracted some of the
valuable lenses In his charge from
time to time, and that he came to know
in some way that Mr. Heaton suspect
ed him. Would not the desire to save
himself from exposure and retain so
lucrative a place be sufficient mo-
tive for the murder? My dear sir,
there Is far less cause for nine tenths
of the murders committed. Here, at
any rate, Is work ing hypothesis in
a case which has not presented one
point to me. i think his story should
be verified step by step. If II is true,
! may be able through it to bring the
guilty person to justice. If it Is false,
an impostor will be exposed. If it is
partly true and partly false, then, /
believe. out of his own mouth, by his
own actions, will Paul Poloff convict
himself. Therefore, II you will urge
Miss Gertrude, even taking the risk
of telling her something, to insist on
this mans furnishing the proof he has
promised, and also to keep him with
her as much as possible, why, the field
Will be open for men to investigate at
the works and he may be forced into
betraying himself through the direct
accusation of an innocent person."
A day or SO later Abe Cronkite. in the
guise of porter at the works. stole UP
the stairs of the tower and let himself
with a master key into poloff's room.
He knew that the lensriaker had cross
ed the river to cal. on Gertrude. and
the opportunity vas favorable to test
the truth Of his story about the tele-
scope. The detectives Investigations
thus far at the factory had not borne
out the theory which he had elaborate