The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-16

protracted devotion the girl felt herself more
alone, more helpless. unless she followed the
simmer Of truth which Paul Poloff held tanta-
hzingly before her. And so the fact OF the
engagement went abroad and was accepted
and the Hungarian lensmaker strutted through
the works and about the grounds with an air
OF propretorship far different from the demure
bearing which had characterized him.
But Gertrude misjudged her mother in think
ing her apathetio The tidings that Polon
pretended 70 be able to solve the mystery OF
her husbands death reused recollections and
strengthened suspicious which abe had striven
70 Danish from her mind ~ indefinite and I'M
lust Her nerves had been 40 racked and spent
by sorrow that this fresh misfortune had Tor
the moment crushed her with its awful pos
zibilties, but the supreme force OF maternal
love soon asserted itself and sent her TO Judge
Marcellus, beseeching him almost from her
knees TO, in ZONE way, prevent 80 obnoxious
80 unnatural a match!
The Judge was inclined to make matters
smooth for a hysterical woman. 1T Is GER
tainly injudicious at this time. Madam. he
said, but then. you know. II may prove nothing
but an infatuation as short-hved as 1t was sud-
den. At the worst he Ia a worthy young man.
with a great future before him. ] am told
Really you take IL all too much to heart I'm
nhNuThlf IOOils lpOil ihFh' !" ~
natural about svoh affairs 20 long az young
men are young men and young maidens young
maidensl"
There came the spectre OF a flush TO Mrs.
Heaton's check, and she Strengthened a.
she spoke. Unnatural. most unnatural
abe persisted. Il have prayed my God TO
keep my thoughts from unworthy themes
but when | see my only child consentns 70
Join herself TO the only man her father dis
trusted I must speak ont. not to her. since
even a hint might drive her from one wild
extreme TO even a wilder, but TO you. his friend
and our counselor don't accuse Paul Polon
Of anythinR much less, oh my God, OF that one
thing, but the very day that Merrill was taken
he told me that there had been serious Losses
over ct the works and that he feared the out
| come must be his Diminishing this young man.
The Judge. knowing Mrs. Heaton's deliberate
habit OF thought and action. was more impressed
by this statement than he saw At TO show
He recalled the old legal maxim aboutits being
dangerous to intrude into a council uninvtted,
and concluded that Polof by forcing himself
thus boldly into the family circle had exposed
himself to inspection. lie 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
% Abe Cronkite. whose progress thus FAR IN
the case had been the barren one of
an utter absence Of clues.
The former detective coincided with his pa
irons views. "Polof's story. he said. Is either
true, false or partly true and partly false. "
IL Is either trie or false the probabilities are
that the fellow Is merely a cold-blooded rascal,
seeking 10 take a cruel advantage of the young
lady. But If IL Is part one and part the other
then. Judge Maroellus, I discern the Indications
Of graver crime. Of murder. TO wit. The safety
Of a murderer lies in silently pursuing his ordin-
ary course Of life. When this is done, unless he
was recklessly careless in his crime, he is apt TO
escape. But this seems 10 be the one thing hard
almost impossible for him to do, II Is a char
acteristic 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, besides, the impulse, the
irrepTessible. fatal impulse TO confde. which
seems to constrain them. in telling such a yarn,
TO bring in a part Of what actually happened
Now. II is easy 10 conjecture that Polof may
have distracted some OF the valuable lenses IN
his charge from time 20 time and that he came
to know in some way that Mr. Heaton suspected
him. Would not the desire 10 save himself from
exposure and 70 retain so lucrative a place be a
sufficient motive for the murder NV dear sir
there l. far less cause for nine-tenths Of the
murders committed Hero, al any rate. Is a
W ,rking hypothesis in a ca-e which has not pre-
scented one point To me. think his story
should be verified step 10y step. II it Is true
may be able through III to bring the guilty person
20 justice. II II L. false, an impostor viii be eN-
posed. # il j., partly true and partly false then.
| believe. ont of his own mouth, by his own ac-
tions. will Paul poloN convict himself. There
fore, II you will ury" Miss Gertrude leven taking
the risk ut telling her something. to insist on
this mans furnishing the proof he has promised.
and al-oto keep him with her aS much a. possible
why, the field will he opan for m 10 Investigate
at tho works. and he may be forced INTO b"trav-
Ing himself through the direct accusation Of an
innocent person
A day or 50 later Abe Cronkitc, in the gui.e
OF a porter at the works, stole Mp the stairl %
the tower and let himself with a master-key
into Polor'- room tie knew that tn lens
maker had crossed the river t. call on tie.-
trude and the opportunity was favorable Ia
test the truth Of hi. story about tho t"lescop"
The detectives Investigations thus far NJ the
factory had not borne ont the theory which he
had elaborated TO the Judge \ small hoy oi
all work had been adroitly led by him 10 tel
that ne had seen Polof living on the lounge
In his room, apparently asleep, on the very
afternoon Of the murder Mr.. ileaton, II
seemed, before leaving, had cautioned the boy
TO keep his eye on Polof, and he had obevec
by peeping through the keyhole Now, should
there be a telescope commanding the knoll
the story told to Gertrude would appear t'
be verified. and yet, even in that contingency
Cronkite was not prepared TO abandon the lead
OF hs trained judgment
The room was an odd combination OF utility
and comfort. with a workbench opposite the
lounge. and chamois rubbers and emory boards
mingled with French no wells and pipes on the
table. on the wall were racks OF telescopes
and etchings OF rare taste and value. Cron kit
selected the instrument Of greatest powel
and brought il to bear on the Heaton place
opposite. Yes, paths and shrubbery stood
out distinctly. there was "A rose bush TO the
right Of the knoll. and a book lay open on one
Of the open benches As n sense OF the din
culties before him If he persisted in suspectinl
one so fortified by fact swept over him., hC
gave a gasp of astonishment for into the felC
Of the glass, cautiously advancing across tn
knoll TO the edge Of the deCliSity. came Pau
PoloT himself, every movement As unerrlnglN
re yealed As If the two were not n hundred feet
apart! The Hungarian looked this way ant
that. All was a. silent, as solitary, as serene
as on the day Merrill Heaton met his death
He crept lightly TO the embankment and swung