Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1901-10-10
THE MAN WITH
o THE KNIFE Q
By Elizabeth Cherry waltz.
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Copyright, 1901, BY Authors syndicate)

nERTHA DUNN, leaning out from
rs fourth-story window to enjoy
me sunset and river breeze, CHANGED
"a see one man murder another in an
alley below.
II was over in a brief moment. A
sound. inarticulate and sudden,
caused her to turn her eyes from the
unfathomable sea of amber, opal aud
mother of pearl across the shining
river. She saw two men, both clearly
defined in the ambient glow coming IN
an opening between two buildings.
They struggled a second, and then
there was a sudden double fash in the
right hand Of one. Then the other man
fell, and Bertha gazed, horror-strick-
en-. al one huddled heap lying alone
where two forms had been writing
madly.
The shock Of it photographed on her
brain the face, the form, the uncovered
head Of the man with the knife. She
would know him If she met him among
thousand others. Then the horror OF
lit came home to her.
She, Bertha Dunn, the shyest ane
the meekest Of all the teachers in the
Tenth ward school, had witnessed q
murder. She would have to appear II
court, to testify, to explain, 70 iden
tify.
She closed her lips very resolutely
q No one must know 1t from her. Got
. had such matters in His hand, not man
She closed the window softly and wen
about getting her frugal meal witt
shaking hands but a firm determine
ton not to give way.
1t was a courageous thing TO do, bu
Bertha had need of courage. Some 5
miles away in the deep green countr
her invalid and widowed mother an
several small brothers and sister
. lived upon her salary-that is, all sh
could spare This made her live in
small, high-up room and alone-tha
her economies be not known. 1t wa
e the blessed rest hour after sehoC
t hat Bertha leaned out and witnesse
II he tragic fate Of the unknown.
II Long she sat in thought over her Gu
e # tea. Bertha had that rare thing,
} conscience. and she weighed the ma
!. er carefully. The deed, the motive
! who the man with the reddish ha
, night be-these things haunted he
!. lreams and broke her sleep. She ";
clad when morning dawned and 81
n euld 90 to her school.
But first she bought a morning p
y Der to see II the murder had been ii
= covered. There it was in big, bla,
leadlines! \ mysterious murder
N unknown man, a well-dress'
. tranger. in whose pockets was not
81 ny by which TO identify HIM. And,
* he read. Bertha Dunn realized with
% hudder that the murderer, also, h
n cen well dressed and that the doul
70 lash in the sunlight had been a gre
n ewel on the hand that drove home {
n Inning knife.
A. The police were making every effc
70, get a clew to the murder
~ Bertha was prepared 20 meet
e pectful policeman In plain cloth
"a ear her door that afternoon. II
Oh he seen any people in the alley
80 lay before? Did she know anythi
- Il the murdered man? To which gu
y ions Bertha was able 10 give a s
creative. She trembled 10 think u
81 hey might ask her if she had seen
~ nurder committed they did z
"a md she went up the stairs very that
al u.
~ The little teacher bought papers
: two next mornings and read them o
X ler desk before the school bell "a
I'll Che third day She read with vii
II leating heart. The identity Of
III auvdered man had been discover
al Ie was one Of the city's retired c
~ talists. a man 81 wealth. culture
II raveL lie was supposed 10 be In
D. York, and e was only by accident Z
~ ie was known. The face q the n
Dit Tered man had been badly slasl
KE irobably after death. and this !
ayi tered Identification difficult. Now
sing base was on. The city was ron
5n he murderer must be found,
gais money was plenty.
1u Bertha closed her little red mo
ING more firmly, and went about wi
- white face. Drag her into co
COON? She would rather die a ]
ared deaths.
! In those DAYS she had troubles Of
own Her sister. the one who kept