Daily camera., 1901-10-03

n . fourth-story window to enjoy
the sunset and river breess, chanced
to see one man murder another In an
alley below.
1t was over in . brief moment. A
sound, inartieulste and sudden.
caused her to turn her eyes from the
unfathomable sea Of amber. opal and
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 . second. and then
there was . sudden double fash In the
right hand Of one. Then the other man
fell, and Bertha gazed. horror-strick-
en-. at one huddled heap lying alone
where two forms had been writing
madly.
The shock Of II photographed on her
brain the face, the form. the uncovered
head Of the man with the knife. She
would know him il she met him among
a thousand others. Then the horror OF
it came home to her.
She. Bertha Dunn. the shyest and
the meekest OF all the teachers in the
Tenth ward school, had witnessed .
murder. She would have to appear in
court. to testify. to explain. to iden-
tify.
She closed her lips very rssolutely
No one must know IL from her. God
had such matters in His hand, not man
She closed the window softly and wen,
about getting her frugal meal with
shaking hands but = arm determine.
tion not to give way.
II was = courageous thing to do. bu!
Bertha had need Of courage. Some SC
miles away in the deep green country
her invalid and widowed mother and
several small brothers and sister
lived upon her salary-that is. all shs
could spare. This made her live In q
small. high-up room and aions-thai
her economies be not known. II VA
in the blessed rest hour after school
that Bertha leaned out and witnessed
the tragic fate Of the unknown.
Long she sat in thought over her cur
Of tea. Bertha had that rare thing, q
conscience, and she weighed the mat
ter carefully. The deed. the motives
who the man with the reddish haiI
might bs-these things haunted hsI
dreams and broke her sleep. She wal
glad when morning dswnsd and ahl
could go to her school
But first she bought . morning pa.
per to see II the murder bad been els
covered. There It WAS in big. blael
headlines! A mysterious murder oi
an unknown man, well-dressed
stranger. in whose pockets WAS moth
ing by which to identify him. And. u
she read, Bertha Dunn realized with {
shudder that the murderer. also. had
been well dressed and that the double
fash in the sunlight had been . grsa,
jewel on the hand that drove home ths
shining knife.
The police wers making every s6or,
to get . clew TO the murder. *
Bertha was prepared TO meet . re
spectful policeman in plain clothes
near her door that afternoon. Had
abe seen any people in the alley th'
day before7 Did she know anything
of the murdered man7 To which ques
tions Bertha WAS abls to give shy
negative. She tfembled to think thai
they might ask her II she had seen thu
murder committed-but they did not
and she went up the stairs very thank
ful.
The little teacher bought papers th'
two next mornings and read then ovel
| her desk before the school bell rang
The third day she read with . wildl,
beating heart. The identity Of thu
| murdered man had been discovered
he was one of the city's retired cap
italists, . man Of wealth. culture ant
travel. He WAS supposed to be in New
York, and It was only BY accident tina
he was known. The face of the mur
dered man had been badly slashed
probably after death. and this rem
dered identification difficult. Now tn
chase was on. The city was reused
the murderer must be found, ant
money was plenty.
Bertha closed her little red moutl
more firmly, and went about with
white face. Drag her into . court
room? She would rather die . hun
dred deaths.
| In those days she had troubles Of hel
own. Her sister, the one who kept th'
family together down in the country
wF0ie Of the moInerS incrsasin
weakness and need Of luxuries; Of u
need of books and clothing for Il
boys, and that delicate Jenny mua
have new dannels for the late autnml
Bertha reduced her own food TO th
least possible quantity and sent th
money home that should have pul
chased her three meals every Dc,
Suddenly something happened. Whs
Berthe, weak from fasting. draggs
up the stairs one evening and unlocke
her door, . large white envelope IL
upon the floor. She stopped to pick
up and fell dizxily. 1t was addresse
to her plainly. Within was . bund1
of crisp bills and slip Of paper o
which wa, printed only four words:
'Ths reward Of silence"
| Bertha drew back in horror, but th
money lay in her lap. crisp new bill
/ $500 In all. Who can measure wha
that sum meant to the half-stsrvsd u
tie woman sick with the clamor ofnee
in her ears and with SIX souls depsne
ent upon her exsrtions?
i The next day she read IN announct
usnt OF, . thoussnd-dollar reward "a
the arrest and conviction Of the mu,
dersr or the information leading 70 4
/ Then shs undsrstood. But her 4
] curled. Desperate ~ wss her need n