The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-11-10
THE ALTENBURG CASE
By GEORGE DIRE ELDRIDaE


nection with MT. Calden's attemnted escape We afterward found the bag with some papers and two thousand dollars fin money in 1t"
 well. why did Altenburg kill Claw ton" asked Beckwith. whose interest made him forget that of right he ought to know without asking.
 That" replied Trafrord, ifs one of the questions that we shall never be able to answer exactly. for the only two men who knew are dead. The best Judgment I can form runs some thing like this: Clayton had come to the house with the purpose to get hold or papers and money. if possible, but particularly papers that would be the means of extorting money in the flu ture- He knew Altenburx we'll enough to feel certain that the papers existed. Probably Altenburg expected to get rid of him after one night, and also felt comparatively safe, knowing that the papers and money were not where they were easy to find. He put Clay ton in the attic. and probably meant he should stay there until he went away. Clayton. however. came out during the day and started David on
 
 search at the same time. If not. he probably did make the search of the bedroom while Altenbury was at sup- per and while he was having his quar- rel with David Then. I think, he must have come downstairs. probably while Altenburg had stepped out Of the room He began his search of the desk. had broken open the drawer. or was breaking 1t open when Altenbure returned The rest is easy to see-a quarrel and Clayton Is killed. The flight was probably the result of fm- pulse and lack or time to consider. though 1t is within the possible thai he had learned that Mir. CaIden had left Hacklebury. and he felt that he could not withstand the combination of circumstances. It may. have been simply a verifcation of the old saving about Conscience making towards of us all. As said. here we are on ground that we shah never be able to examine with surety"
 Grimbleshaw turned to Mir. Calden.
 How much of the story you told me that night at the camp was made out of whole cloth?"
 Less than you might think Every thing was as 1t happened up to the moment when I opened the door into Adtenburg's room and saw him. not sitting at his desk. as I said. but stretched upon the floor. wounded to death- It was the memory Of that that made me stop and almost pre- vented my going on with my story. I tried to get him upstairs. as I de- scribed. but was SO overcome by what had happened and the terrible sus- not I telephoned and then hurried from the house. as told you"
 That clears up everything. I be- heve." said Trafrord. excepting what Horace was doing the two hours that are unaccounted for. could have told him at eny time that he was at the lake. getting the camp ready for his father-that is. I knew from the beginning almost that he was miles away from the Altenburg house at the time he said he was there and killed Altenbure. or course Horace's story gained a little appearance of proba- bility from his having concealed this as soon as he felt he might have to take desperate means to save his father, and from his skillful use of facts that had become public before he told 1t. but he made the mistake. which SO many men make when they attempt to fabricate. of going into far too many details. How a man with Keen legal training like Mir. Beckwith here could have torn that story to 1 pieces under cross-examinationi"
 Well" said Horace. wfncing a trifie | under Trafrord's polite but errectfye way of disposing of his story. eff there Is anything more that any one wants | to know let it be asked tonight. for | from now on I vote that we treat this part Of our lives as a closed book. and | put 1t as far away from our coming | days as it's possible to put it. at least | with Dr. Grimbleshaw on hand as one | of the acquisitions out of the affair. | Is there anything more?"
 Yes" said Beckwith; we've con graduated MT and Mrs. Calden and | in general. Isn't there some | special congratulating to be done7 Miss | Judith. for fnstance?"
 ''If it's subject for congratulation | that she's to become Mrs Grimbleshaw as soon as she decently can." said the | doctor, there's special congratulations | due her. for that's the fact. which I | violate no professional confidence in | public. If you don't think it | a matter of special congratulation to | her. turn your batteries on me and | fire away. for whatever the amount | it's coming to me and it can't be over | done"
 One after the other offered formal | till only Beckwith. not | wont by any means to be the last fin | any company. was alone left
 "I do congratulate you. Grimble- | saw. with all my heart" he said. 'Tt | isn't good for any man to be so we'd | ded to his profession that he forgets | that ne's put, into the world to be else besides a doctor. or a lawyer. or whatever he may chance to | be in that direction. I've learned that l much from experience. A woman would have had a tough time trying | to xvhfn me into sor1athfn1 rasar,hlfne