The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1909-04-20
THE MAN WITH !
. THE KNIFE o J
b Elisabe4h Cherry Waltz. ,
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DERTHA DUNN, leaning out from
n a fourth-story window to enjoy
the sunset and river breeze, CHANGED
to see one man murder another in an
alley below
1t was over in a brief moment
sound, inarticulate and sudden,
caused her to turn her eyes from the
unfathomable sea of amber. opal and
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 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 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
it came home TO her
She, Bertha Dunn, the shyest and
the meekest of all the teachers in the
Tenth ward school. had witnessed a
murder She would have to appear in
court, to testify. to explain, to iden-
tify.
She closed her lips very resolutely.
No one must know it from her. God
had such matters in His ha nd. not man.
~ 4 p I've - =
about getting her frugal meal with
shaking hands but firm determine
tion not TO give way.
1t was courageous thing to do. but
Bertha had need of courage. Some so
miles away in the deep green country
her invalid and widowed mother and
several small brothers and sisters
lived upon her salary-that is. all she
could spare. This made her live in .
small. high-up room and aloDe--that
her economies be not known. IT was
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 cup
of tea Bertha had that rare thing. a
conscience. and she weighed the mat
: ter carefully. The deed. the motives
: who the man with the reddish hal,
might be-these things haunted hel
dreams and broke her sleep. She was
! glad when morning dawned and sh<
: could go to her school.
: But first she bought a morning pa
y per to see if the murder had been dis
= covered There it was in big. hlaci
: headiinesl A mysterious murder o
: an unknown man. q well-dresses
( stranger, in whose pockets was moth
: ing by which to identify HIM. And. a
= she read, Bertha Dunn realized with
< shudder that the murderer. also. ha
y been we'll dressed and that the douhl
e fash in the sunlight had been a grea
: Jewel on the hand that drove home tn
y shining knife
r The police were making every effor
: to get clew to the murder. S
y Bertha was prepared to meet a RI
< spectful policeman in plain clothe
: near her door that afternoon Ha
= she seen any people in the alley til
9 day before? Did she know anythin
\ of the murdered man? To which que.
8 tions Bertha was able to give a sh
= negative. She trembled to think thu
y they might ask her If she had seen tn
= murder committed-but they did no
= and she went up the stairs very thanl
- full.
& The little teacher bought papers tt
= two next mornings and read them owe
q. her desk before the school bell ran,
g The third day she read with wild
\ beating heart. The identity of tt
e murdered man had been discovere
e He was one of the city's retired ca
" italists, = man of wealth, culture ar
K travel. He was supposed to be in Ne
& York. and it was only by accident tn;
= he was known. The face of the mu
x dered man had been badly slashe
= probably after death. and this re
Il. dered Identification difficult. Now Il
q chase was on. The city was rouse
u the murderer must be found. al
r. money was plenty.
e Bertha closed her little red mou
" more firmly, and went about with
X white face. Drag her into a coul
s. room? She would rather die hu
r. dred deaths.
* In those days she had troubles of h
~ own. Her sister. the one who kept Il
n family together down in the countr