Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-17
XXIX-Continued.

"Of course. Clayton could scarcely have
had Horace's pistol. unless he had taken
1t from Altenburg after the murder. but
Altenburg could. quite readily, have had
it, IL Horace had left it during one of his
visits to the house.
1T was DR. Grimbleshaw. as you know.
who struck the trail of Altenburgs es-
cape. had failed to find trace of Bill
ings during the days when the murderer
must have got away, but now I know
that when he returned the first time 1t
was by way Of the Canadian Pacific. and
that he had just arrived home and before
any one knew anything about the Alien
burg murder when Altenburg came to
him. and forced him. by threats coupled
with the promise of liberal pay. to take
him to Canada. At this time Altenburg
shrewdneSs was shown. for 1t was he who
made Billings take him by a different
route than the ordinary enc. and this
simple device helped materially to throw
me off the track. If he'd been as
shrewd all the way through he'd have
escaped, for the time at least. for it was
simply his refusal to pay the men who
took him from ST. Martins what he had
agreed to pay that led to the dispute and
delay. but for which we could not have
overtaken him at the creek, and you
know that we would not have dared fol-
low him farther into that nest of ban
ditti. who were bound to have the rob-
bling of him. dead or alive"
When it came to parting with money"
said Mr.. Calden, cit was like parting with
his very life-blood.''
What was Billings doing in the woods
that day that Phillip frightened Fry so?"
asked Judith.
when he interfered with a law officer
In the discharge of his duties merely to
amuse a young lady? Why. Altenburg
had left the house with two bags. He
found them too heavy to carry far and
he hid one in the woods. When he found
Billings refused to do this. but promised
to get 1t through to Canada for him later
1t was this bag he was hunting for. Fry
was following him merely because of his
connection with Mr.. Calden's attempted
escape. We afterward found the bag.
with some papers and two thousand dol
lars in money in it,
We'll. why did Altenburg kill Clayton?"
asked Beckwith, whose interest made him
forget that of right he ought to know
without asking.
That" replied Trafford. 'is 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
can form runs something like this:
Clayton had come to the house with the
purpose to get hold Of papers and money
II possible. but particularly papers that
would be the means of extorting money
in the future. He knew Altenburg well
enough to feel certain that the papers
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 Clayton in the
there until he went away. Clayton, how
ever, came out during the day and
started David on his drunk. He may
have begun his search at the same
time. If not. he probably did make make
Altenburg was at supper and while
he was having his quarrel with David.
Then, think, he must have come down.
stairs. probably while Aftenburg, had
stepped out of the room. He began his
drawer. or was breaking it open. when
Altenburg returned. The rest is easy to
sea quarrel and Clayton is killed. The
fight was probably the result of impulse
within the possible that he had learned
that Mr.. Calden had left Hacklebury. and
he felt that he could not. withstand the
combination of circumstances. 1t may
old saying about conscience making cow
ards of us all AS l said. here we are
on ground that we shall never be able to
examine with surety"
Grimbleshaw turned to Mr.. 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. Everything
was as it happened up to the moment
when ! opened the door into Altenburgs
room and saw him. not sitting at his
desk. as I said, but stretched upon the
floor, wounded to death. 1t was the
memory of that that made me stop and
almost prevented my going on with my
described. but was so overcome by what
had happened and the terrible suspicious
that it aroused that I could not. tele-
phoned and then hurried from the house,
as told you
THAT clears up everything, I believe"
said Trafford. excepting what Horace
was doing the two hours that are unac-
counted for. l could have told him at
any time that he was at the lake, getting
the camp ready for his father-that is l
knew from the beginning almost that he
was miles away from the Altenburg
house at the time he said he was there
and killed Altenburg. or course, Hor-
aces story gained a little appearance of
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 be-
come 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
man with keen legal training like Mr..
Beckwith here could have torn that story
TO pieces unQeT CrOSS-eXdmlIldllOU.
Well said Horace. wincing a trifle
under Traffords polite but effective way
of disposing of his story. IF there is
anything more that any one wants to
know let it be asked tonight, for from
now on 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.. Grim
bleshaw on hand as one of the acquisi-
lions out of the affair. Is there anything
more?"
Yes" said Beckwith: we've congratu
lated Mr. and Mrs. Calden and everybody
in general. Isn't there some special con-
graduating to be done? Miss Judith, for
Instance"
IF it's subject for congratulation that
she's to become Mrs. Grimbleshaw as
soon as she decently can" said the doc
tor. there's special congratulations due
her, for that's the fact which l violate
no professional confidence in making
public. If you don't think it a matter of
special cOngratulation to her, turn your
batteries on me and fire away. for what
ever the amount it's coming to me and
it can't be overdone.
One after the other offered formal con-
gratulations till only Beckwith, not wont
by any means to be the last In any COM
pany, was alone left.
II do congratulate you. Grimbleshaw.
with all my heart he said. 1T isn't
good for any man to be so welded to his
profession that he forgets that he's put
into the world to be something else be-
cjHoc doctor LAWYER mr. whatever