Middletown transcript., 1909-08-21
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Doctor Dexter Duncart wss ID.

\
humor as his youth and health
ever permitted, and vas savage.
" trying to determine what one
Of bis friends was most likely
guilty Of the perpetration Of q
mostannoying and i'll timed prac-
tical joke. He had ridden out,
he didn't know how many miles,
into the far suburbs Of the great
city, to attend d call for his pro-
fessional services, only to find
that there was no such number
on the street as his typewriter
message had named as his des-
tination. He was cold-tired-
sleepy ross-and
Some one knocked at the door
Of bis room.
Who is it? he demanded, ,gruh1y.
Frank Frazer, was the reply,
in a tone SO full OF terror and
trouble that the doctor sprang to
the door and opened it himself,
instead of giving the informal
command to ''come in, that
would usually have been his re-
ply to the young man whose
room was just across the hall
from his own.
Frank Frazer staggered, rather
than walked, into the Doctors
room, and was so evidently al
most at the point of fainting
that Duncan gave him a glass of
water before he said a word.
Then he asked, and not unkindly,
what's The matter, Frazer ?
You look as though you'd seen a
ghost!
I'll feel SO, stammered the
man, casting a shuddering glance
over his shoulder at the door of
the room. You-you see-Nora
Nora Neville-is-is dead !!
Dead? cried the doctor, while
and shaken in his turn. How? /?
When? Where ?
God knows when, said Frazer,
calm again, fer minute, at the
expense of a mighty effort, but
but strangled and in-in my
room ! And, had not the doctor
caught him, he would have fallen
to the floor.
Do you mean you killed her ?
Kissed the physician, a look on
his face that his friend had never
seen there before-a look that
promised that vengeance for the
foul crime against this one wo-
man would come over a speedier
road than that in which Law
travels.
AS God is my witness, no
said Frazer. Butt can prove
nothing. They will hang mel
hang me-unless- unless
WenV
Unless you help me to dispose
of the body, in some way-any
Nay-Come, Duncan, hurry It
will be daylight in an hour-and
and The doctor made no an
,wer. He took Frazer's hand in
lis. He led him across the hall,
ind into the room where the
lead lay.
So fair-so beautiful still--in
ipite of the blackened face-in
'pite of the lividsfnger prints up
N the shapely throat. Here was
Vhere the thumb had pressed,
hort and thick and cruel. Here
vas where the fingers had fallen;
ne was long-tTo were stubbed
nd deformed-one was missing!
duncan raised Frazer's hand in
is, looked at it in silence, looked
rom it o,the face of the dead,
len flung it from him with a I
esture that had hate and loath.
lg in it. Frazer had an accident 4
his hand, years ago in early
oyhood; he had lost one finger, 9
'gether with parts of two others, 4
i'd the thumb had never grown 4
ito the shape a thumb should !
I've.
I wouldn't help you conceal :
lis body, Frank Frazer, said
le physician, under any possible
rcumstances. The right way gI
always the best way--alWays.
ut-how dare you talk of in. :
'cence after that-and that
ID he pointed to the woman's
roat--the mans hand.
Ii don't quite understand 1
at myself, mnttered Frazer, Il
eing how everything is against
9. Butt -am-innocent! 1
we'd her-loyed her !.
Yes, replied Duncan, gravely, p
knew you did. Did she love
~? o
III don't know. I never ask
her love, but n
did. two flavs 400 She rouo