Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-09
/ The A1tenburg Case.
By GEORGE DYRE ELDRIDGE.
COPYRIGHT. GEORGE DYRE E1DRIpoE

or three times to get out of bed for some
purpose and each time fell on the floor.
and had to call in Eliza and David to
help get him back to bed. At last he
gave it up and. swearing me 10 secrecy.
gave me the keys and sent me to the
room to get a package of papers from
shelf which he described to me. charging
me on no account to touch or even look
at anything else. Before l could get
back his Impotence got the better OF him
and he tried to get up and SO fell again.
When / got him back In bed l gave him
the package. He managed. with good
deal of trouble, to count the papers. Then
he put them under his pillow and kept
illness until he was able to return them
to the vault himself. The day succeeding
my getting the papers he was very much
worse, and We thought. as he did, that
room and made me swear that IL he died
I'd destroy the package without opening
it. AS an inducement for me to do this
he told me that there was fifty thousand
it was mine to do as l pleased with IL l
did what he asked, that is, destroy the
papers,
Both Beckwith and young Calden heard
this statement with surprise. for in the
case of the former 1t was the first that
the mere existence of the money, and In
that of the latter, his mother had never
before told him the full particulars.
When Mrs. Calden paused Beckwith
asked:
What was there in the vault?"
II did not see very clearly, for only
went to the shelf and brought away the
papers, but there seemed mostly to be
tin boxes and several packages OF papers
besides the one ] went to get. These
were on shelves. but the boxes were on
the floor against the wall"
There's where the papers I was look
ing for were!" exclaimed Horace. IF 1
had known this l could have spared my
me?"
Because 1 had promised him not to
tell. and before I got here, after his
death, Mr.. Trafford had taken possession
afraid IL told then that it would bring
us all into more trouble than We were
already In
Eyes. but" urged Horace. ''you did tell
me that there was money. and In my
first interview with Trafford l told him.
couldn't tell him. though, where 1t had
been kept, and naturally, when he found
the place he must have thought my fg-
norance queer, and 1t could but rouse his
suspicious"
IF that was the only thing you did
at that interview to arouse his suspi-
cions," interposed Beckwith, ''you might
rest good deal easier than ! think you
have occasion to. Besides. it's a new
TACK lot you 10 take, 10 De dUXfOuS Uc-
cause you have aroused Traffords sus-
picions. 1t has occurred to me at times
that you were something OF an expert
in doing just that thing" Then he turned
to Mrs. Calden and went on:
"Who did the work on the vault?
There must have been a good deal"
$50 far as I know he must have done
it. and done 1t before I came here. He
always was a great hand ever since
can remember to potter around with car
pentering. bricklaying and such things
think he had the door and frame. which
are of iron, set into the brickwork, ship
ped here, for / remember when I first
came seeing a crate I'm the barn that was
just about right to hold them"
"I wonder what Trafford has done
about it since he took possession OF that
part Of the house." Beckwith unused, as
IL to himself rather than to the others.
(To be continued tomorr0w.)