The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-10-28
THE ALTENBURG CASE
Bv GEORGE DYRE ELDRIDGE
COPYRIGHT 1sos BY GEORGE DYRE ELDRrDGE

as ne Spohe these ordinary words that
 any one could dream for a moment
 that this girl. here with him in this
 narrow space, had aught of associa-
 tion with the terrible tragedy that had occurred so close at hand? To take the precautions they were taking, as
 1T any one could doubt her or hers for
 a moment was the height of absurdity. "Oh. yes" she said, with a show of bitter impatience. that's a dodge to gain day or two, or at most a week, but what does it amount to? Whats to be done when dodges won't work any longer?''
 It was the question he had constant ly asked himself as he drove through the night and to which he had found
 no answer, but it was one thing to
 make the admission to himself and an- other to own up with this girl watch ing his face and hanging on his words. as if the question of life and death turned on his answer
 We've got to tire Trafford out" he said, feebly. Its only question of time''
 Its only a question of time." she repeated, with strong emphasis. 'sbut not in tiring Trafford out. He's not that kind"
 No. he was not that kind, and Grfm- bleshaw seemed to know it as he had
 never known anything before in his life. He felt him, as it were a merci- less. untiring fate, watching, waiting;
 strong because he could wait, but by
 no chance ever tiring. All the more,
 who could be saved should be, and
 with Calden out of reaching distance why was it not possible to save this girl who at the most must know little. and who. probably, simply guessed at things of which she knew nothing, so far as the law of evidence gauged
 Knowledge. Concerning these things she had merely to hold her tongue and
 nothing could be- extorted. AS to her
 presence at the farm. there was not a shred of evidence that she had been there until a substantial time later than the actual commission of the | murder. She could only guess, there fore. who was the doer of the deed, and guesses were not and could not be made evidence.
 l Miss Calden,'' he said. speaking earnestly under conception of the de-
 mands of the situation, why you were
 here that night I don't know but I do know it could have had nothing to do with this crime. Why then, can't you speak out and tell just what you saw? It will clear up the atmosphere tremendously. while the real danger is in all these wild guesses-'' He knew he had lost the point of what he was trying to say even be- fore he caught the frightened expres- sion of her face. which completed his denoralization and caused him to stop with his sentence unfinished. On the instant she leaned forward and, with her hand pressed on his arm, whispered. so that even he ould
 whispered. so that even he could ''Dr. Grimbleshaw, have you told all that you saw?"
 Yes he said. unhesitatingly. eff I
 guessed anything my guesses are not evidence. So far as can recall I have told everything saw. everything
 And you have nothing to add. tiff they should try to force you to say
 more?''
 "Nothing.' This time he spoke with
 assured confidence. i've accounted for every minute of time and every
 event from my reaching the house
 until Malbon got here.''
 Yet, you know--''
 ''1 do not. he interrupted her, un- willing even to hear what he knew her about to say. q saw a man in the doorway. but I did not see his face, | though I tried hard to. and I would
 not recognize him again if I saw him. I have no right to guess who he was,
 and the law gives no one any right
 to hear my gYesses. even if would
 mako them. certainly shall not be
 so-criminal, that's the right word-so criminal as to risk injuring an inno- cent person by adding to what I know
 guesses as to what I do not and can-
 not know
 He knew that in this multiplying of
 words he was simply trying to in
 duce in her an attitude of mind that
 would help her to clean separation
 of what she knew of the affair from
 the mass of conjectures. griesses and fears that had naturally gathered
 about this as a point of departure. He
 watched her face with growing and. finally. keen disappointment that it did not respond to his effort.
 Where will you draw the line?'' she asked, almost in the tone of one
 who loses interest in a hopeless issue Gan you remember a face once seen so that you know it when seen again, while you only 'gues'' at a resemblance in voice?''
 He was startled at her daring in striking at the very center of the ques-
 tion that endangered and was likely to undo him.
 1T only saw. one face and heard one voice while here," he said. with posi- tiveness. '"To the identity of neither could I answer under oath: it would
 be the sheerest guesswork.'' And yet if by this very thing you create the impression that you are con-
 cealing something?" she asked anx- iously.
 To be Continued.)
 LIVER, BLADDER, KIDNEY