The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-11-01
THE ALTENBURG CASE
By GEORGE DYRE ELDRIDGE


you regard that as something to in duce others to confide in you. I no more agree with you there than in other matters"
 T m not aware. doctor that you have any very complete knowledge of my work or it's tendency. but I will say frankly that if I have any thou1ht that you or your friends are involved m this murder. it is due wholly to your efforts to thwart me since I be- gan the investigation. Mind. I say if have any such thought. I certainly had a right to expect. at least. your friends entire cooperation" It came to Grimbleshaw as a flash of light that there was justice in Traf- lords complaint. He had had a right to expect cooperation. and as cer- tainly he had not had 1t. He had not had 1t because both Horace and his father believed as the fact the worst that Trafford could have uncovered And he himself? He had believed it as well. and had acted with them in the purpose to thwart the detective In so far his complaint was Justified Now that he was satisfied of the mis- take under which they had acted what was his duty? To do nothing that by any chance should bring hurt to Judith He. at least did not hesitat there: to that his answer returned as the needle to the pole. If he had got to make a mistake. and very possibly he had. it must be the one that. at all hazards. would protect her and hers. Trafford let him founder through his self-auestions without throwing him so much as a shred to help him. He felt that he could have caught at al- most anything if only Trafford had of fered it. Instead. he was conscious that the detective was silently study ing him. which was probably the real | thing that ne had come there for on that particular morning. for as a mat ter of fact. Grimbleshaw did not feel for a moment that Trafford needed him to tell what had occurred at the camp. to what point Calden was bound or why he himself aided in getting him out of the states. In fact, Grimble- shaw was lapsing into a study of the situation that was a practical acknowl- edgment that. present or absent Traf- ford equally weighed large in every thing he undertook these days. when suddenly the detective took up again the line of questioning:
 "As physician. judging from the condition of the wound and the blood. how long before you found him had Altenburg been strucke" 'I should say close on to two hours" replied Grimbleshaw. more promptly than he quite felt he ought. The uues- ton was one he had considered min utely since hearing CaIden's story. and he had fixed so definitely the answer tha- 1t was rather like repeating 1t to himself than giving it to another. Well. let's see. David saw him about half after six. That's his story. at least. and I've verified it as far as possible by the time Antoine left Nal bon's and the time the two reached the village. On he whole I think we're safe in accepting it that David was with him not earlier than six-twenty. and not later than six-forty. a range of twenty minutes. He was unhurt then at that hour.''
 You are satisfied then that he was unhurt when David left?"
 "Dr. Grimbleshaw. it will go hard with that man if that hint is once let loose in Lanceboro. Unless you've got something to base 1t on. it's unfair to start it going!"
 | SiiS IiOTS unIalr than to give weight to the rumors already afloa affecting me?" demanded Grimbleshaw bitterly.
 Yes said Trafford bluntly and unexpectedly. In the first place. you've | got hundred ways of meeting and combating an untruth. if it is an un- truth. where he's got but one In the second place. he hasn't concealed the fact of his being with Altenburg that night I place his case in an entirely different class than yours.'' | This. then. was what Trafford had come to say. and he had so said it as to give it the force of a blow.
 There were two men in that room at six-thirty." replied Grimbleshaw. meeting the blow fairly. I've always supposed one of them was Altenburg and the other"
 Young Calden or his father?" asked Trafford.
 Why not David?'
 Because If it had been you'd have told before this"
 "As a matter of fact I formed no idea who it was. I simply knew that the second mans being there prevent ed my going in. but 1t did not occur to me to be curious as to who he was. I could not foresee what interest and importance the matter might have a few hours Iater.''
 | "Yet when you knew it was import | CConunued on Page 9.)