The San Francisco call., 1910-12-25

Deering asked permission to call
upon the lady, which was granted. He
escorted her home. and the next day
called upon her. He called again the
day after, and for many days to come,
not one passed that he was not in Mrs.
Bardin's coy room for at least an hour
OF chat with her. They became firm.
fast friends. Their respective domestic
ties did not trouble either and were
no bar to their intercourse.
But there came one day when a sud-
den call from his paper fastened Deer
fngs departure. That summons was
the woman's awakening from her
dream. Her grief when the news was
communicated to her was appailing.
He could not. she asseverated, would
not must not. dare not leave ber
She knew nOw-she loved him. madly
passionately, devOtedly. She threatened
suicide-ah. yes, death was preferable
to separation She was wretchedly
jealous. jealous of Deering's work that
took him from her. jealous OF his wife.
his children. She feared he would go
back TO them and forget her: forget the
beautiful. ideal life that had been theirs
since their meeting in the park. The
misery. the utter wretchedness, the
anguish of the woman were pitiful 1t
must have wrung the mans heart. But
duty called, and ne left her.
They exchanged promises. He would
return soon to her and resume the rela-
tions that only his allegiance to his
paper forced him temporarily to aban-
don She appeared satisfied with the
promise.
This was the romantic prelude. the
prologue to the tragedy.
Mrs. Caroline Bardin was arrested.
The police maintained that jealousy
prompted her to send the poisoned can
dy to Mrs. Deering, whom she had
never seen; that the murder Of Mrs.
Deering's two friends who shared the
candy was not part OF the plot.
Mrs Bardin was easily located in one
OF the little villages up state. where
she had rejoined her husband The
notor1ety given the poison mystery had
affected her health and spirits and she
naturally flew to the protection OF her
husband, even though she had but re-
Gently abandoned him.
In the far orient. news OF the mys-
terlous and fearful death Of his wife
and relatives reached Deering He re-
signed at once from the syndicate Of
newspapers he was representing and
came direct to San Francisco. where he
reported to Chief Lees and was forth
with served with a subpoena as witness.
The girls at the candy store parti-
ally identified Mrs. Bardin as the pur-
chaser of the box which was one Of the
exh1blts In the case. They could not
pc positively certain-who could in
their posttion2 The postal clerk recog-
nlzed the charming. seductive voice OF
the woman at once Her voice had
made an impression upon him, as it had
upon Jack Deering, when thew first
met The druggist who had sold the
arsenic was unearthed. the physfcian's
prescription found. The druggist was
positive in his identffcatf tfon as he
also, remembered the seductive voice
and particularly the fact that the
woman mad purchased the arsenic for
tne purpose or bleaching a hat ana In.
sisted upon getting this drug. even
aIter the druggist Informed her tina.
tneFe We're other and better prepara-
t- saons aoapted Tor bleaching. But she
was inslstent and would have arsenic
Inc motive for the dastardly. despic-
able crime was clearly established.
mere was one link in the chain
missing Not scrap Of Mrs Bardin's
ndnaWritlng was obtainabIe. not note.
no, .I,,. lettef' not a scratch of the pen
me woman had destroyed every bit OF
concerned.
One day the chief had Mrs. Bardin
brought to his office. Every method OF
ootalning sample of chirography
lalieo- ~ Sne would fan into no trap not
even TO place her signature to her
statements The chief wanted a sample
OF e ner handwriting to compare with
tne address on the wrapper OF the hox
OF poisoned candy. In the ONCE he had
table and several chairs specialize,
arranged for the reception Of the now
notorious prisoner. Pens. penholders
and ink and paper were strewn care
iessiy ABOUT on the table.
MIS- Bard1n proved too clever 10
MAKE any damaging admissions. She
- lContlnued on Next Pa-c9