The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-08-01

N ''9-%--> from Plattsburg. She had offered to buy the letters, and I had brought them to sell to her. And then at the last minute lied. I said I couldn't the Monmouth avenue house. felt like a cad. She wanted to clear her husbands memory, and I-well. Mr. Fleming was your father, Margery.. I couldn't hurt you like that.''
 ''Do you think Mrs. Butler took your leather bag?7 asked.
 .'I do not think so. It seems to be the only explanation, but I did not let it out of my hand one moment while we were talking. My hand was cramp- cd from holding it when she gave up in despair at last and went back to the city,
 f'What did you do with the letters she wanted?"
 sT kept them with me that night and the next morning hid them in the se- cret closet. That was when dropped my fountain pen!' ;
 And the pearlsT' Margery asked. 'When did you get them, Harryr'
 To my surprise llis face did not change.
 1.-TWO days before I left" he said. we were using every method to get money, and your father said to sacri- ice them if necessary S2 71
 My fatherr'
 He wheeled on us both
 Did you think stole themr' he de handed And confess that I was ashamed to say I had thought precise iy that.
 Your father gave me nine unmount- cd pearls to sell" he reiterated. "I got about a thousand dollars for them eleven hundred and something, be- lieve'' br
 think Margery was fairly stunned to. learn that her father had married again, that he had been the keystone in an arch of villainy that, with him gone, was now about to fall and to as sociate him with so small and mean a thing as the theft of a handful of pearls.
 Then" I said to bring Wardrop back to his story, you found you had been robbed of the money, and you went in to tell Mr. Fleming. You had some words. didn't you2''
 "He thought what you all thought 2 Uow YA af1 me of stealing the money. felt worse than a thief He was desperate, and I took his revolver from him.
 'T came back here to Bellwood. and the first thing learned was about Miss Jane When I saw Athe blood print on the stair rail I thought she was murdered, and had more than I could stand. took the letters out of the.secret closet before could show it to you and Hunter, and later I put them in the leather bag gave you and locked if. Ton have it, haven't you, KnoxY'
 nodded.
 ''As for that night at the club, told the truth then, but not all the truth. I 1 suppose am a coward, but I was afraid to. If you knew Schwartz you would understand"
 With the memory of his huge figure and the heavy undershot face that I had seen the night before I could un- derstand very well, knowing Wardrop.
 T went to that room at the White Cat that night because I was afraid not to go. Fleming might kill himself or some one else. went up the seairs slowly, and heard no shot At the door hesitated, then opened it quiet ly. The door into the built in staircase was just closing. It must have taken me only an instant to realize what had happened. Fleming was swaying for ward as caught him. I jumped to the staircase and looked down, but I was too late. The door below had closed I knew in another minute who had been there and escaped. It was raining, you remember, and Schwartz had forgotten to take his umbrella with his name on the handle"
 Schwartz
 Now do you understand why was being followed?' he demanded. T have been under surveillance every minute since that night. There's prob ably some one hanging around the gate now. Anyhow I was frantic. I saw how it looked for me, and if had brought Schwartz into it would have been knifed in forty-eight hours. I hardly remember what did. I know ran for doctor, and took the um- brella with me and left it in the veSd- bule of the first house I saw with q doctors sign rang the bell like a kcrazy man, and then Hunter came along and said to go back; Dr. Gray was at the club.
 That is all know. Pm not proud of 1t. Margery, but it might have been worse, and it's the truth. It clears up something, but not all. It doesn't tell where Aunt Jane is or who has the hundred thousand. But 1t does show vvNe killod vOrr father And if v0u