, 1913-02-27

ibid You Think Stole Them7~
written by Henry Butler to Mr.. Elem
ing, letters that showed what a dupe
Butler had been, that he had been
negligent. but not criminal: accusing
Fleming of having ruined him and
demanding certain notes that would
have proved it. IL Butler could have
produced the letters at the time of his
trial things would have beer differ
ent."
Were you going to sell the letters?'
Margery demanded, with quick scorn.
81 intended to. butt didn't. 1t was
a little bit too dirty. after all. I met
Mrs. Butler for the second time In my
life at the gate down there as l came
up from the train the night | got here
from Plattsburg. She had offered to
buy the letters. and | had brought
them to sell to her. And then at the
last minute | lied. | said | couldn't
get them-that they were locked in
the Monmouth avenue house. 1 felt
like a cad. She wanted to clear her
husbands memory. and -i-well, Mr..
Fleming was your father. Margery. l
couldn't hurt you like that"
"Do you think Mrs. Butler took your
leather bag?" l asked.
u do not think so. 1t seems to be
the only explanation. but l did not let
it out of my hand m moment while
we were talking. My hand was cramp.
ed from holding it when she gave up
in despair at last and went back to the
city,"
"What did you do with the letters
she wantedT'
81 kept them with me that night and
the next morning hid them in the Sc
cret closet. That was when / dropped
my fountain penn
-And the pearlsT Margery asked
when did you get them. HarryT
To my surprise his face did not
change.
1.-TWO days before i left" he said
1--WE were using every method to get
money, and your father said to sacri
fee them IL necessary"
MY fatherI'
He wheeled on us both.
did you think l stole themf' he de-
manded. And l confess that | was
ashamed to say ! had thought precise
ly hat.
Your father gave me nine unmount.
ed pearls to SELL" he reiterated. Il
got about a thousand dollars for them
eleven hundred and something, | be-
lieve."
L 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," 1 said to bring Wardrot
back to his story. "you found you had
been robbed of the money, and you
went in to tell Mr.. Fleming. You hao
some words. didn't your"
HE thought what you all thought
Wardrop said bitterly. HE accused
me of stealing the money. l felt worse
than a thief. he was desperate. and
took his revolver from him.
II came back here to Bellwood. anc
the first thing I learned was aboui
Miss Jane. When l saw the blooC
print on the stair rail | thought sh'
was murdered, and | had more than
could stand. | took the letters out ol
the secret closet before ! could show l
to you and Hunter. and later | pu'
them in the leather bag | gave you ant
locked 1t. You have it, haven't you
knoxT
nodded.
"As for that night at the club, toll
the truth then. but not all the truth.
suppose l am a coward, but | wal
afraid to If you knew Schwartz yol
would understand"
With the memory Of his huge hgur'
and the heavy undershot face that
had seen the night before could IN
derstand very well. knowing Wardrop
81 went to that room at the whit
Cat that night because ! was afrai'
not to go. Fleming might kill himsel
or some one else. l went up the stntr
slowly, and l heard no shot. 1t tn
door l hesitated, then opened 1t quiet
Iy. The door into the built in staireas'
I was lust closing. 1t must have take