Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1914-05-09
CHAPTER w.
The Finger of Guilt.

The Finger of Guilt.
Birge Moreaux pressed the electric
button that hung suspended from
the chandelier above the table. The
footman who responded summoned
the valet.
"Feltner, you are charged with
theft" Moreaux said, without pre-
face. "When Mr.. Branton arrived /
sent you to his rooms to offer your
services. He sent you away. Did
you, nevertheless, enter that room
while-we will say-he was in the
bathroom ?"
81 did, sir, Feltner replied, APP
parently unmoved by the abrupt
charge made against him.
"What did you do there ?"
81 carried Mr.. Branton's coat to
tie window and brushed it. 1t was
thick with dust. | replaced it as |
had found it, upon some newspapers
that Mr.. Branton brought with him.
| also busted his hat. Then ! came
away"
"Why did you do all that after be-
ing told that yoL were not wanted ~
because you told me to, sir"
For tbs enlightenment of all, tell
us exactly what directions | gave
you"
"You said, sir: ATTEND upon Mr..
Branton. He will probably send you
away, but don't mind that. 1t is his
l. amer. He needs brushing SO
did as | have said. But | hadn't a
desire to thrust myself personally
upon the gentleman, sir"
"Did you notice the newspapers
that were under the coat, partic-
ularly?"
"Onlv that there were several OF
them held together by a rubber band.
| am under the impression that the
top one was a Herald. | did not eX-
anime them"
"Did any other person. enter that
room while you were there, Felt
ner?"
eyes, sir. You did"
Thank you. That will suffice for
the present. You need not concern
yourself about my first remark to
you.
"Mr. Shaughnessy," he added qui
city to the operative when the valet
had gone, "when Mr.. Branton ar
rived here | was already aware of
two things concerning him, . these
that he was to bring with him $751;
500 in cash, and that it was his habit
to carry large sums like that pinned
inside Of newspaper. | noticed the
bundle of papers under his arm,
and | assumed that the money was
concealed among them. / sent Felt
ner to wait upon him. Then, / fol-
lowed up the stairs and went to my
own room.
"Feltner was Custing Branton's
coat when | came out of my room
two or three minutes later. | don't
tn nm he saw me then. | saw him
replace tn coat upon the bundle Of
newspapers. | entered the room
while he was busting the hat. Felt
ner went out of the room. / re-
manned. So, if anybody in this
house stole the envelope containing
the money, ! an the only one who
could have done it.
Zone moment, if you please; |
haven't finished.
"Mr. Branton has charged my SER
want with the theft. Feltner and I
are the only persons who had oppor-
tunity to steal it. / am positive that
Feltner did not take it, and l know
that | did not.
"Branton says that he removed
the top paper from the bundle while
he was on the train, but that he did
not read it. He put it down upon
t. seat beside him, became absorbed
By his thoughts, and picked it up
again and returned it to the bundle,
hastily, only when the train rushed
in at Monterey station.
HE assumes-he has not said so,
but it is plainly his assumption
that the envelope containing the
bond was pinned inside of that paper
which he intended to read on the
train coming out; that the thief dis
covered it first, and found it to he
substituted the Herald with the
cred the other envelope inside the
Herald in the middle of the bundle,
removed it, paper and all, replaced
it with the Herald at the top of the
bundle, removed the envelope with
the money, and put the Herald from
which he had taken il at the top.
at is all very simple, of course
Put there is palpable error in Mr.
Branton's cocksuredness.
"There probably wasn't any en-
velope' inside of that top Herald
when he pulled it from the bundle
ard laid it on the seat beside him.
He says that he himself put the
Herald that held the money in the
middle of the bundle. He says that
his secretary told him over the tel
ephone that he pinned the envelope
that contained the money inside of 3
Herald, and laid it upon the table in
the office. Probably Bingham did
do that. But he did more than that
He watched his opportunity, and