Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-11

proceeded to establish Franklin Van g,rn.u-.
connection with the crime which had bean laid
with SO much apparent reason at his brother'a
door.
THE first fact to be settled was Of ooursA
whether your Identification Of him as the ron.
tleman who accompanied his victim into Mr..
Van Burnams house could be corroborated by
any or the many persons who had seen the
so.called Mr.. James Pope at the Hotel D.
Il sought our Franklin Van Burnam and with
speclous promises of some great benefit to be
done his brother induced him to accompany
me to the Hotel D.
Whether he saw through NV MAN. and
thought that brave front and an assumption
OF candor would best serve him in this unex-
pected dilemma, or whether he felt so intrenched
pehlnd the precautions he had taken as not to
rear discovery under any circum stances he
made but one demur before preparing to 40
company me- This demur was significant, how
ever, Tor 1t was occasioned by nv advice to
change his dress for less conspicuouslv
fashionable or to hide It under an ulster or
remember madam, that his Connection ytth
this crime has been established-he actually
did put on the ulster though he must have
known what a difference 1t would make in his
appearance.
The result was all could desire As We
entered the hotel I saw a certain hackman
start and lean forward to look after HIM 1t
was the one who had driven Mr. and Mrs Pope
away from the hotel. And when we passed the
porter. the wink which gave him was met by
a lift Of his eyelids which he afterward intsr
preted into like! very like!'
But 1t was from the clerk I received the
most unequivocal proof OF his identity On
entering the office had left Mr. Van Burnam
as near as possible to the spot where Mr. Pope
had stood while his sol called wife was tnscrib-
ing their names in the register and bidding
him to remain In the BACKGROUND while 7 had
few words at the desk, all in his brothers in
terest of course, succeeded in secretly direct
ing MT. Henshaw's attention toward him The
start which he gave and the exclamation he
uttered were unequivocal Why, there's the
man now!' he cried, happily in a whisper Anx-
lous look; dropping head, brown mustache, ev-
erything but the duster.' BAIL said 1: that's
Mr. Franklin Van Burnam you are looking at!
What are you thinking of? Can't help H. said
he; I saw both Of the brothers at the inquest
and saw nothing In them then to remind mo
of our late mysterious guest. But as he stands
there he's - sight more like James Pope
than the other one is. and don't you forget tti'
Whether this possessed any rnottve
for a crime 80 seemingly out of accordance with
his life and disposition was, of course the NEXT
point to settle. His conduct at the inquest
certainly showed no decided luminosity toward
his brothers life, nor was there on the surface
Of affairs any token of the mortal hatred which
alone could account for e. crime at once so de-
nperate and so brutal. But we detectives plunge
below the surface, and after settling the uues-
ton OF Frankfin's identity with the so-called
Mr.. Pope of the Hotel D., left New York
and its interests-among which reckoned your
efforts at detective work, Miss Butterworth-
to young man in my office, who, I am afraid
did not quite understand the persistence OF your
character; for he had nothing to tell me con-
corning you on my return, save that you had
been cultivating Miss Althorpe. which, Of
course was such natural thing for YOU to
do, l wonder he thought 1t necessary to men
ton It,
my destination Four Corners the place
relating what learned there, I shall DOUBTLESS
repeat facts with which you acquainted,
Miss Butterworth.-
That is Of no consequence" returned. With
almost brazen duplicity: for not only was ig-
norant of what he was going to say but had
every reason to believe that 1t would bear as
remote connection as possible to tho secret
then laborfng in my breast.
1T Is a pleasure" said he, ito think I am
capable OF giving any Information to Miss But
your very nimbe and pert little maid during
my stay at Four Corners / shall take It for
granted that you confined your inquiries to the
shining light" =.
This in reference to my double visit at Miss
Althorpe's. no doubt
-Four Corners is a charming town in south
ern Vermont, and, here, three years ago How
ard Van Burnam first met Miss Stapleton. She
was living in a gentlemans family at that time
as travelling companion to his invalid daughter.
"Ah, now I could what explanations this
wary old detective gave himself, II my visits
to Miss Althorpe. and began to hug myself in
ANTICIPATION OF my coming triumph over him.
THE place did not fit her, for Miss Staple
ton only shone in the society of men; but Mr..
Harrison had not yet discovered this special
1d1osyncrasy Of hers, and his daughter
able to see a few friends, and in fact needed
some diversion, the way was open to her COM
nam which has led to such disastrous results.
THE house at which their meeting took place
was private one and soon found out many
facts not widely known in this city. First,
that she was not so much in love with Howard
as he was with her. He succumbed to her
fascination at once, and proposed, I believe,
within two weeks after seeing her; but though
she accepted him, few of those who saw them
together thought her affections very much
gagged till Franklin suddenly appeared in town,
when her whole manner underwent change,
and she became sparkling and irresistibly
beautiful that her avowed lover became doubly
ensaved and Franklin-well, there is evidence
to prove that he not tnsensibe to her
charms either; that, in spite Of her engage
ment to his brother and tho attitude which
honor bade him hold toward his prospective
sister-n- law he lost his head for a short time
at least, and under her seductions I do not
doubt, for she was doube-faced woman ac-
cording to general repute, went so far az to
express his passion in a letter of which heard
much before was so fortunate to obtain a
sight of it. This three years ago, and
think Miss Stapleton would have been willing
to have broken with Howard and married
Franklin If the latter had had the courage to
meet his brothers reproaches. But he evidently
was deficient in this quality. His very letter,
which is warm one but which holds out
hope to her of any closer bond between them
than that offered by her prospective union with
his brother. shows that he still retained some
sense of honor and as he presently left Four
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