Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-05-26
Seven Keys
TO
Baldpate
By
EARL DERR BICGERS
Copyright. 1918. by the Bobbs.AerriIl
Company
CHAPTER XXI.
Copyright. 1918. by the Bobbs. Merlin
Company
~ wanted most-to die"

l smoked cigarettes and drank wha
passed for rum on the balcony Of al
impossible hotel, and otherwise gropet
about for the path that leads to th'
devil. After a year. wrote to hay
den. He answered. urging me to stay
away. He intimated that the thing W.
had done was on my shoulders. was
ashamed, frightfully unhappy. didn't
dare write to-her. l had disgracet
her. asked Hayden about her, ani
he wrote back that she was shortly
to marry him. After that l didn't
want to come back to Reuton. want
ed most-tO die.
"Tbe years crept by on the balcony
Of that impossible hotel. Six Of them
| At last, few months ago, wrote t.
another college friend Of mine. bray
ton. and told him the whole story.
did not know that he had been elected
prosecutor in ReutOn. He answered
with kind. pitying letter, and finally
| knew the horrible truth. Nothing
had ever happened The thing we had
done had never been discovered. Hay.
den had lied. He had even lied about
his engagement to Myra Thornhill
There, he had made reality out of
what was simply his great desire-l
came north. What happened after you
know as we'll as l."
Yes. l think l do" agreed Mr.. Ma
gee softly.
IL have told you the whole story
Kendrick replied. "and yet it seems to
me that still it Is not all told.- Why
should Hayden have killed himselfi
he had lied to me. it Is true. but life
was always sweet to him. and it hard.
ly seems to me that he was the sort
to die simply because his falsehood
was discovered. Was there some other
act Of cruelty-some side to the story
Of which we are none Of us awaref ]
wonder"
he was silent a moment
Anyhow, l have told you all
know" he said. "Shall tell 1t also
to the coroneri Or shall we allow
Hayden's suicide to pass as the result
Of his Implication In this attempt at
bribery? ask your advice. Mr.. Ma
gee"
MY advice" returned Magee. "is
that you befuddle no pompOus little vii
lage doctor with the complication Of
this unhappy tale. No. let the story
be that Hayden killed himself as the
tolls closed In on him-the tolls OF the
law that Furnishes the bribe giver-
now and then and occasionally. Mr..
Kendrick. you have my deepest SYM
pathy Is It too much for me to hope"
he glanced across the room to where
Myra ThOrnhill sat beside the profess
sor-"that the best Of your life Is yet
to come. that out of the wreck this
man made of 1t you may yet be
happyY'
Kendrick smiled.
You are very kind" he said. "Yes,
Miss TlOrnhill has waited for me all
these years-waited. believing. 1t Is
loyalty of which cannot speak
without-you understand. She knows
why I went away-why l stayed away.
She Is still ready to marry me. l
shall go again into the Suburban Of
6ce and try to lift the road from the
muck into which 1t has fallen. Yes,
It Is not too much for me to hope
and for you in your kindness-that a
great happiness Ia still for me-"
believe me. I'm glad" replied Ma
gee with youthful enthusiasm. holding
out his hand. I'm sorry J spoiled
your little game up here. but
~ understand" smiled Kendrick.
'T think none the less of you for what
you have done. And who knows? 1t
may turn out to have been the wisest
course after all"
Alb, would it1 Mr.. Magee walked to
the window. pondering on the odd tan
gle of events that had not yet been
completely Strengthened out Certain
ly her eyes were an honest blue as
well as q beautiful-but who was she?
Where was she7 The great figure OF
Mrs. Norton stirred restlessly near at
hand; the puffed lids Of her eyes
opened.
"Mr. Nagee."' she said when she had
made out his figure by the window.
"you've been a true friend, as might
say. to a couple of mad females who
ought to have been at home by their
own fresides. and I'm going to ask
one more favor of you. Find out
when the next train goes to Reuton.
and see that I'm at the station an
hour or two before 1t pulls out"
"ln do that, Mrs. Norton" smiled
Magee. by the way. is Norton the
namer
"Yes," answered the woman. that's
my name. OF course It amt hers. l
can't tell that"
mo matter" said Mr.. Magee. Shell
probably change It soon. Can't you
tell me something about her-just a
tiny bit Of information-just a picture
of where she Is now and what she's
doing with that small fortune gave
berY'
"where Is she nowr' repeated Mrs
Norton. "She's home and In bed In
my second floor front unless she's gone
clear crazy. And that's where wish
I was this minute-in bed-though its
| q question In my mind II III eyer be
able to sleep again what wltn the up
roar and confusion my house Is prob
ably In by this time. leaving II In
rharge Of scatter Drained girl
why did you comeT prodded Mr.
Magee. "Why did you leave your
house Oh this strange missionr
1.-The Lord knows" replied the won
m. 81 certainly never intended to.
but she begged and pleaded: and the
first thing I knew | was on train.
She has winning ways. that girl
Maybe you've noticedT
II have" assented Billy Magee.
~ thought so, No. Mr.. Magee. !
can't tell you nothing about her.
amt allowed to. even you that mas
been % kind. She made me promise
Hell know soon enough she kept
saying. But l will tell you. AZ l told
YOU before. there's no occasion to wor-
| ~ about her. unless you was to think