The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-03-20

covered at 3 o'clock the same morning
was we'll out ut YEA.
Before officers came to FOsdick's
house to arrest him his wife had cOn
suited 4 lawyer, to whom she had told
the whole story and asked his advice
as to further procedure. Without eli
Their commencing or condemning Eos.
dicks fight the lawyer advised her to
disclaim any knowledge OF his nov
ments, or, rather, to refuse to answer
any questions whatever. Nothing was
discovered to cast II suspicion on
any one but Fosdick. Indeed. it did
not appear chat there was any need to
look for a clew since his flight was
taken as Il confession Of guilt. Mrs.
Fosdick had a long interview with
Mr.. Converse, but he did not make 1t
known to others whether or not he had
gained any information from her. The
truth is he did not. The wife did not
dare trust any one except her attor-
ney. Indeed. he strictly %enjoined that
she should trust no II else.
At the interview between Mr.. Con,
verse and Mrs. Fosdick the lady rep
resented to him that she had no in.
come; that she had studied bookkeep-
ing and served as Il bOOkkeeper before
her marriage. She asked il she might
not be given her husbands place. The
fact that she had been left destitute
and that her husband was a murderer
excited a great deal OF sympathy for
her, in Difference to which the head of
the firm granted her request. and with
in a week after her husbands disap-
pearance she entered upon her duties.
During Mrs. Fosdick's term of serv
ice with Converse 4 Co. her husband
was in South America and o after
his arrival there secured Il position in
the interior Of Brazil as an accountant
on a coffee plantation. He dared not
i write his wife lest his letters he inter.
cepted and his hiding place become
known. but she sent him advertising
cards, and he returned them with GER
tain marks on them which she alone
knew how to interpret.
Although the details Of q plan to
%exOnerate her husband had not been
in Mrs. Fosdick's mind at the begin
ming, there was a plan in embryo.
She needed the income she derived
from her work, but this vas not her
prime motive in entering the service
Of Converse & Co. She hoped by keep.
ing her eyes and ears open and her
mouth shut to find a clew to the muir
derer. If Mr.. Coolidge had been muir.
dered by any one connected with the
business this might be possible: If he
had been murdered by some n on the
outside it would not be possible.
Mrs. Fosdick noticed that John Car
ruthers. the head bookkeeper. kept
certain of his books and papers In an
old fashioned safe. opened by a key in.
stead Of q combination lock. Shortly
before the end Of the firms fiscal year
she announced to Mr.. Erskine. who
had taken Mr.. Coolidge's place. thai
she must work nights. he asked bel
IL in view of the tragedy that had O.
CURED in the Office, she would not be
afraid of being there alone. She said
that her nerves were strong and she
would not mind it.
One night while Mrs. Fosdick war
working in the Office Mr.. Carruthers
suddenly appeared there and caught
her In the act Of locking his safe. HI
was white as a cloth. and when be
spoke to her her voice. in spite Of an
effort to control 1t. trembled.
$50 1t is you who have been tamper'
ing with my safe." he said. II noticed
bits Of wax on the lock and suspected
an impression had been made as q
model for a key. l have been on the
watch. have caught You and shall re.
port the matter"
IL don't think you will. Mr.. Car
ruthers."
why not?'
Before l tell you l wish you to
know that l am armed. The only 9th.
r person who possessed your secret
was doubtless unarmed. and his life
was at your mercy"
Carruthers staggered and caught at q
desk for support. Mrs. Fosdick took q
revolver from under her dress and pro.
ceeded:
my husband worked here the night
Of the murder and discovered Mr.. Coo.
hdge's body. Fearing that he would be
held for the murder. he fed. 1t is time
you took his pace. The law works
slowly aud often unsatisfactory. am
q practical woman and would rather
get on without 1t. l have been through
your books aud have discovered q
shortage Of $4,000. Write me a con.
fession that you murdered Mr.. Coo
~Mdge-the only person who bad knowl'
edge Of your deficiency-and you may
20 into c0ncealment."
1t did not take the man long to SET
that he had been offered the only
chance there was for his life. He sign
ed q confession. gave 1t to Mrs. Eos
dick, and about the same hour In the
morning as Fosdick had gone he sailed
away into oblivion.
The next afternoon Mrs. Fosdici