Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-03-17
NUMBER II

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 bookkeeper before
ter marriage. She asked II 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 & Co. her husband
was in South America and soon after
his arrival there secured a position In
the interior of Brazil as an accountant
on a coffee plantation. He dared not
write his wife lest his letters be 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 plan to
e1onerate 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 was 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 clew to the muir:
derer. II Mr.. Coolidge had been muir
dered by any one connected with the
business this might be possible; II he
had been murdered by some one on the
outside 1t 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 key In
stead Of a combination lock. Shortly
before the end Of the firms fiscal year
she announced to Mr.. Erskine, who
had taken Mr. Coolidges place, that
she must work nights. he asked her
if in view of the tragedy that had oc.
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 1t.
One night while Mrs. Fosdick was
working IN the Office Mr.. Carruthers
suddenly appeared there and caught
her in the act Of locking his safe. He
was white as a cloth, and when he
spoke to her her voice, In spite OF an
effort to control 1t, trembled.
$50 it is you who have been tamper-
ing with my safe" he said. IL noticed
bits Of wax on the lock and suspected
an impression had been made as
model for key have been on the
watch, have caught you and shall re-
port the matter"
81 don't think you will Mr.. Car
ruthers.'
"Why not?'
Before I tell you I wish you TO
know that / am armed. The only 9TH
er person who possessed your secret
was doubtless unarmed, and his life
was at your mercy"
Carruthers staggered and caught at
desk for support. Mrs. Fosdiek took
revolver from under her dress and pro-
ceeded:
"My husband worked here the night
Of the murder and discovered Mr.. Coo
lidge's body. Fearing that he would be
held for the murder, he fed. 1t Is time
you took his place. The law works
slowly and often unsatisfactory. lam
practical woman and would rather
get on without 1t. have been through
your books and have discovered
shortage Of $4,000. Write me q con-
fession that you murdered Mr.. Coo
lidge-the only person who had knowl-
edge Of your deticiency-and you may
90 into concealment.'
1t did not take the man long to see
that he had been offered the only
chance there was for his life. BE 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. Fosdick
went into Mr. Converse's private once
and was closeted with him for an hour,
ut the end Of which time she left with
means to go to South America and
bring her husband home.
Converse & Co., In order to avoid
shaking their credit, kept the deficiency
secret. And when Mr.. Converse re-
ceived letter from Fosdick In South
America stating that he and Mrs. Eos
dick would make that country their
future home 1t was determined to pub
lish simply a statement that the frm
had' come upon undisputed evidence
that Fosdick was innocent Of the mur-
der and to make no effort to find Car
ruthers.
Fosdlck and his wife concluded to
remain in South America because there
were those In the United States who
would never believe In his innocence.
In his new home no one knew that hs
had fed from justice, or, rather, injus.
tco