Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-10-04
p X-Continued.
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~ty o"S oSoo . as |
To be sure we've had differ
ences Of opinion. n we I'VE hesi-
tated to state plainly u views to
other. but 1 don't call that be-
ing on bad terms with him. In case
of a disagreement we fought it out
man to man. Naturally, I object !
ed to his foolish plan Of founding a
together too great for q tiny village
like Crescent Falls. Naturally I told
him so. AS he was very determined
in the matter. we had high words on
various occasions; and last night
came to a climax" t
What do you NEAR by came to a
ed on this phrase.
Il mean what I say! The climax
of my. fathers plan was reached,
when he called the committeeman to
meet him and accept his absurd gift!
I do not blame these gentlemen.
They would have been foolish, in
deed, to refuse. a gift so freely offered
the interview, and 1 used every argu-
ment 1 could think of, to dissuade
my father from his project. But I
think I may say, and I think the
gentlemen of the committee will bear
me out in this, that every objection I
raised. only made my father more
determined to have his own way.
The three men who had repre-
sented the committee were all pres
ent, and they nodded their heads in
confirmation of Morland's statement.
1 looked at Morland thoughtfully.
At n moment I would feel convinc-
ed that lie was really a good SON. and
that II a beyond belief that he
should have raised his hand against
his own, father. n hen I realized
his ungovernabtle temper, and his
uncomfortable fits of passion. and
knowing that last night had been in
deed the climax of the whole SUBJ
ject, l wondered If a sudden spasM'
of passion could have made Morland
so beside himself with rage. that he
a. frenzy committed h awful decd.
And then rose in my mind the Ole
Question; even supposing he had, how
did he get out of the G. rOOn'?
1T seemed to me that the theory of
murder was impossible, unless we
could discover some means of exit
from that sealed study.
MIR. Mellen looked very much per-
turbed. He seemed unwilling to &C
cuse Morland. and he had no evil
dence whatever against him. There
was a GREATNESS silence in the room,
and I could not blind myself to the
fact hat there was q hostile atmos-
phere toward young Want Wyck. 1t
was quite evident, too, that he no.
iced this hinJself.- and assumed a de-
fiant air in consequence. His who'll
nature was touchy, and it was char
acteristic of him to show brawado
when an accusation was even inn
piled.
Coroner Mellen looked at him in
tently and seemed uncertain What to
do next.
But he must proceed, and so. with
Ia baff1ed air, he dismissed Morland
and called Barbara Van Wyck.
The girl took the stand with no ap-
!parent ~trepidation. and calmly
awaited questioning.
What can you tell us Of this at
fair7" asked the coroner briefly.
II can tell you no facts that you
do not already know" returned Bar
bara, in even tones and with perfect
poise of manner But l wish to ad-
vance a theory totally different from
my brothers. To repeat the phrase
already used,> my fathers study was
Theoretically sealed It was impos'
sible for an intruder to get in and
out again, leaving the room as WI
amined the windows and doors. ant
sur you that not only are the
locks and bolts especially strong, blu
they are so complicated as to max.
1t impossible to manipulate then
from the outside. I hold. therefore
that my father was notn1 ordered
but that he took his own life."
"And the robberies /" suggested
the coroner.
There were no robberies. TIL,
pearls have disappeared. but I an
! positive that my father hid them
and that they will yet be discovered
The deed OF gift he doubtless de
stroyed himself. and then took hi
. own life. My father vas a very &c
that al the last his brain gave way
and for what he did he was no
. mentally or morally responsible"
There was something in the girl
words and name that carried con
|viction. Her quiet. digni1ed com
lands belligerent 1nsistence that tn,
sympathy OF all present seemed t,
60 out to her. All over the roon
heads were lodding approval of he,
theory, and It seeme< quite In keep
ing with the cratic career of Davi,
But. Mis-, Van wyck.- said til,
With . certain difidence. III you
theory Is right, what became OF tn,
weapon used by your father? 2"
II do not know, nor do I know
what that weapon could have been
EBut I hold that that may yet be dis
covered and / hold too that the ab
ssncs Of that weapon is not so mex
$ipnc1b1e 4 mystery as IL, the questio,
OF how q burglar could escape from
thaterooms
This was true 30 far as 1t weni
We were confronted by two seemin,
IimpoEsfbflities. IL 4 suicide, tn
weepon could not have disappeared
mueders the murderer could. no
hlye made his exit fronS that scale,