Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-10
THE PARADISE MYSTERY

that book you're speaking of was found"
nc ns, rsmarked: 80 understood from
Yes. was there" said Bryce. who
was not unwilling to join in the talk.
lie turned to Campany What makes
you think there's a clue--in that?" he
Why this" answered the librarian.
Here's man in possession of an old
history of Barthorpe. Berthorpe Ia n
small market-town In the Midlands--
i.eloestershire. believe--of no particular
Importance ,,11ls that know of, but doubtless
with story of It's own Why should
any one but Barthorpe man mast or
present. be Interested in that story 80
Iar as 70 carry an old account of II with
nln Lherefore, conclude this stranger
was Barthorpe man. And it's at Bar.
spont porPe hI,Bat T4at l should make inquiries
:, Simpson Herker made no remark, and
pryce remembered what Mr., DellInRham
nag SAID when the book was found.
IN qon KNOW" he replied care
,essIy. don t see that that follows
! saw the book--a curious old binding
ana queer Old eopperplates. The man
may have picked It up for that renson'
Fs AiI H0pSMt tSe Sld n,a books myself for less"
81 ,sshould make inquiry at Barthorns
you've got to go on probabilities The
Propapllitles in this case are that the
man was Interested in the book because
~ Soit WIN lIS own town.
Bryce turned away toward n ,vall u,
Wnich hung n number OF charts and
plans OF WINCHESTER Cathedral and ia
precincts-it was TO inspect one OF these
snddeniv ndt me mad come to the library But
question which he could ask without
eeNSltins any suspicion or surmise, he
iaceu round again on the librarian,
1, isn mere register of burials with
IN the cathedral" he INQUIRED some
book in which they're put down. I 'V,,s was
,,1poklng IN the memorials of Wrychcstel
want to trace" ""'''es
Gampany lifted his quill pen and
volumes in far corner of the room
Third shelf from the bottom doctor"
he replied. "You'll see two hooks there
Sones the register Of all burials within
onSo ore catneural ltself up to date; the
DINERS the register of those in Paradise
and the cloisters. What names are YOU
wanting TO trace" 1'N
But Bryce affected not to hear the last
question he walked over to the place
which Campany had indicated. and. tax.
ing down the second book carried It Ir
an adjacent table. Campany called
across the room to him
You'll find useful indexes Mt the end"
he said. They're all brought up to the
~" wv ''"'' "eo' NEAR
Bryce turned to the index at the onG
or his book-an index written out in
various styles of handwriting. And with
IN minute he found the name he want
ed.there 1t was plainly before hun
Richard jenkins. died March 8, 17lb
buried in Paradise, March 10. He near
~ laughed aloud at the ease with which
ne was tracing out what at first had
seemed difficult matter to investigate
But lest his task should seem too easy.
| ne continued to turn over the leaves OF
the Dig folio; and in order TO have an
excuse II the librarian should ask him
| any further questions, he memorized
some of the names which he saw. And
| After while he took the book back to
| IT'S shelf, and turned to the wall on
which the charts and maps were hung.
Iherc was one there OF Paradise, where
on was marked the site and names Of all
! the tombs and graves in that ancient
| inclosure From II he hoped to asccr.
tain the exact position and whereabouts
OF Richard Jenkins's grave.
But here Bryce met his first check.
Down each side Of the old chart, dated
| 1850. there was a tabulated list of the
tomhs in Paradise. The names Of fam
| ilies and persons were given in this list.
| Against each name was number cor
responding with the same number
| marked in the various divisions OF the
chart And there was no Richard Jen-
kins on that list he went over 1t care
| fully twice. thrice. 1t was not there.
obviously. II the tomb of Richard Jen-
|
| l7l6. was still there among the cy-
| presses and yew trees, the name and
inscription on ii had vanished, worn
away by time and weather, when that
chart had been made. 1876 years later.
| And, in that case, what did the memo
randum mean which Bryce had found
in the dead mans purse?
Ele turned away at last from the
chart. at loss ;and Campany glanced
at him.
Found what YOU wanted" he asked
| "Oh. yes replied Bryce. primed with
ready answer. Il just wanted to see
a lot OF them, see"
Southeast corner of Paradise" said
Campany. Several tombs. could have
spared you the trouble of looking"
A.. you're a regular encyclopedia about
the place" laughed Bryce. II suppose
you Know every spout and gargoyle. =
Ought to-" answered the librarian.
fve-and-forty years"
Bryce made some fitting remark and
| went out and home TO his rooms there
to spend most of the ensuing evening
teries OF the day He got no more light
on them then and he was still eXercis-
Ing his brains on them when he went to
| the inquest next mornlng-to find the
coroner's court packed to the doors with
an assemblage of townsfolk just as curl
GUS as he was. And as he sat there.
| listening to the preliminaries and to the
| evidence OF the first witnesses his active
| and scheming mind figured to itself not
| without much cynical amusement, how
a word or two from his lips would 20 far
| to solve matters. He thought OF what he
might tell--if he told all the truth He
thought of what he might get out of
! Ransford II he, Bryce, were coroner or
solicitor and had Ransford in that wit
ness box. He would ask him on his oath
II he knew that dead man: IL he had
had dealings with him in times past
II he had met and spoken to him on that
eventful morning. He would ask him
| pointblank. II II was not his hand that
had thrown him TO his death. But Bryce
had no intention of making any revela-
tions Just then as for himself he was
going to tell just as much az he pleased
and no more. And so he sat and heard
and knew from what he heard that
| everybody there was in hopeless fog
and that In all that crowd there was but
one man who had any real suspicion
OF the truth-and that man was himself
| Ihe evidence given In the first stages
OF the inquiry was all known to Bryce
| and to most people In the court already
| Mr Dellingham told how he had met
the dead man in the train, journeying
| from London to Wrychester Mrs Part
ingley told how he had arrived at the
| Mitre, registered in her book as Mr.
John Braden, and had next morning
asked II he could get a conveyance for
| Saxonsteade In the afternoon, as he
wished to see the duke. Mr. Folliot tes-
titled to having seen him In the cathe-
dral. going toward one of the stairways
| leading to the gallery, Varner-mos,
important witness OF all up to that point
told of what he had seen. Bryce him.
| self, followed by Ransord, gave medical
| evidence Mitchington told OF his ex,
animation of the dead mans clothing