Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-07-07
The Mysterious
Question
%. 1921. western Newspaper Union,
By WILLIAM FALL

doomed from every angle of the court
room. There was suppressed cheer
following the solemn announcement
Of the foreman Of the jury:
''Not guilty"
Z Cameras and eyes sought one espe-
cial corner Of the place. 1t was where
dlgDified, fine faced old man had sat
all through the trial--where he sat
now. He was the accused, Robert
Dayton. A faint expression Of graft
fcation crossed his face. Then 1t
softened down to extreme tenderness.
Evelyn, his daughter, his constant
companion during the trying ordeal Of
the past few days, had thrown her
arms about his neck and was sobbing
out her joy upon his bosom.
mot guiltyl" she gasped-"oh ia
Their, did you hear?'
what else could II be, my childY"
replied Mr.. Dayton proudly. II ex-
pected it,"
ut was so unjust, so cruell" MUIR
INJURED Evelyn.
Evelyn did not exaggerate In her
filial statement. 1t had been a nine
days wonder to the little city when,
one week after the destruction by fire
of the unused plant of the Dayton
Manufacturing company, two former
partners Of Mr.. Dayton had accused
him. of burning down the property.
There had been friction and litiga-
ton between the three partners, so
severe that Mr.. Dayton had closed
down the works. He had offered his
partners fair settlement, which they
had bitterly refused. The fire had set
tied it all. The only beneficiary
through the insurance was Mr.. Day
ton.
This point his enemies had used
against him. and this, together with
the rather vague evidence of. a night
Waterman that he had seen cloaked
person resembling the manufacturer
in appearance near the factory at
nine o'clock in the evening, one hour
before the fire was discovered, had
formed the basis of the accusation in
court.
Mr.. Dayton had been able to prove
that he had been confined to the
house all that fatal day with a slight
indisposition.
The base Implication of the prose-
cution was that Mr.. Dayton had
slipped out Of the house between the
hours Of eight and ten in the evening.
They limited that he had fired the !
plant and returned to his room before
the flames were discovered.
1t was at the darkest moment In the
trial for the anxious father and daugh-
ter when their lawyer called DR.. Paul |
Merwin.
His evidence was plain, simple and
convincing. The evening of the fire
he had been resting in the garden of
the vacant house adjoining the Day
ton mansion. Doctor Merwin swore
positively that he had sat there, the
Dayton house in clear view, from eight
o'clock in the evening until nearly
eleven p. m. During all that time,
he testified, he had been in full sight
of the music room where Miss Dayton
was entertaining some guests, and the
upstairs apartment in wing Of the
house where her father had been stu
diOusly engaged in going over some
account books.
The prosecution was COMPOUNDED.
The lawyers asked few formal ques-
tons. There was no REPUTATION of the
evidence. Robert Dayton was free
man, honorably acquitted.
The young physician was close at
the side of Mr. Dayton,s attorney as
the latter approached his client.
II must thank you for your great
services, Mr.. Telford," said the man
ufacturer gratefully to the lawyer.
"Your thanks are rather due to our
most excellent witness, Doctor Mer-
win," insisted the attorney.
Il must see more of you. You have
done me the service Of my life this
day." spoke Mr.. Dayton, grasplng the
young physicians hand warmly.
In later years Evelyn never forgot
the third evening he called. He
sion than he ever had been before.
Then moonlight, charming garden
spot, the air like new wine, and In the
hazy silence Evelyn said:
Doctor Merwin, have always
wished to ask you very particular
question for some time"
"Yes" he intimated gently, with
his usual rather sad smile.
"You remember that day in the
courtroom when we first metY
~ have not forgotten it." he replied.
"Mr. Telford said to you: 1t was
fortunate the prosecution did not ask
you the question
"What did he meanT"
THAT the evening was in the next
garden was one of many evenings
spent there. had known you for
long time before that, Miss Dayton"
"You had--known me-for long
timer she repeated vaguely.
"But you did not know me. How
could you? |. an humble. striving
stranger, who saw you once. longed
TO see you again-even If 1t was a
stolen view-and then found the pleas
ure of life In listening to your beau
tiful singing had promised myself
that would be the last evening dared
to worship the star at distance. and
now will CO."
Evelyn arose also She placed her
hand across his own, gripped about
the top of the rustic bench. Her eyes
looked into his true-blue eyes. loving
eyes.
Doctor Merwin.' said Evelyn soft
ly--"don't 60 awayi"