Omaha daily bee., 1921-06-12

Amos closely in feature, but the expression was
dferent-subtler and more melancholy. In
deed, it face where unrest had made a
home. and one had judged the man who looked
so was defeated of his ambitions. Yet no cyni-
cism clouded his features and his mouth was as
kindly as his brothers and no frmer. The
photograph had been taken before Slannings
love affair.
What proved more interesting to me came
into my hands by accident two days before I
left the island on my homeward way. Amos,
searching among his brothers things, had
found diary, which contained nothing that
threw illumination upon the past and apparently
abstained of set purpose from any mention or
Henrys romance; but, in addition to this, he
discovered pile of manuscript-the musings
of an intellectual man variety of subjects
all of direct human interest.
Study of Henry Slannings personal library
had already convinced me of his activity in the
domain Of thought, while Lady Warrender had
confirmed the fact. His books were for the
most part philosophical and l found a trans
lation of Gomperz that had evidently occupied
much of his time, and translations Of other Ger
man writer's, including the English version In
90 volumes of Nietzsche. He had Gilbert Muir
rays Greek tragedians, also, with Plato and
Aristotle deeply read. His interest evidently
ran on the great pagans. AS to his own writ
ings, they reminded one of the Anatomy OF
Melancholy. They abounded in curious quo
tations and tended to the morbid; but they were
man revealed in his interests.
He had compiled love, passion, ambi-
ton, patience, duty, suicide, justice, Tree
thought and free will as opposed to destiny. He
was clearly nationalist at this stage of his
life and acknowledged no supernatural inhi-
bition to conduct; but his sense of duty was ex-
quisitely keen; he debated questions of justice
with mind as impartial as distinguished and
one felt in the presence of a man who was al
most weighed down by his obligations to ms
nP oata Qr1
domination of craft and the unhappy need for
falsehocd in the affairs of life, of heredity and
environment as rival or twin forces in develop
mcnt OF character
I begged these voumnous documents since,
in my opinion, they must prove of great value
to Duveen when he came to investigate Henry
Slann;ngs fate; and his brother was content
that should take them with me.
Il shall publish the whole thing presently.
he assured me. at will be valuable memorial
of Henry and help to show the world that he
was remarkable man and greater tnlnker
than people supposed.
And SO + left the West Indies (picking up
the steamship Don on it's return voyage from
Jamaica), and departed grateful for much kind
ness and consideration, the richer for good
friend or two--men who are still my friends
and disappointed and chagrined to the very
roots of my being in this blank failure to ad-
vance by a single fruitful speculation the prob
lens had gone many miles and worked SO
exceedingly hard to resolve.
NV utter failure had one good result, for it
awoke the interest Of Michael Duveen and he
did not conceal his astonishment at a fasco
so complete.
"A dozen theories, of course, l had" ex-
planned "but each in turn came up against
blank negation. 1 could find no sort of explana-
ton that fitted all the facts-worse, could find
no explanation that fitted any Of them. So far
as l could discover, result of sleepless
search these three men had not between them
q real enemy in the world nor was it possible
to meet anybody living or hear of anybody
living who can gain anything by the death of
any os them. You'll say, of course, that Amos
Slanning gains; but in reality he does not, for
he and Henry had practically everything in COM
mon and were very deeply attached to each
other.
IF one thing is certain, where all is so un
certain. should say it the absolute In
nocence of Amos Slannng. The weirdest thing
is, that against the evidence OF my own sense
and the fact of murder duly proved-murder
Of course, by person unknown still find
my mind coming back and back to the eonvic-
ton that it simply cannot be. There was no.
body on earth to murder Slanning; but there
was quite sufficient reason for him to commit
suicide. But he didn't"
Duveen patted me the shoulder.
I'VE shall whether you to be for
given" he said. 'You have at least reused my
curiosity and shall better judge when I set to
work on your notes, if you have failed as hope
TO do. Come and dine with me week hence,
shall hear your sentence, or your acquittal. as