, 1922-12-04

81 SSaN@ -@sAAa
dstecttve-. reads from his fathers
diary a ale OF crime and lis de-
lection in longago Virginia The
story was that OF the viii OF
MARSHALL. which had strangely
disappeared. The writer Of the
diary recounts how his father and
the lawyer
LEWIS. were suspicious OF
Mr. GOSFoRD. the E~nglishman
who had exerted such 4 strange In
fuencs over the deceased Marshall.
Gosford. claiming hat money was
left 20 him in the stolen will. charg-
ed Nlanhalfs son with the theft.
Go on with the Story
CHAPTER II
And now, SIR" continued the Eng
NEshman. turning TO my father. W
VIII inquire Into h theft Of this test
amsnt.'
But my father aid not appear to no
fice Mr.. Gosford. He seemed per
pleIed and in some eoneern
"LHwis." he said. what Is your
dennhion Of a orime?"
1T Is a violation of the law" re
Piled b lawyer.
'T do not accept your definition"
raid uy father. 1T Is. rather, ]
think. a violation of justioe-a viola
ton OF something behind the law that
mikes an act a crime. 1 think" he
went on. that God must take a broad
e. view tam Mr.. Blackstone and Lord
Coke. I have seen a murder in the
law that a IN fact, only a kind OF
awful accident. and ! have seen your
catalogue OF crimes gone about by
feeble men with no intent except an
adjustment Of their rights. Their
crimes. Lewis, were merely errors of
their impractical Judgment
Then he seemed { remember hat
the Englishman was present.
"And now. Mr.. Gosford," he said.
'.wii you kindly ask young Marshall
TO come IN here7"
The man would havs refused. with
some rejoinder, but my father was
looking at him. and he could not find
the courage 70 resist my fathers will.
He got up and went out, n present
IL returned followed by the lad and
Coeki. The old country doctor sat
down by the door. his leather case Of
bottles by tie chair. his cloak still
fastened under his ch.n. Gosford went
back to the table and sat down with
his writing materials TO keep notes.
The boy stood.
Ny father looked a long time at
the lad. His lace was grave. but
when he spoke his voice was gentle.
MY boy he said, Il have had n
" -----fr--- Nn the ,~om-
nation Of the DEVILS work" He
paused and indicated the violated
room. "It is often excellently done.
HIS disciples are extremely lever
Ones ingenuity is often taxed to trace
vi the evil design in it. and to stamp
It as a false piece set into the natural
sequence of events"
He paused again. and his big shout
ders blotted out the window.
Every natural event" he continu-
cd, ''is intimately connected with in
Vulnerable vents that precede and
follow. It has SO many serrated
points of contact with other events
that the human mind Is not able TO
1T a false event so that no trace of
the joinder will appear. The most
skilled workmen in the devils shop are
only able TO gi-e their false piece a
blurred joinder."
He stopped and turned to the row
OF mahogany drawers beside him.
Now. my boy" he said. can you
tell me why the one who ransacked
this room, in opening and tumhling
did not open W. at the bottom of
the row where I stand"
Because there was nothing in
them of value. sir" replied the lad.
What Is in them?' said my father.
only old letters. sir. written to my
father, when 7 was in Paris-nothing
else"
And who would know that?" said
my father.
The boy went suddenly white.
PRECISELY said my father. you
alone knew it and when you under
took to give this library the appear
snce OF a piIlage room. you uncon'
sciously endowed your imaginary rob-
Der with the thing o know yourself.
why search for loot in drawers that
contained only old letters. So your
imaginary robber reasoned, knowing
what you knew. But a real robber,
having no such knowledge, would
have ransacked them lest he miss tho
things OF value that be searched for
He paused. his yes on the lad. his
voice deep and gentle.
Where Is the will" re said.
The white in the boys face changed
to scarlet. He looked a moment about
him in a sort of terror; then he lifted
his head and put back his shoulders.
He crossed the room to bookcase, took
down a volume. opened It and brought
out a sheet of folded foolscap. He
stood up and faced my father and the
men about the room.
This man." he said, indicating
Gosford, has no right to take all
my father had. He persuaded my
father and was trusted by him. But
I did not trust him. My father saw
his plan in a light that I did not see
II, but 1 did not oppose him. II he
wished to use his fortune to help our
country in the thing which he thought
he foresaw. I was willing for him to
do it,"
But" he cried, somebody de
ceived me. and I will not believe that
it was my father. He told me all
-. ~ lilo kz -, 81 Na1f.t