The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-06-27
BEGIN HERE TO-DAY

lean, disappears from his homo OF
Dartmoor. He is last seen in tn
! company of Robert Redmayne
dncle to Jenny, when the two me,
vi lit new bungalow being built b.
Michael near Foggintor Quarry.
Blood is found on the floor of tn
! cottage and witnesses testify t
having seen Robert ride away o,
his motor bicycle with heavy sacl
behind the saddle. The sack il
found in rabbit hole a far dis
tance from the scene of the suppos
cd murder.
Mark Brendon, famous crimina
investigator, is Engaged by Jenn.
to solve the mystery. Jenny goe
to live with her uncle Bendigo Red
maync. Brendon calls at Bendigo.
home and meets Giuseppe Doria
| who works there.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
Bendigo Redmayne grunted.
Come in and see the letter." hi
said. 81 never thought you'd fail
| It's all very terrible indeed and I'm
damned if l understand anything
about it.. But one fact is clear: my
brother wrote this letter and hi
wrote it from Plymouth; and since
he hasn't been reported from Ply
mouth, feel very little doubt tht
thing he wanted to happen has hap.
pened."
Then he turned to his niece.
well have a cup of tea in hall
an hour, Jenny. Meantime ri take
Mr.. Brendon up to the tower room
along with me-"
Mrs. Pendcan disappeared int
the house and Mark followed hel
with the sailor.
They passed through square hal
full of various foreign curiositie.
collected by the owner. Then they
assembled into a large, octagona
chamber, like the lantern of a light
house, which surmounted the dwell
ing.
my lookout" explained Mr.. Red
all my time up here and with yon.
der strong, three-inch telescope
can pick up what's doing at sea.
bunk in the corner, you see. l otter
sleep up here, too"
"You might almost as we'll be
afloat," said Brendon, and the re-
mark pleased Bendigo.
That's how l feel; and I can tell
you there's bit of movement, too
sometimes. l never wish to see big.
ger water than beat these cliffs dur
ing the south -easter last March. We
shook to our keel, can tell YOU"
He went to tall cupboard in q
corner, unlocked it and brought out
a square, wooden desk of old-fash.
Toned pattern. This he opened and
produced letter which he handed
to the detective.
Brendon sat down in chair un.
der the open window and read this
communication slowly. The writing
was large and sprawling; it sloped
slightly upward from left to right
across the sheet and left triangle
of white paper at the right-hand
bottom corner:
Dear Ben: It's all over. I've
dope in Michael Pcndean and put
him where only Judgment Day will
find him. Something drove me to do
it; but all the same Pm sorry now
it's done-not for him but myself.
shall clear tonight, with, luck, for
France. If l can send an address
later l will. Look after Jenny-she's
we'll rid of the blighter. When things
have blown over l may come back
Tell Albert and tell Flo. Yours,
"R. R."
Brendon examined the letter and
the envelope that contained it.
"Have you another communica.
tion-something from the past
can compare with this ?" he asked.
Bendigo nodded.
II reckoned you'd want that" he
answered and produced a second let
ter from his deck.
1t related to Robert Redmayne's
engagement to be married and the
writing was identical.
"And what do you think he's done,
Mr.. Redmayne?' Brcndon asked
pockcting the two communications.
II think he's done what he hoped
to do. At this time of year you'll
see dozen Spanish and Brittany
onion boats lying down by the Bar.
bican at Plymouth, every day OF the
week. And if poor Bob got there,
no doubt plenty of chaps would hide
him when he offered 'em money
enough to make it worth while.
Once aboard one Of those sloops,
he'd be about as safe as he would
be anywhere. They'd land him at
st. Malo, or somewhere down there,
and he'd give you the slip"
"And, until it was found out that
he was mad, We might hear no more
about him."
"Why should it be found that he
was mad?" asked Bendigo. HE
was mad when he killed this inno-
cent man, no doubt, because none
but, lunatic would have done such
an awful thing, or been so cunning
after-with the sort of childish cum
ming that gave him away from the
start. But once he'd done what
this twist in his brain drove him
to do, then judge that his madness
very likely left him. If you caught
him tomorrow, you'd possibly find
him as sane as yourself-except on
that one subject. He'd worked up
his old hatred of Michael Pendean,
as a shirker in the war, until it fes-
tered in his head and poisoned his
mind. SO as he couldn't get IL nndar