Evening star., 1923-12-29
sGontinued from Yesterdays Starr

~--SyktlInueu ~- from 1eStecdays starr
When the hustle of Ieave-taking
In 4he patio had subsided and the
mum of their car diminished down the
drive, sGeoff took mis- paper wrapped
package of lunch from beneath his
folded coat. Dipper in hand he
started for the -fringed brook
In the .aasture-land on the adjoining
estate. re had no desire to en-
counter Sergt. Eliot of the district
attorneys forces or to be interviewed
5ust then by little Miss Millie. un-
prepared as he was to explain to
her his misrepresentation of the
previous day, should Mrs. Van Vert
have communicated with her. :.
Besides. he wanted to think in
peace and quiet. After they separ-
ated from Detective Lyons the night
before. Dr. Hood had pestered him
with questions concerning the source
of his information about the woman,
Zoe Dawn, and he was not at all GER
tain he had succeeded in convincing
the shrewd medical examiner that he
had told all he knew. Lyons des-
cription of the woman, too. had taken
an unshakable hold upon his tenacl-
Gus mind; it concurred so exactly
With Robbins memory of the boy
who had killed himself. Lawrence
Shirley. There We're many women IN
the world, and men too, who were
tall and handsome, with brown
hair and merry hazel eyes, and the
low, rich speaking voice was not
uncommon; but it had seemed strange
In the opinion of the stonemason
that both the aged. highly-strung
broker and the blunt. matter of-fact
detective should alike have retained
Just these attributes in their i'm
pressions of two separate people.
His suggestion in regard to Lanes
possible interview with the Dawn
tha nj Or of
had been a mere shot in the dark,
based upon a course of reasoning
wholly his own: he offered 1t to
Lyon for what it was, worth and
Lanes bluff in refusing an alibi had
been characteristic of the man and
that. too, did not trouble Geofs
thoughts. But. as he had told Adrian
uley place would soon be finished and
he would no longer have an excuse
to linger in the vicinity, while the
Corners was a far cry from the scene
of the crime in the solution OF which
he had become involved While the
authorities remained at sea as to the
identity of the murderer. he felt
loath to leave the center OF their
activities where he could ar least
be an obtrusive bystander and keep
in touch with Doc Hood. If he could
contrive way to prolong his duties
without the dishonesty of accepting
pay for unnecessary work, ana from
lone widow woman. at that
His thoughts were rudely inter
rupted when he reached the brook
among the willows by finding an
other there before him; frail, soil
tary, stoop-s -shouldered figure. VINO
sat with thin hands clasped listlessiy
about his knees and faded eyes star
ing straight before him.
Geoff coughed uncomfortably. then
bent forward and filled his dippes
with the sparkling water. AS he
straightened and turned to retreat
the other spoke.
Good morning, Geoffrey. Were
you going to eat your lunch here?
Don't let me disturb you; l must go
and pack my bag shortly, anyway,
ed. "If I won't bother you I'll Sc,
right here and eat. You thinkin' o
runnin' up to the city?"
.I am leaving Sunny Beach the
secretary observed. as though voic-
ing a statement to himself. II can
be of no further service to Mrs. cay
ley and | must clean out my old desk
in the Broad street office tomorrow
before its doors are closed.
He remained seated. blinking a. the
glare of sunlight on the narrow. rip
ping stream, and Geoff ventured:
"s'pose you'll take little rest rest
he kinder hard. gittin' in with diff
ferent folks ways after 'sociatin' so
long with Mr.. Bernhard"
Something new?" Dunn repeated
vaguely. rI-T have no idea. Per-
haps l shall take rest-a long rest
I have often planned what | should
do when this-when my late position
expired. and | felt very courageous
but now that 1t has come | ma that
my plans do not seem feasible. Ny
thoughts turn backward: cannot
look to the future
Its the shock. mebbe." Geoff
chewed ruminatively on his sand
wich. There was something in the
level Unconditional tones of the scere-
tary which gave him the creeps, and
his worn. lined face was pasty gray
in the bright sunshine. You didn't
have no intentions, then. o , stayln
as long as he needed me-" The hands
about his gaunt knees gripped tense
ly for an instant, but his low voice
lieved that he had other plans. for
the future in which L held no place.
and I suppose man who has failef
always dreams of coming back, at
first, anyway. But the days pass,
and the years. and sometimes he
loses heart He either plods along
on the same old treadmill or-or else
goes mad.
Ills tones had dropped to mere
whisper, and Geoff glanced at him
narrowly. He had shown no signs
Of madness; he had plodded along
coiltentedly enough under Benkard's
instructions and authority, and II
seemed more than ever improbable
that he would be able to strike out
for himself and start anew: yet he
had refused the legacy. What could
be the meaning of ito
"I amt got no idee o. that there
Wall street business, but ! opine 1t
would drive anybody crazy to watch
them stocks go chasin' up and down
like. a chipmunk on a tree! 'Tain't
any wonder some o the young fellers
lose their heads, specially when
other folks money is in their reach.
and git to gamblin' with that as well
as their own when the fever hits
en- Geoff remarked. II heard tell
o. one the other day who lost a lot
that didn't belong to him and then
rooms after confessin' to him. Shir-
ley, his name was. They say he was
a fine, upstandin' young man. too.
till he got to thinkin' he was bound
ago afore you fined Mr.. Bernhard.
and I don't s'pose you ever knowed
him.
Dunn had Strengthened as though
every nerve and muscle in his body
were taut, and the vacant. introspec-
tive look in his dim eyes had given
place to a stare of shrinking horror.
"Lawrence Shirley! Yes, I knew
him. 1t was hideous tragedy, hid
eous!-But where could you have
heard about it. Godfrey? I thought
IL was buried and forgotten
His voice was shaking now. but
Geoff replied in an offhand way:
"Two gentlemen in the train
strangers, they was-goin' out to
Silver Bay where I got a job waitn'
for me, was talking bout Mr.. Benk-
ards death and one thing and
mother, and they spoke of him.
Reckon they was spectators them
selves and had knowed the young