Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-06-16
THE -FOUR STRAGGLERS
Hides T,.ssmt Lsve UniuvsH M"fH !" ~"
Bv FRANK [. PACKARD
z,,,, 81 .Txx 1,al. M4ns Of Nis1t" 9n"" gao "
c;,, 1902, cx. H. D.,s. Co. Sri4issI ), LsSs" Sy"S"S

conscious stare. She c0u,r az
serious then-and, yes, s3ua ,oe
u.r He wondered II she knew "
nsc.me her? That was cynical ON
lis mart. Was he trying 70 erm
hinseif with cynicism? Wen. " Wa,
easily pierced then, that arm@' =.
Was n very wonderful race; not
merely beautiful. but hne IN tne
sense of steadfastness. self-reliance'
and sincerity. He was poor cynsc;
Whv not admit that she attractso
him "a no woman had ever attracs-
ed him before? - Ia.
of the veranda. Here q snort oocA
was built out TO meet q sort OF sea-
wall that gave protection 10 any
craft that might be berthed tner
but the slip was empty OF ooau;
She looked UP at him now As si0
"He vas" she said slowly; "but
all the boats are slowed away in
side now. Poor Mr.. Marlin" sne
turned away abruptly, her eyes
suddenly moist. Lets 90 inside.
They found a cozy corner IN the
little lounging room OF wnich sne
had spoken, and seated themselves:
Locke picked up the thread OF
You're very fond OF. him, aren't
YOU, Miss Wickes?" he said gently.
yes" she said simply. -.
Its a very strange case SAID
Howard Locke.
And a very, very sad one, said
Polly Wickes. Il don't know now
much Dora-Miss Marlin-has said
himself, for he Is sometimes just
Iike-like anybody else, SO don't
II hardly think 1t could be a case
of trespassing on condolences In any
event." Locke interrupted quietly.
ITS rather well known outside;
that is, in what might be called the
financial world. you know. What l
can't understand. though. is-tdat,
having lost all his money. a place
like this could sim be kept up"
Polly Wickes shook her head
thoughtfully.
"Guardy was speaking about the
same thing" she said; but I don't
think it costs so very much now.
You see, it Is almost in a way self
supporting-the vegetables, and fruit.
and fuel and all that. And the SER
wants all have their little homes,
and have lived on the island for
years, and the wages are not very
high, and anyway Dora has a
fortune in her own name-from her
mother, you know; and, besides,
thank goodness. dear old Mr.. Marlin
hasn't lost all his money anyway"
Not lost it," calculated Locke.
why, that was the cause of his
mind breaking"
Polly Wickes looked UP In con-
fusion.
"Oh. perhaps, shouldn't have
said that" she said nervously. But
but after all, l don't see why l
shouldn't. for you could not help
but know about it before very long.
Indeed. l shouldn't be q bit sur
you himself, just as he did to me for
he seems to tave taken q great
fancy to you. He hardly let you out
OF his sight this morning"
He knows of my father in a
business way" said Locke. Il sup
pose that's It. DO you mean that he
showed you a sum Of money here
on this island?"
Yes" said Polly wickes slowly,
after / had been here a little
while; a very large sum-half a
million, he said"
Good heavens" exclaimed Locke.
That's hardly safe, is it? I know
the peculiar from his disease has
taken Is an antipathy to all invest
ments. but can't Miss Marlin per-
suade him to deposit 1t somewhere ?"
said" nodded Polly Wickes. but
it's quite useless. Dora has tried,
but her father won't even tell her
where he keeps It,"
Howard Locke rose from his
chair, walked over to the empty
fireplace, and standing with his
back to Polly Wickes, opened his
cigarette case.
Captain Newcombe. Of course. il
quite au fait with the condition ?"
he observed casually.
"Of course" said Polly wickss
iEgenuourly. Il naturally wrote him
Naturally" agreed Howard
Locke.
He stopped over. and, striking q
match on the edge OF the fireplace,
FRANCIS Newcombe had known all
about it, had he, even before he
lad left England?
And yet Captain Francis New.
comoe In the smoking room of the
liner on the way across had been
denseiy in ignorance, and even
alarmed for his wards safety at the
first intimation that her host was a
monomaniac! 1t was rather peculiar!
More than peculiar!
Locke turned, and, leaning arainst
the mantel over the fireplace, faced
Poily Wickes. His mind was work.
Ing swiftly. piecing together strange
and apparently irrelevant fraR.
ments: that. irrelevant as they ap.
peared. seemed to make a most suE-
FESTIVE whole. Captain Newcombe
nad ned that night on board the
inner; why? Who was II that had
invaded his, Locke's stateroom and
had searched through his belong
ings? And why? Why was IL thet
now, for the first time in four years.
Captain Newcombe should have
come to visit his ward in America I?
lie had more than Newcombe's
Werd for that--Polly here had said
30 herself; and Miss Marlin had
referred to 1t in the most natural
way when welcoming Newcomha
that morning. What had an insane
Old man. who hid away a half mi.
lion dollars on q little island in the
Fiorlda Reyes. got to do with the
letter received in London and con.
tanning those facts that Polly
Wickes had just admitted she hai
Written! What did 1t mean? Was
= certain' insistent deduction to be
carried to q logical Conclusion or
was he hunting q mares nest In tis
MIND! Was It mere coincidence IN
life, where far stranger coincidences
were daily happenings-or wa. a. .