Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-29
ABOVE SUSPICION
ByROBER7 ORR CHIPPERFIELD

and amt ever a-Soln W. AsS
l found out the mornin tne
murder that only one otner person
knows"
"YouAfound out?" she whispered.
her ewes suddenly darkening. But
but / thought? Hasn't 1t been
settled that poor deranged William
Dunn was guilty?" >.
He hadn't no more to do with II
than l had" Geoff gave a deter
mined hitch to his overalls and ad-
yanced to the side of the wall close
to where she was seated. You
recollect that inner court. MISS
Sherwood, that Miss Cayley calls
the 'pateeo? -.
"Of course-!" There was lit
tie catch in her breath.
Well. l been workin' there since
the old house was tore down ana
the foundations o the new one laid:
/ seen the blue prints and watched
the construction from start TO
finish, havin' u hand in u hull lot o,
the extry fixin's. inside and out.
Geoff spoke as though to himself.
Il helped build that gallery runnin'
round between the first and the sec
ond fioor-you recollect the gallery.
Miss SHERWOOD"
Certainly" Her slim foot tap
ped the eneven brick floor of the
old terrace impatiently. What"
And them posts on the gallery
railin-them posts with the con-
crete knobs on the top? l fixed
them knobs in place myself and
each o 'em sets down in n socket
IN the post and has mushroom
base"
"Why-why are you telling me all
this, Geoffrey?" Miss Sherwood
fiicked tiny, fuzzy caterpillar
daintily from her skirt. but when
she looked up once more it seemed
to be at something just beyond him.
Naturally l recall the gallery rail-
ing and the posts.'
Il only wanted to make sure. 'sif
you was seein' it agin. Thirty
foot square that pateeo is, and forty
foot high countin' the dome: like
this here" With the point of his
trowel he traced n rough diagram
on the crumbling top of the wall,
and as if fascinated. Miss Sher-
woods eyes followed it. THE
bench was there, where Mr.. Benk-
ard was a-settin' inside them ter
race doors, and the gallery run
round this way, and right here
under this post the lanyards was
fastened; the lanyards that hist
and lower the flag from inside the
top o the dome"
THE point OF his trowel rested,
and again Miss Sherwood glanced
up into his eyes.
You are trying to describe to me
something you found out the morn
ing after the murder?" Her voice
was not quite steady. What is it
that you know
- reckon / know pretty much
ev'rythin. ma'am. but this is the
only time I'm ever goin to speak
bout it," Geoff's tone was very
grave. "Nohuddy come a-nigh Ben
kard to kill him, because there
wasn't a sign . footprint, Miss
Sherwood-nary one! You recollect
that? Somebuddy did come out on
that gallery, though. and swing
somethin' down from above and
bash his head in with it. and then
haul it up ag'in."
What a-an extraordinary idea"
The thin folds of white over Vera
Sherwood's bosom rose and fell with
her spasmodic breathing. But how
can you be sure, Godfrey"
II went up on the gallery and
tested them heavy knobs o con-
crete I'd set in putty on the railin'
posts. and, sure 'nough. one o. 'em
was lOoSe-the one on the post
right over where them lanyardS
was drawed up and tied. I'd fasten-
ed 'cm myself only the day before,
but now the knot was different; all
sn2rled up ev'ry which away, and
tangled up in 'cm was some strands
o strong cord that had been fast
ened to EN- fore they was swung
/ n. Il
ag'in. | untangled 'em quick and
tied EN- over right. and tlSn | done
somethin' that lays me open TO the
law my ownself, | reckon, only no.
buddy's never soin' to know. ! got
me some putty and fixed that knob
back good and solid once more,
though the doc ketchCd me comm
down the stairs with my trowel in
my hand. and | had to think quick"
Geoff added, naively Twas me,
too! that forced the music room
winder, and Lefty come after me,
just's 1 was a-doin' it, but she
never suspicioned nothin'."
But why. Geeffrey-why did you
do these things?" One hand had
crept up to her throat.
Cause figured the person
who'd done it had some good rea
'cii' - Jill "iIal hIloNeu
Bernhard, and I had my own grudge
ag'in him; folks that beats inner
cent, helpless critters most to death
is better dead themselves, reckon"
There was grim note in his tones.
"Mebbe l hadn't no business to mix
In IT, but l figured I'd do what |
could to protect the-the person
that mad took the law into their own
hands-any ways till found out
why. There was somethin' else had
me guessin' more lively right then"
Something-else?" Miss Sher-
wood repeated.
Yes. ma'am; why there wasn't
mono blood on that concrete knob.
Somethin' must a-been wrapped
round it, o course. but 1t couldn't
a-been no ordinary handkerchief nor
cloth cause the stains would
a-come through. / found out bout
that. though. within an hour. for
down on the floor o. the pateeo.
near the fountain, picked up q lit
tie piece O.. torn, black rubberized
silk that couldn't 'acome from moth
in but a bathin' cap, and the next
day I dug up the rest o It where
somebuddy had hid 1t in the sand
on the shore. l took it home and
hurled 1t in my own garden. and 1t
amt never goin' to be found"
Miss Sherwood moistened her lips.
And you have reconstructed
the-the murder from these--a Norm