Evening star., 1924-01-12

way o it nor the time, and that
the person happened to come out on on
| Bernhard settin' down there, right in
a line With where the loop o the
lanyard would swing If 1t had a
WeiGht O. tye or SIX pour pounds thst on be m
knob on top o the post was loose
so they tied II up in the bathin' cap
| and fastened it to the lanyard with
another cord to hold on to-. swung
| head in-the blow would a-killed a
! OK from that height with sech "a
| start!-then hauled 1t back up agin
! and fixed ev'rythin' as they thought.
| the way it had been, not noticin' that
a little slit had tore off from the cap
why didn't any one else-the doc
tor or that ,detectiye- She
paused as though unable to go on.
| Seems to me twas because all the
| folks workin' on the case went at
! IT with their noses to the ground
| but it was from above death come
to Bernhard; death that he deserved
| if ever a man did. and the person
| who dealt 1t to him was above sus-
| picion all the time Geoff replied
| simply. -
The slim hand resting at Miss Sher-
| woods side suddenly clenched.
What had he done to deserve lt?'
Her tones were very low but steady now.
"I only found that out piecemeal.
first from some men who had good
reason to hate Bernhard and who let
on that the one he'd prob'bly injured
most in his life WAS young Teller
named Lawrence Shirley.-Dld you
! say anythin' ma am?"
Miss Sherwood shook her head. She
| was staring straight before her once
more, and her lips quivered slightly.
Seems this young feller was sup
posed to've killed himself ten years
ago after Bepkard refused to help
him make good for some money ne
stole. but he didn't; twas Bernhard
hi
to expose him bout that embezzle-
| ment which he'd planned and was
| mainly responsible for. never found
that out till after ev'rythin' else
| Geoff spoke hurriedly, as if anxious
| to have this part of his explanation
+, over with. II tried to git some more
| facts bout young Shirley, but he
| buddy knowed where he come from
till William Dunn told me. Him and
| the boy had been good friends, and
from him | went further I'LL got al
and you never meant to speak %
when Rupert Ashe was arrested
| II knowed if he was ever held for
trial the one that done II would
a-come forward and told GeoH said
gently. the nasal drawl for once gone
! from his voice. NO jury in the WorIo
would a-brung in q Verdlct TOT noln-
I
| Miss Sherwood turned her head for
a moment and glanced out over the
| flaming garden: a., :.
difficult to give utterance to her
| thought, don't you think the truth
| ought to have been told when that
queer, incoherent confession OF poor
| William Dunn'S TO you ana 10 the au
! thorities made it logical to put the
/ crime on his memOry--.
| NO, ma'am." Geoff interrupted ear
| nestly. Il was the one started that
ball a-rollin'. and | fought II all out
with myself first Dunn didn't leave a
souI to care whether he'd done it or
A., not, and he's gone where the name o
| it can't hurt him. Young Shirley had
been his friend and 1 figured If he
knowed the truth-which hed Sus-
| came to his death, he'd a-killed Ben
! kard himself, takin' into considera-
! tion his own wrongs. Mebbe l took a
hull lot on myself but | figured he'd
be glad if he could know his suicide
had done one great big thing, in pro-
/ tectin' the one who did,
| Miss Sherwood rose and stood very
straight, looking levelly into his eyes.
"Who-who did kill Mr.. Bernhard,
| Geoffrey?"
/ Geoff swallowed hard, and the cords
stood out in his lean neck above the
| coarse shirt
Well" he remarked slowly, 'this
| young Shirley had little sister, Miss
Sallie, who got killed in railroad
| wreck out in Californy some years
ago. figure she'd a-been growed up
now If she was alive.
! Miss Sherwood drew in her breath
| sharply once more, but she did not
speak and Geoff went on:
"Mebby she is alive. Mistakes is
made right often in accident reports,
I've heard tell, and names is easy
| changed Mebbe Miss Sallie lived fer
| Just that one idee, to git revenge for
her brother even if she couldn't cfar
| his name That's all, Miss Sherwood
] thought till now I'd done the best
| thing for ev'rybuddy SOS they could
forgit the hull affair and be happy,
| but it seems 'sif I amt; seems 'sif
! some folks is dead set on maxim
themselves unhappy when they amt
no need o it. That's why / can't fix
my mind on MY work"
| A shadow moved far off on sun
| lit space in the garden, and Adrian
Middleton's solitary figure appeared.
| Miss Sherwood gazed at him with
troubled eyes in which, all at once, a
! soft light began to glow.
"Ain't that Mr.. Middleton down
| there?" Geoff asked innocently.
Seems to me he wants you"
"Geoffrey" Vera Sherwood turned
| TO him suddenly and held out both
| her hands.
IT had a kind O. idee 1 heard him
| calm you, ma'am." A smile lighted
| fgurin wn what he's waitin' to say to
you, though; 'tain't my business!"
! THE END.