Evening star., 1924-01-01
ABOVE SUSPICION
By Robert Orr Chipperfield.
Alahor Of The Second Buuss" ~Unssen Hands.
"Ths Trigger Of Conscience" Eac
oopytxht BY oaertM

in his tonee who were your folks and
where are they now?''
the woman reused herself from her
apathy and returned the pseudo
deputy's gaze with q curious. family
amused expression,
Mr.; Peters, there are certain per-
sons in this country--Quite small
army Of them and remarkably well
organized-whose duty and purpose In
life 1t Is to flnd out about other peo-
pie just what You have asked me.
The cleverest Of them were at one
time detailed to trace my origin, my
antecedents, to learn whatever they
could about me before ] had appeared
in particular city-and they dis
covered nothing. When I told the
would answer any questions you liked
1 meant, OF course, anything relative
to Mr.. Bernhard and his attentions to
me, any light that 1 could possibly
throw upon his death. AS for me, i
sm Zoe Dawn; I came to New York
from Washington. where I had lived
for several years and where am
doubtless remembered still. That Is
all"
''Then let me put what I'm tryin'
Geoff suggested quietly, in no wise
daunted. "S'pose you think back all
to yourself bout your home folks,
your own blood relations, l mean.
brothers and cousins and sech. Kin
you recollect that any o 'em died
sudden and onnateral-accident meb
be. or suicide. or like Mr.. Bernhard?
/ just want you to tell me yes or
no"
Zoe Dawn still looked steadily into
his eyes, but the amused expression
had left her face and with his words
the warm, rich coloring ebbed also.
leaving her CHASTITY in the shadows.
Slowly, she rose from her chair.
mo. Mr.. Peters, l can recall no
relative whose death was in any way
violent. That is no reason, however,
why l cannot appreciate the feelings
of Mr.. Benkard's family now, If that
is what you mean. Perhaps l have
cause, as at one time l thought l
should have the right. to feel even
more deeply than they. Although,
living, l was sure that / hated him
l would have crushed the ambition
for which he put me aside-now that
he is dead. IL would give anything
in the world to bring him back even
if 1 were never to see him, never to
hear his name Ruthless and crooked
he may have been to others, cruel and
heartless to me at the last. but he
was my mate, l have realized it more
fully since | came into this room
than al any moment since his death.
Are-are there any more questions
you wish to ask? 1t is late and Il
am very tired"
mo, ma am" Geoff had already got
to his feet and as the doctor turned
the light switch in the wall. he added:
IF somethin' should come up that
you could help us sbout and you
wouldn't likely care to have us COM
in to your house, it'll be all right if
the doctor calls you up on the tele-
phone?"
In the crude, yellow glare from the
electric bulbs the woman seemed to
have aged years since their meeting
at the crossroads before the sun went
down, and as if realizing 1t herself,
she hurriedly drew down her veil
while she replied:
ANY day. any hour that DR.. Hood
sends for me l shall come
She held out her hand and Geoff
where he was while the doctor hustled
out to light up the porch and escort
his visitor to her car. After an inter-
val. it drove off through the dark
ness. and the doctor returned to find
Geoff still standing where he had left
him. His jaw had dropped, and be-
low the shock of sandy hair which
fell over his forehead his lackluster
eyes stared vacantly into space
Hey. what's the matter with you?"
his host demanded Have you taken
root? You got the woman down here,
as i can understand now that you
planned to do. Geoff. when you gave
Lyons instructions last night to tell
Hcl lLdnc Hdu gone DdcR Cnelr par
gain; but aside from hearing that
Bernhard was afraid for his life, which
we knew already from William Dunn
and old Henry. 1 don't see where the
surprise party you spoke of comes
in
Don't you, Doc" Geoff's eyes trav-
eled slowly to the others face, and
he grinned. Just you set down and
think over what that Zoey woman
said real careful. 1 amt took root
and / gotta go home now and git the
mare in under the shed; heavy dew's
bad for her rheumatic. The surprise |
had wasn't just the sort 1 thought
likely we'd git and mebbe it'll turn
out to be nothin' 'cept a crazy idee,
but it kinder struck me all of a sud-
den and I'll have to work over it in
my own mind afore l talk much, and
see how it fits in with the rest
What rest" demanded the thor
oughly exasperated medical examiner
There isn't any rest to the case,
that l know of, and we're back where
we started, We've no more notion
than we had in the beginning who
committed the murder.
Geoff slouched to the door, and then
paused.
"If the idee that hit me is correct"
he said, there wasn't no murder
a-tall"'
CONTINUED in Tomorrow's Starr