Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-07-14
THE SHADOW ON THE GLASS
By CHARLES j. DUT7ON
knew that BARLEY was at the house
Copyright Mead Co. Srazed Syndicate

knew that Barley was at the house
was bit more than I could tell.
But there was no time for thought.
Into the room, brushing the butler
aside as If he was not there, came a
| man. A big man, with the appear
ance of great strength in his mas
sive figure. / had seen Kent several
times before and had never liked the
rather sullen face he had. face of
strength, but the face of man who
was used to having his own way.
One look told me he was a very
angry man. His face was purple,
| not with exercise, but with rage.
( His eyes snapped as he looked at us,
! and even the way he walked over to
| the desk told of his anger. He gave
us both a glance, and then his eyes
| came back to BARLEY.
You are John Bartley?" he
! snapped out.
Yes" came the drawled reply, as
| Bartley's eyes never left his face.
Kent slammed his hand down on
the desk so hard that 1 had an idea
| 1t must have stung from the blow.
Well he spoke, his voice loud, Il
want to know, why in hell one of
Your rube detectives should come
over to my cottage and ask me lot
OF questions about where 1 was last
night"
He must have meant Dunn. but
how the detective had got hold of
the story about Kent l did not know.
Yet he had, and it had made the
man angry. l know if Dunn had all
the information we had regarding
kents movements of the night be-
fore, he must have asked him some
| awkward questions. His eyes flashed
I fnd h1
ing his hand again upon the desk.
BARLEY did not answer him at
first. Instead he looked him over
with a rather cool gaze. then shrug-
geo his shoulders and replied
We'll. Mr.. Kent, l don't happen to
have any rube detective. But if one
did see you, then 1t must have been
because he wished to know where
You We're last night and what you
were doing"
Kent almost Jumped in his rage
and roared, Il won't let any fool de-
tectlve come around and half in
sinuate that perhaps l know some
thing about who killed Rice"
Watching the mans face, BARLEY
drawled out:-"Was that all he
killed Rice"
For a moment thought Kent
would strike BARLEY. In fact he
half raised his arm, then let it drop
to his side. His face became even
darker purple and for a moment his
rage was so great he could not
speak, though he tried. At last he
stammered:-
How dare you; what do YOU
mean by thing like that?" The
next moment his voice returned,
Yes, damn YOU, what do you mean ?"
BARLEY rose to his feet. why
nothing, Kent. You said it was a
rube detective. l thought maybe, If
it was, he might have said that.
You seem to be so put out. could
not think of anything else. There
Is nothing to be excited about over
his seeing you. You were here last
night, you know"
The man gave him a keen glance,
tfen Gained down little. his voice
being almost natural as he replied
Il am pretty angry. Mr.. BARLEY.
This man, named Num- or Dunn,
came to the house. The first thing
ne told me was that some one had
killed Mr.. Rice. Then he began to
ask me some rather personal ques-
tions about where l had been last
night. Even limited / might know
who killed Mr.. Rice. That's enough
to make any one mad"
BARLEY agreed to the last, then in
formed Kent that we knew he had
been at the house to look at the
Aretino.
Kent admitted this, saying that he
had been invited by Rice himself.
In fact, his story of coming to the
house was identically like the one
the Judge had told US, except he
had said nothing about returning
the second time to the house.
BARLEY waited till he had finished,
then ventured. why did you re-
turn to the house again. Mr.. Kent?"
For a moment Kent was silent
and began to wonder II he would
deny he had returned. However.
after a while, he said:
Yes, did come back. am
about the most absent minded beg
gar going. You know. had never
seen the book before, though my
agent discovered 1t. I wrote down
the title page in a notebook while
Rice was showing the Aretino. The
notebook was In long billfold and
placed 1t on the edge Of one of these
cases. When / got out I discovered
I had left 1t, so ! returned to the
house. That was all"
In answer to Bartley's questions.
questions which seemed to me he
studied q little before he replied,
his story was simple. When he
came in the house he saw no one In |
the living room. The elevator door
was open, so he took the elevator
to the library. which was lighted.
He found his billfold and went right
out.
Asked II he saw Rice. he said no