Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-18
ABOVE SUSPICION
ByROBER7 ORR CHIPPERFIELD
ripping stream. and GeoH ventured

"S'pose you'll take little rest
, afore tacklin somethin' new? Itll
be. kinder hard, g,ttin' in with diff
ferent folks ways after 'sociat!n' so
long with Mr.. Bernhard"
Something new?" Dunn re-
peated vaguely. IL have no Idea.
Perhaps ! shall take a rest-a long
rest. nave often planned what
| should 10 when this--whey my late
positi.S expired. and felt very
couras eous. but now. that 1t has
come | md that my plans do not
seem feasible. My thoughts turn
Backward; cannot look to the
future"
Its the shock. mebbe.' GeoT
chewed ruminatively on his sand
wich. There was something in the
level, Unconditional tones OF the secre =
| tary which gave him the creeps, and
his worn, lined face was pasty gray
In the bright sunshine. You didn't
have no Intentions, then. q stayin'
| for always with MIR. Benkard?'
II should haye been at his service
as long as he needed me-" The
| hands about his gaunt knees grip
| ped tensely for an instant, but hts
! low voice did not change. How =
ever. believed that he had other
| plans for the future in which | held
no place, and / suppose q man who
| has failed always dreams of coming
back. at first, anyway. But the
days pass. and the years, and some
, times he loses heart. He either
rlods along on the same old tread
mill or-or else goes mad"
His tones had dropped TO n mere
whisper, and Geoff glanced at him
narrowly. lie had shown no signs
! of madness: he had plodded aluns
/ contenteGly enough under Bepkard's
| instructions and authority. and II
seemed more than ever improbable
| that he would be able to strike out
| for himself and start anew: yet he
had refused the legacy. What could
be the meaning of it"
Il amt got no idee q that there
Wall Street business. but | opine II
, would drive anybuddy crazy to
watch them stocks so Chasin' up
and down like chipmunS on n tree.
/ 'Tain't any wonder some o. the
young fcllers lose their heads,
! specially when other folks money
| Is In their reach. and git to gamblin
| with that as we'll as their own when
| the fever hits en- Geoff remarked
Il heard tell q one the other day
who lost n lot that didn't belong to
! him and then killed himself in Mr.
! Benkard's own rooms after confess
/ sin to him.
! shirley. his name was. They say
| he was fine. upstandin' young
| man. too, till he got to thinllin' he
was bound to beat the game. II
/ happened Years ago afore YOU
| fined Mr.. Bernhard, and don't
! S'pose YOU ever knowed him."
: Dunn had CT i,rl
! every nerve and muscle in his body
J were taut, and the vacant, intro
! spective look in his dim eyes had
! given place to a stare of shrinking
| horror.
Lawrence Shirley. Yes, knew
him. II Was Il hideoua tragedy
hideous, Eut whore could You hav,
! heard about it, Geoffrey" | though,
it Was buried and forgotten"
It's voice was shaking now. but
Ccotf replied in an off hand way:
Two gentlemen in the train
| strangers. they was-Goin' out e
| SILVER Bay where | got a job wait
; in for me. was talking bout EIr
, Ecnkard's death and one thing ant
{ mother, and they spoke of hin
; Reckon they was spectators them
/ selves and had knowed the Young
fcilcr; lcastways, they recollcctet
: all bout the business. Seems &c
| me one o 'em said twas on New
! Years Day ten year ago that Mr.
! Shirley killed himself. and t'uthel
| remarked it was Il pity he hadn',
! gone to them whose money he'd
: used and made clean breast O It
! that they'd a'helped him out ant
, give him chance for n fresh start
sos he could have paid back what
! ned took. Both q ON agreed hc
, was y splendid young man. only
fooiish, and then they Switched &c
, ar@uiyln' over the market reports $,
! | didn't pay no more attention, not
| KNOWN nothin' bout stocks are
sech. Was the poor young teller q
/ TREND q yours, Mr.. Dunn"
, i'ut the erstwhile secretary had
| feGalncd his composurc. and hC
, spoke alphabetically once more.
L mad Few friends: [ knew him as
! was acquainted with score OF
! young men who traded with us now
| and then, but he wasn't a steady
customer. His death shocked me, OF
! course; Yet there have been mann
! such-nany such.-I must pacl,
, now and arrange for a taxi to take
! me to the station. but I am glad t.
nave seen YOU again. Godfrey, be-
| He held out his hand almost
! timidly. and Geoff, after wiping his
! greasy one on the newspaper, grasp
cd it heartily. There was n look in
| the eyes of this shadow Of q man
winch touched his simple, kindly
Eeart. and the thought came to him
that this was a sorry sort of leave
taxing after years of faithful If pos
sibly misguided service to a. hard
| master.
"Good-by. Mr.. Dunn. and good
luck. When you git over this mebbe
you'll find your plans workin' out
1ne. Hope you'll be comm out
ms way again some time"
Dun shook his head. but the ghost
OF smile fickered over his tired
race ana fingered as he turned away
ond started for the house.
Geon threw .his last crumbs To n
catbird that lowered near, and then
lighted his pipe. II was n day of
! departures, and no one remained
now except Mrs. Cayley, her daugh :
ter and the servants.
lie wished old Henry would pc,
well and leave his room before ms
own work was completed; there
was question he wanted to ask
num- but he could invent no excuse
Tor venturing unbidden into the
mouse. Sergeant Eliot seemed ia
nave taken himself off, but that pri
Vate detective must he hanging
around somewhere. What could he
be up TO.
For the rest Of the day he put
tered about the terrace, seeing no
one, but at nightfall when he re-
turned to his own little cottage ne
found note thrust hulf out of sight
beneath flower pot on the stems.
ignoring for once the excited well
come of his canine COMPANIONS. no