Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-20

IL he had talked any ,g1DDerlsn.
assured him that he hadn't, but
after that l commenced TO wonder,
for beside those strange periods OF
depression which lasted for days ne
had recurring moods which would
come upon him at any time without
warning or apparent reason. In
restaurants, at the races, the play,
IN the midst of the most frivolous
conversatio he would suddenly be-
come detached and sit staring In
front of him, as If at something
which no one else could see. He
reused himself at once when /
touched or spoke to him. but l
,, noticed that he studied me after-
! ward in a keen, wary fashion 10
see if l was surprised or curious,
and 1 schooled myself TO ignore
these moments Of preoccupation and
let him shake them off of his own
accord.
They worried me, though, and my
wonderment grew until one after
noon a year ago last winter when
he had fallen asleep in the library
while made tea. All at once he
cried out in a horrible, choking
ia shion and then the words came
distinctly. Not murder, Not that.
There was such indescribable terror
in his tone that / was frightened
too. and ! sat absolutely still and
waited, but he only mumbled after
that. then sighed and suddenly open
cd his eyes. oh, was glad had
learned self-control and could smile
and tease him about being so bored
with my company that he had fallen
asleep.
! He suspected nothing. but after
that almost as though his subcon-
! sctous mind trusted me he talked
frequently in those weird night
marish dreams of his, sometimes
defyfng them to harm him and at
other times begging abjectly. pite-
Ously for his life; but most often Of
AL there would be that recurring
word, murder and HshuddeI.ing
fear and horror of it. That is all;
there was never hint as to whom
he feared nor why, but | thought,
Doctor, that you should know Of
| this rs A.
TT is interesting, certainly" the
doctor remarked with a side glance
at Geoff. You say that Mr.. Benk-
ard never once in his waking mo-
ments referred to this matter"
Never, but he was always on
guard lest he should. He told me
! enough about his stock manipula-
! tons 10 damn him. ruin him forever
among reputable financiers If any
| one could have proved his trickery:
! he eloried in it, There could have
been nothing in his business career,
! no one of those whose failures lay
! virtually at his door who could have
caused that fear; and yet | could
always feel the shadow of it, like a
| wall between u.s."
"Mebhe he didn't never give you Il
! actual hint. sleepin' or wakin'.
ma AM, as to the party he thought
| was goin' to try to murder him
some day, but didn't you ever kinder
suspicion, yourself, who he might
have reason to ne Altered o'?' Geoff
asked. couldn't YOU put two and
| two together and figure it out in
your own mind? Amt YOU got no
notion ;-tall who twas"
Zoe Dawn shook her head YEARLY.
Il used to think and think about
ii till It seemed as If I should go
mad, The very fact that he dared
| not tell even me made it appear a
vital living menace in my eyes, and
sometimes | feared that | should
| pick, up the paper one day and read
what-What | actually did read last
! week; oniy now it has ceased 10
iiibtt'4' Ilti ups Nv lSltt III al fdtIL
smile. but the suffering in her eyes
belied it. Il would help you more
il could. please believe that. If
had definite suspicion | would
voice 1t. but | only know that he
ioIe.Saw this aRd dreaded it," $50.
"The things he told you bout how
he'd sWindled and betrayed them
other Wall Street fellers: they
couldn't lie proved. you say" Geoff
started to scratch his head. and
then thought better of it and pull
led his ear instead. "Mebhe that's
why he felt easy in tellin YOU. mcbbe
he was Altered to give himself
away 10 YOU bout the other thing
because it could he proved that he'd
done somcthin' to give somebuddy
good reason to want to kill him"
DO YOU mean that he was afraid
to trust me, that he wouldn't put
himself wholly in my hands be-
cause he always meant that the
break should come between US some
day and he thought | would prove
dangerous to him." She started
up, and for an instant that yellow
ish light cleaned again in her eyes.
Then she relaxed. and her head
dropped forward on her breast.
''Perhaps he knew me better than [
knew myself. since. after all. was
ready To join with Lane in an effort
to ruin him. But oh. surely he
could rot have believed that | would
ever wish for his death"
Miss Dawn, will You tell the Doc
and me who YOU really are and
where you come FROM" Geoff re-
Garded her mildly. but there was u
deepened gravity in his tone. "Who
were Your folks and where are they
now
Doctor Hood looked his surprise
and the woman reused herself from
her apathy and returned the pseudo
deputy'S gaze with Il curious, faint
~ amused expression.
MI Peters. there are certain per-
sons in this country-quite small
army of them and remarkably well
rganized-whose duty and purpose
in life it is to find out about other
people Just what you have asked
me. The CleVereSt of them were at
oie time detailed to trace my
origin, My antecedehts, to learn
whatever they could about me be-
fore | had appeared In particular
city-7and they discovered nothing.
When | told the medical examiner
and YOU that | would answer any
questions you liked l meant, of
course, anything relative to Mr..
Bernhard and his attentions to ME.
any light - that I. could possibly
throw upon his death. AS for ME,
am Zoe Dawn: | came to New
York from Washington. where | had
lived for several years and where I
am doubtless remembered still. That
is all"
Then let me put what I'm tryin'
to cit at in another way, ma am"
! Gocf suggested quietly, in nowise
daunted. "Spose YOU think back all