Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-28


him I saw Id called the turn from
the way he acted. Bernhard must
have fell asleep, after all. DO you
remember when you examined the
body you got me to lay boards from
my pile on the terrace all round the
bench, SOS you could walk on EN-
and not leave no tracks
His companion nodded.
Didn't git any notion that the
murd'rer might a-GOne the same
thing. did you? ! If he was hangin'
round the terrace he prob'bly seen
Rupert Ashe and hid till he'd went
off again in his motor boat, because
the boy said Bernhard was smekin'.
the last. sight he got o him from
the steps. ;,
The murder must a'been all
planned and figured out in ev'ry
detail way ahead. and ! reckon
Dunn brought some sort o a weapon
with him; he could a'hid heavy
hammer or a wrench under his coat
as easy as not, and we can be GER
tain he had some excuse bout i'm
portant business ready for Bernhard
SOS he wouldn't suspect nothin.
Geoff went on: when he asked
me l told him I had 1t figured out
that Bernhard fell asleep and the
murd'rer laid down the boards
same's did for you. ! noticed then
they didn't make no sound on the
soft sand, and he must a-been paru-
c'lar, o. course. to go mighty easy
and quiet. l told Dunn the murd'rer
must a-laid them boards one after
the other. crep' up behind Bernhard
and hit him Just one blow; then
when he was sure he'd finished him
L. bAr,. acrsy hn
put 'em back on my pile. There
wasn't no blood on 'em. though l
looked careful, so I reckon he made
kinder a wide circle to git round
the bench. He didn't have the
nerve to slam him right in the face.
and then Benkard's head must have
fell forward on his chest. / figure
Dunn hustled straight back to the
city-he could a-got the early milk
train If he'd walked to the county
seat-and waited for the news. He
told US, If you recollect, that lie
couldn't sleep that night and went
out and walked the streets till most
mornin', so he had his alibi, sech as
1t was. all fiXed-but come on. doc.
Mis- Cayley an that lawyer look as
though they was waitin' for us To
finish our confab and CO."
Mrs. Cayley halted them with ore
final appeal.
Now that Dunn is dead ard
there will be no trial, surely
surely it will be unnecessary pnd
cruel to me and my daughter to eX-
pose the story about Mr.. Shirlay's
death. There is poor old Henry.
too. His loyalty to my brother
made him voluntarily an accessory
after the fact, and / cannot bear to
think that he may have to spend his
lew remaining days in prison"
WELL Geoff glanced at the doc
tor. there's somebody got to ne
told and [ guess mebbe the doc viii
leave it to her to decide"
"a wOman."
"A LADY," Geoff corrected with
emphasis. She was waitin' to marry
young Shirley after lovin' him al
ways. Her hair turned gray with
sorrow. though she amt much
oldcr'n Miss Sherwood pears to be,
and she's gentle and sweet-natci ed.
| reckon mebbe if the doc puts it
up to her, givin' her proof O the
truth and what 1t would mean to
you and Hiss Millie and old Henry
to have it come out, besides staEd
in ready to give the same proof to
any o the townsfOlk who knew and
remembered the boy, she might be
willin' to let it be dropped there,
though | s'pose she'll want his
body brought home now"
Give me her name and address"
Mrs. Cayley exclaimed eagerly. Il
will write or so to her. plead with
her.
Geoff shook his head
/ Il couldn't do that, ma'am. When
the doc sent me to her it was in
strict confidence. and nobody else
anywhercs near New York City
knew where she lived except VIII
liam Dunn, for young Shirley HIM
self had told him bout her. Wen
do what we kin, but it looks as If
she had a right to say what would
be done"
"Gcoffrcy is correct on that" Dr.
Hood backed him up Valiantly. The
GCsision must rest with her"
Mrs. Caylcy was forced to be con-
tent.
When they departed. Geoff took
the wheel of the little car and
handed Dunn's last message to the
doctor
1t read:
My Dear Godfrey:
Il can wait/no longer to start on
that little journey j mentioned to
YOU when YOU were here, and | am
writing to YOU now because, having
neither relative nor friend in the
world. there is no one else who viii
feel the least interest in my de-
parture except the authorities.
have left a note addressed to the
Chief of the Detective Bureau at
Police Headquarters in the right
hand drawer of the cabinet which
stands next the mantel here in my
room. and | shall appreciate it if
YOU will notify them. 1t explains
what they may not already know
concerning my crime, and why
have hated Joseph Bernhard all
these seven years, hated him even
was through fear alone.
when l was on the brink of
failure. seven years ago, I hypothc-
Gated blocks of certain stock be-
longing TO my customers, but 1t did
not save me. | thought / knew
Bernhard only slightly at that time,
but he must have been studying me,
known IRE better than ! knew my
self. and that l would he wax in
his hands. How he found out what
! had done | never learned. but he
came to me at the darkest hour,
when my books were in the hands
of the receiver. and | knew the
missing stock would be asked for
very soon. Gnd-offered to replace
it If I would become his secretary.
| jumped at the reprieve from dis
grace and Imprisonment. was
humbly grateful to him not only
for that. but for this mark of his
confidence in me-until learned
too late what that confidence was to
be. All the negotiations for his
secret. underhanded. crooked work
were left to me: | was the cats