Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-07-12
rua STORY THUS Pan

Frank Rice, millionaire. is found
murdered in his library. on the eve or
his daughters wedding. The door
was locked on the inside and the Key
was found in the lock.
John BARLEY, crime detector and his
best friend, is called in on the case.
Upon questioning the butler he learns
that the crime had been committee
while two detectives. hired to. guard
the wedding gifts, were in the house.
Miss Long, secretary of the muir
dered man, discovers that one OF the
presents is missing-a box containing
$4,000 in gold pieces.
Faith, Rice's daughter, admits that
her cousin, Donald Maxson, was jealous
of her. She had also received anony--
nous letters whose writer threatened
to break up her wedding. Word comes
suddenly from a beach nearby that
Maxson has been drowned. Barley
resolves to interview Judge Kingsland
who had been a guest of the murdered
man at dinner on the night of the trag-
edy. The Judge confesses that the
dinner was marred by "a diSagreeable
incident"
Pelt. Bartley's friend. is the nara
tor of the story.
A Motive Appears
what was that?" came the eager
question.
The Judge looked at his hands
thoughtfully, then threw them out in
| a gesture. "Well, sir, it was really
absurd. You know that Mr.. Rice
| picked up a very rare book some
time ago. l can't say just what 1t
was for I am no expert on rare
books but Billings congratulated
him on securing it. The book cost
him a pretty penny-thirty or more
thousand dollars. I know little
about it except that it was found in
France, and While James Kent was
trying to find out if 1t was an
original, I mean the first edition
Rice stepped in and bought it. But
actually it's more or less Greek to
me, though Billings and the Bishop
We're talking about it."
| It seemed Greek to me also. But
! BARLEY though for a moment he
| looked startled at the turn in the
| conversation, evidently knew what
! it was all about. Seeing my bland
| gaze, he turned.
Il think 1 know the book. Pelt
| About six months ago Rice inform
ed the book world that he had
found a copy of the first edition of
4 sonnetti lussuriosi dr Petra
Arotino.'
These sonnets were written to ac-
| COMPANY Tic SIISl DIV 1iiSo VI N1dI Z
| Antonio which were copied on ivory
by Jules Roman. The work was
published in 1925. The scandal it
created was so great that all copies
were destroyed and one man lost
lis head. 1t has been presumed
| that none existed but an agent of
James Kent found a copy in France
Wishing to get the opinion of book
dealers nc foolishly did not buy it,
and Rice stepped in and secured
the copy.> He had some trouble in
| getting it into the country, but the
| Government at last allowed him to
do SO. Its value! is great, as it is
the only known copy of the original
edition.
The Judge had listened carefully
/ noddins. That's about what they
were saying. but was not much in
terested. After Il while we stopped
| talking about the book and finished
oul dinner. That over all at once
-" He smiled.
"What?" asked BARLEY.
"Wbo should come over to the
! table but James Kent himself. He
was pretty angry. He accused Pice
of being undetermined in buying
this book when his own agent had
found it. Next he said that it was
not a first edition anyway. and he