Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-07
The Curiosity OF Lefty

The Curiosity OF Lefty
For Il brief space, save Tor the
Gtertorous breathing Of the old butler
as he strOvc To regain control OF his
emotions, there was silence IN the
dining room. The secretary stared
straight before him, and DR.. Hood
glanced meaninSiy toward the pantry
door, behind which Geoff stood
listening with all his cars. Then, as
thougS to himself. william Dunn
spoke.
Barking dogs never bite" Mr..
Benkard used to say. I've seen
item come TO him at the office.
bringing and bullying, begging and
bargaining, the men he'd beaten at
their own game. and he laughed at
them all, but he di1n't laugh at
this thing that hung over him.
might have known that something
terrible was happening last night,
Tor / seemed TO have a premonition.
n sense OF impending horror for
which ! could not account. sleep
would not come to me, and at iast
J dressed again and went out to
walk the streets aim.essiy till nearly
morning
Tho doctor cleared his throat.
why iid YOU say that PERHAPS
Mr.. Bernhard didn't know who it was
that was threatening him, but that
10 knew the cause? DO you mean
that some one had taken up an
others quarrel with him."
perhaps, doctor. A man cannot
lie rs close to another day after day
rs have been to Mr.. Bernhard all
these years without getting TO know
him pretty thoroughly. and. to a GER
tain extent. | may say that lie con-
l. l.. l, Il
let himself go occasionally, show his
thoughts and feelings without the re-
straint he exhibited toward almost
every one else" Dunn paused and
covered his eyes with one thin hand,
but after n moment 1t fell to the arm
OF his chair. and he continued: lie
never showed nc one of those let
ters nor told me the contents. ex-
cept that some lunatic was threaten
ing his life for an imaginary cause
that he couldn't fathom. but when lie
ragged against the sender of them he
seemed sincere enough in his wonder
rs to the mans identity. 1t was only
when he spoke of the alleged roa-
son for the insane persecution that
his tone assumed the defensive. !
always thought that perhaps the let
tors themselves or the dates on
which they came so regularly recall
ed some incident in the past in
which he had gotten the best of -
deal and the loser nurscd a giudSc.'
Dr. Hood shook his head.
. That wouldn't account for mur-
der Mr.. Dunn. especially If il were
some one else who took UP the
cllidge, and that person was actually
insane. | never heard of n maniac
;,blo to keep track OF dates with
period covering several years. but.
perhaps. he was Crazcd only ON tho
one subject. had brondcd over it
until Il had BECOME an obsession,
and that would hardly be the case If
H. concerned Il mere financial deal
with a third party. at that
lmnn's faded eyes bliukcd rapidly.
1T might. il that deal involved
ruin for others. Doctor. and the
writer of thos" letters were one of
them and believed MIR. Bernhard to
lie responsible. You don't know
what it is to have everything swept
away. | do, but my failure was my
own fault. an error in Judgment
or perhaps lack pf nerve in n crisis.
and had no one To blame hut myself.
was present less than two years
ago when man who had been wiped
out ON the market the day before
forced his way into Mr. Bcnkard's
private Office and lcVclcd n revolver
at him. Nlr. Bernhard just laughed
End took II away from him: he had
courage. as Carp says. He wasn't
afraid OF anythin3 on earth.
Did the man ever trouble him
again." the doctor asked.
NO. sir" Dunn's voice sank to
n husky whisper Tic blew his own
brains oft that night. OF course,
Mr.. Bernhard had nothing To do with
lis failure: he Just imagined il. and
| only mentioned II to show You
To what lengths despair can drive
luan sometimes.
"On the blind impulse Of the mo-
mcnt. maybe, but not in the cal
cu,ated persecution which your story
of these letters indicates" DR. Hood
removed h,s spectaC!es and began
To polish them abSeutmindedly. "On
wfat dates did they come? Were
they sent to his home or TO his Of
flee
"On tie tenth Of October and the
FIRST OF january. Sometimes they
cane tn the office, but more often to
his home
"Gut wasn't It your custom as his
secretary 10 so through the office
mAil YOURSELF" demanded the doctor.
lis head. "rhc first letters had
gone tn his home. YOU see, Doctor,
and had instructions after that not
t. touch TIE mail In either October
ar January until Mr.. Bernhard turn
Cd IL over 20 me again. hut IL was
always back IN my hands on the
eleventh OF October and--except
this Ncar--by the second OF January.
Tie letters came promptly.
Il call to mind we'll when the first
ono came to the house" 1t was
Henry who spoke and, although his
Zones were feeble. they We're fairly
controlled. THAT was four years
ago last New Years Day. I'D sort
Cd the mail. never thinking. and put
IL at his place. and Mrs. Cayley's
and Miss Ntildred's at the breakfast
table. | was serving them, when all
at once heard Mrs. Cayley cry out
and ask him what was the matter.
Mr.. Bernhard laughed and crushed
the letter in his hand and said II
n