Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-06-19

CAPTAIN FRANCIS NEwCoMBE, *.
officer in the great war. who breaks
into society. but who Is really
Shadow varne. noted figure Of under
steals that have set London agog.
thief, who has met Neweombs in
the back waters OF the war. along
RUNNELLs. . valet. who has done
some big thefts on his own account.
THE FOURTH srRAGGLER. who
after the armistics and who disap-
FOLLY wIcKEs. q fower-girl. whom
Newcombe has adopted and sent 70
America to a finishing school. with
the idea OF tnsuring social contacts
OF the best before he leaves England,
after executing some big hauis. she
is the friend of
DORA MARLIN. daughter OF an eccen-
trio millionaire. and her guest on
big show place ON the Florida keys.
MR.. MARLIN. the mad magnats. has
buried more than half a million dol
lars; the existence OF :. which I,ia New New,
his beautiful ward.
HOWARD LOCKE, son Of a big busi-
ness man, who takes Newcombe and
Runneils to Florida on his steam
lduuGus 1IS 4dA1o Ah AefV "hSA S~~S =
Captain Francis Newcombe quiet
~ sat down on the ground beneath
the window. 1t was quite hopeless
to expect to see anything more than
he had seen-for the present. One
would have asked B. good deal to
have asked more! The spot where
the old maniac was at work was
close up against the wall at the
right of the door and almost direct
ly opposite the window!
The digging ceased. Another
sound took its place-a sort of
grooming, a singsong droning sound.
Words, snatches OF sentences, be-
came audible:
"' All! All here! In the
darkness where no one can see
:" And / do not need to see-I
feel. Night after night I feel.
and my fingers count. Money!
Money! Ha, Ha-and they do
not understand - Fools! All
fools! You will multiply your
self a hundred. thousand fold
Fools. Blind fools! -" they
would not listen They called
me mad ."
The grooming went on.
Captain Francis Newcombe with
cool nonchalance made himself more
comfortable now by propping ,his
back against the side of the hut.
When the old fool was through
with his pulling. and the fondling Of
that half million in banknotes that
he imagined was so safely hidden,
the next move would be in order.
Until then there was nothing to do
except to exercise what degree Of
patience he could
Patience! He stirred suddenly.
Why exercise patience? Was it,
after all, absolutely necessary that
he should? A moments work would
do away with that senile old idiot
now. Mr.. Marlin would be found,
but the money would not be found.
That was the plan in its actual
essence. wasn't it?
He snarled, then, angriIy at him.
self under his breath. That was
the method of the ''cusher," which,
on a certain occasion. he had brand
ed with SO much contempt. The
red by no such crudeness as tint
A cusher without art. It brought
him a sense of intense Irritation
that the thought should even have
entered his mind. ~
Why had It?
He shook his head. Was It impa-
tience, or perhaps, rather. a
through and done done with this
with the least possible delay? Were
the events that had happened since
he had left England insidiously TAX
ing effect upon him to the detriment
of his customary cold and measured
judgment? Well, he would see to It
that nothing of that sort should
happen. Crime was a science; its
procedure was calculated, method
ical. orderly, denying scruples. lie
had always approached it as a
science; he proposed never to ap-
proach 1t in any other way. The
case in point. for instance: Once
he knew exactly where this hidden
ha!f-million was. where he could la
hands on it whenever he desired
at an instants notice-and he would
locate its precise position inside the
hut there as soon as the old maniac
returned home to his bed-Mr. Mcr-
lin would be removed. But that
must be accomplished apparently
through an accident-and the acct
dent must be such as to serve as
proof. so to speak, that Captain
Francis Newcombe could not pos
sibly have had any part in it. This
became tine more essential now in
view Of that internal voice last
night. The nature Of the accident
itself was u mere detail. The choice
was legion. There had been others
who. becoming -encumbrances in he
path of Shadow Varne, had met
with accidents. What folly to 70 In
there now-and have the whole
Island aroused by the crime Of
murder and invaded by the police;
with the crime itself proclaiming
the fact that the murder had been
done for the money the old mad
man was known to have had some
where, but which was now obvious
ly In the possession Of some one. to
wit. the murderer!
Bah. What was the matter with
him? Did he need to rehearse the
obvious? Mr.. Martins secret would
die with him; and, being unable 10
find the money, they would give the
old maniac more credit for cunning
and originality than was due to the
mosseaten method OF selecting
hiding place under the floor Of an
old hut! The pitiful fool, Under
the floor! That was where the
treasure was always hidden-in
every book he had ever read.
The grooming continued. 1t began
to get a little on his nerves. 1t vas
here interminable. Would the man
stay here until daylight? No; that
was hardly hkely-not IL he ran