Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-28
ABOVE SUSPICION
ByROBER7 ORR CHIPPEREIELD
1894 By

DO you mean to tell US that he
wrote those letters HIMSELF" Mrs.
Cayley demanded. mo one ever
saw them except my poor brother.
and he always destroyed them at
once.-It Is quite all right. Vera.
Mr.. Middleton; it need be q secret
no longer that for several years Mr..
Bernhard was annoyed by threaten
ing letters which came semi an
nually. but he always declared them
to he the work of lunatic and
there was never any clue to the
Identity OF the man who sent them"
why did he write to you? New
bury asked. Does he admit In so
many words that he is guilty.
"'Guilty?'" Geoff repeated. Yes.
It's all kinder mixed-up to me: he
speaks o. his crime and he killed
police was after him. but they
wasn't. lie knew the man from
OHare's, o course and he spotted
two plaincIothes fellers that head
quarters in New York loaned to Doc
Hood, but they went to see him
bout somethin' else. After that
first talk with him, the doc told me
to keep an eye on Dunn while l was
workin' round. and try to make
friends with him. | did. and then
| saw him in the city, and | reckon
at the last a Teller wants somebody
to write to. so he picked me cut,
sayin' he hadn't no friend or rela-
ton left in the world. It's funny,
but lie don't seem to have been
scared none that he would a-got
convicted in the first degree even
il I've was caught. it was Tie idce
n gain nriSnn that hn ri,lllIn +
face"
Il really find it difficult 10 believe
of him, he always appeared to be
such u weak, spineless creature;
but as Mrs. Cayley remarked before
, about the writer of those letters, he
| must indeed have been mal;" the
attorney observed as the doctor re-
appeared. Does he allege any
motive? Some idea must have
existed in that warped brain of his"
1T did" Geoff allowed his gaze
to wander meaningiy toward Vera
Sherwood and Middleton. He'd
been kinder rursin' Il srudge he
thought he had agin Mr.. Bernhard
till 1t got so big To him he couldn't
) think q nOthin' else. seems like"
I'VE have intruded long enough,
and it is time for me to take Miss
Sherwood home" Adrian Middle
ton turned to their hostess. My
dear MIS-. Cayley, YOU know that we
| viii wait eagerly for the details and
share In your relief when the whole
horrible matter is thoroughly in
| Vestigated and permitted to drop.
II my sister can be of any service
whatever"
"Do you want me to stay here
with you for day or two. Mrs.
Cavley?" Vera Sherwood asked. Il
| viii be glad. to do anything / can,
you know tHat."
Thank you. my dear, but really
think | shall hc better alone. This
news Is shock. of course. but the
reaction will pass. and at least the
horrible suspense is at an end
Geon responded to the doctors
| imperative tug at his arm as the
visitors were taking their leave.
| and walked with him to the ter
/ race doors.
why didn't you tell me this at
once. when YOU got back" de-
manded the litter. why was it nee
| cssary for us To get old Henry
| story first? 1t didn't have any
| direct bearing on the murder, after
| all"
II figure it did" Geor replied
Dunn was kinder lonely cuss ali
| his life not bcin' the sociable kind
| to mix much with folks, but the
| few friends he did make he thought
| Il sight o, and young Shirley was
closer to him than most anybody,
though he didn't give away his as
sociation with Bernhard. That only
got whispered round after his death,
and | think Dunn didn't take much
stock IN Ii till he got all tied up
| with Bernhard himself later and
couldn't git free. not while Bernhard
lived. We'd better be gittin' long
now 10 wait at your house for Il
message from headquarters and
theme over to the county scat. |
s'pose the District Attorney is wait
! ing, IL you talked 10 him. Did you
git Lyons or Allen?"
Lyons. He said he'd hurry up to
Dunn's place in a police car and
take charge of everything. What
| was il Dunn wrote to your
"Just a rambin' kind o explana-
ton without no actual reference to
the murder. but it's plain IL you read
between the lines. / suspicioned the
truth right along but | couldn't
| fasten a thing on him. II Bernhard
| could a-used Shirley the way he did
| Dunn he wouldn't a-shot him. but he
must have seen the boy was too
high spirited to he made no tool of.
! Dunn guessed the truth after he
went TO work for Bernhard | knew
that when I seen him in his rooms
last week, for he never once spoke
| bout Shirley's suicide, but called 1t
his death. and l could tell from his
| eyes how he hated Bernhard. as I'd
thought before. I'll give you my
letter soon's we git away from
here"
But how did he do it-the mur-
der. ! mean? What weapon did he
usee~ You know there weren't any
| footprints on the sanded floor near
| where Bernhard had been sitting"
| The doctor halted beside the
fountain.
| 81 don't know how Dunn got
down here, but l figure he came by
the late train and kinder hung round
| till the rest o. the folks went to bed
! He must have been tolerahle familiar
with Benkard's habits and took
chance on his sittin' up. alone. He
| asked rue last week how / thought
the murder was committed. same $
your dom now. and when | told