Evening star., 1924-01-11
ABOVE SUSPICION
BY Robert Orr Chipperfeld.
Aushor Of THE Second Buue," @Uasssn Hands.
"Ths Trigger Of Conscisnos.' Etc.
Copyright 1saa, BY RcosrtnL =
CepyriSht, lS71, By Robert n. Mcbride = o.

| mebbe If the doc puts 1t up to her,
| gfvfn' her proof o. the truth and what
1t would mean to you and Miss Mile
and old Henry to have it come out,
| besides standin' ready to give the
same proof to any o the townsfolk
who knew and remembered the boy,
| she might be willin' to let 1t 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 go to her. plead with
her,
Geoff shook his head
'I couldn't do that, ma'am. When
the doc sent me to her it was In
strict, confidence, and nobody else
where she lived except William
Dunn. for young Shirley himself had
told him bout her Well do what
we kin, but it looks as If she had a
right to say what should be done.
"Geoffrey is correct on that" DR..
Hood backed him up valiantly. 'TThe
decision must rest with her"
Mrs. Cayley 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 I 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 will
feel the least interest in my de-
parture except the authorities.
have left Il note addressed to the
chief of the detective bureau at
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 I have
hated Joseph Bernhard all these seven
years, hated him even though 7
served him well. but II was through
fear alone.
when was on the brink of
ecated blocks of certain stock be
longing to my customers, but 1t did
not save me. | thought l knew
Bernhard only slightly at that time,
known me better than 1 knew my
self and that I would be wax in his
hands. How he found out what I
had done / never learned. but he
came to me at the darkest hour, when
my books were In the hands of the
receiver and I knew the missing
stock would be asked for very soon
and-oTered to replace II if would
become his secretary. I jumped at
the reprieve from disgrace and i'm
rrisonment. I was humbly grateful
to him, not only for that. but for this
mark Of his confidence In me-untiI ]
learned too late what that confidence
was to be, All the negotiations for
his secret. underhand, crooked work
were left to me, j was the cats paw
and if discovery had come I should
have borne the h-unt of it and suf-
fered in his stead. for he had with
devilisE cleverness made it appear
that I was speculating on the side
and using his stock without his
knowledge. He kept his word and
replaced my customers stock which
had originally stolen, for he saw
I would be too valuable a man for
him to lose, and I have become
deeper and deeper involved while he
kept his hands clean. I could not
expose him and nothing but his
death would have set me free. I am
free now and I shall not live to be
taken.
IT thought I was safe to find what
peace I could, but within the last
few days I discovered that the au-
thorities were beginning to suspect
if they did not actually know. for a
private detective has been bounding