Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-07-08
THE SHADOW ON THE GLASS
By CHARLES j. DUT7ON
Copyright by Dodd by Ledger Syndicate

I been standing near by and the
murderer, finding himself hard
| pressed, seized it, and struck Rice.
| Then to make sure he was dead he
hit him again and again in his rage.
But how did he get out?" asked
| the chief.
BARLEY turned to the butler. who
| was standing silent by the door. I
had noticed that the old servant.
alter one quick glance at the
| murdered man, had never looked
again. His face was not only white.
| but he looked sick.
Did you ever see this cane?" he
| was asked.
Half shuddering, he glanced at 1t,
even touching it, with trembling
hands. He looked at it carefully,
finally taking it and turning it over
and over.
mo, Mr.. BARLEY. I did not" came
| the answer. Il am sure it never be-
longed to the master. He had a
few canes, but never used them.
But I am sure that this did not be-
| long to him."
| fore?"
He was silent a second. as IL try
| ing to think, then shook his head.
! Mr.. Barley" asked Dunn, in
that squeaky voice, what do you
think was the motive of the
murder?"
BARLEY did not answer him at
! first, going over to the safe and
peering in the open door. Crowding
/ near him. we saw that the inner
door OF the safe was locked, the
thin sheet of steel resisting our ef-
iort TO open 1t. BARLEY stood look
ing silently at 1t a moment, saying
| Eothing. Then he went out into the
| iprary. Upon the long tables were
! the wedding gifts. the usual kind
Great stacks Of snowy linen, rows of
gittering cut glass, silver without
number. 1t seemed. Down the three
long tables he passed, pausing only
once. The itswas to look at a little
mahogany box that stood in the
| midst of a mass of silver. He
i reached over and lifted it, then put
| 1t back. But apparently he found
nothing to interest him, for the
wedding gifts seemed untouched.
Ihen when he came back to the
door of the smaller room, he an
swered the question the detective
| had asked.
Il can't tell what the motive for
the murder was. Dunn. The safe
was not touched. SO far is can
| see, the wedding gifts are all right.
| IL 1t was robbery, there are a good
| many thousand dollars worth Of
things on those tables. I don't see
| any motive yet"
He paused, turning to the butler
VINO followed behind US, silent like
gray ghost.
| Richards, Mr.. Rice had a secre.
! tary. Where is she?"
| You mean Miss Long, She does
not stay in the house, sir. Mr.. Rice
told her she might like to have her
| mother with her this summer. and
| they stay at the Rhode Island. thar
| littie MOTEL on the bank of the river
She comes In about 10 o'clock every
Gay. l telephoned to her, after
called you. and she should be here
| very SOON"
She would have a list of those
wedding gifts. and would know If
anytning mad been taken" BARLEY
SAID. turning to the chief.
The chief was apparently ont M
MS depth. He was the typicaI
small-town chief of police, whose
| work dealt with petty crimes. Con-
ironted with murder. he was ali at
sea. All he could do was to stand
py and watch BARLEY with inter-
ested eyes as he went about his
work. Still, there was one thing in
! fis favor. He realized the crime
was beyond him. and was willing TO
| allow the other man to go ahead
We had In the past dealt with police
\ chiefs who would not do this. But
| this one seemed glad that some one
OF experience was to work with him.
His detective had the keener mind
| OF the two. despite the fact that he
was rather queer-Iooking chan.
ana mad That funny, squeaky voice.
his eyes were keen, and thew
wandered again and again around
the room. It was he that said:
| mr.. BARLEY, those detectives said
! the door leading from the han into
| Inc library was locked, with the kew
on the inside. If so, the murderer
could not have locked that door
| from within and got out, unless he
| got out of that open window" He
pointed to the library window which
stood half open.
BARLEY nodded. We went over TO
the window and looked out. II
was still very foggy. the fog cling
ing to the ground, hiding everything
from sight. But got the idea that
1t was going to lift in a little while.
Tor was raining steadily.
The window must have been at
least fifty feet from the ground.
which we could not see. Il seemed
impossible for any one to escape
from that window. save for one
thing. That was, about three feet
under the window there ran q ledge,
&