Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-11
ABOVE SUSPICION
ByROBERI ORR CHIPPERFIELD
csb. 1872. by Public Ledger

dropped, and his habitual drawl van
ished. ITO think we should a-pick-
ed out him to go to- When did il
happen? Was Lane mixed up in 1t
mo. 1t was just after that sum-
mer down here. Wyckoff's not like
Dunn; he's fighter, and If there
had been anything illegal about the
business Bernhard would have been
behind the bars now instead of In
his coffin. 1t was worse, Geoff; it
was an abuse of friendship.
Wyckoff trusted him, accepted his
tips and passed them on to his
customers land then found himself
all at once on the wrong side of the
marked, and the crash came. That
was Benkard's secret of success: to
win the confidence of lot of the
less important brokers who catered
to small spectators by letting them
know in advance the truth about
what he and his crowd We're going
to do: and of course they would
follow his lead and make money for
time. Then, without warning, he
would betray them and wipe them
out. And the law couldn't touch
him!"
II amt s'prised none" observed
Geoff dryly. Kinder had the opin-
lOll NdS SUN lSiSis
But if it happened once, you wouldn I
although anybuddy would trust him
SOS he could work it again."
That's the worst of it; no one be-
lieves the man who tails. They
think mes just a poor loser and try
ing to put the responsibility on
somebody else" The doctors voice
was stern. Il got the names of two
other firms Wycl;off says went I'M
der because of Bernhard. but
couldn't locate the heads of them.
Robbins Il Boone, one was. and
Lang 4 Lacey. | got enough from
Wyckoff, anyway. about the past,
and he told me a funny thing, too.
that | can't just fit in with the
rest of it. Until about a year ago
Lane and Bernhard We're bitter
enemies, not personal ones. but in
their trading. For years each has
been trying to push the other to
the wall, and then all of sudden
nobody knows how nor why-they
got together and they've been hand
in glove ever since.
IF they're doing anything actually
crooked. l couldn't get line on it.
Wyckoff sent me to another broker
who might know, but | had to wait
until after the market closed to see
him and then he either couldn't or
wouldn't talk. 1 tried to look up
some other folks Wyckoff told me
about and that's what kept me so
late. but they were out of town"
faint my business, but if twas,
l reckon I'd like to know what made
Bernhard and Lane friendly after
fightin' each other for so long.
faint in human mater onless there's
somethin' back O. it, Geoff rested
che of his capacious feet ON the
running board. Did YOU git any
buddy to find out bout what Lane
did after he driv away madder'n a
wet hen on the night o. the murder Q"
Yes. ! stopped in at police head
quarters and they put man on it
tor me- replied the doctor. Hes
driving out in car to meet me
around eleven tonight down by the
picnic grove. Want to come along?
You We're the first to get an idea
that Lane might have come back
night before last, and I'd be glad to
have your opinion
: long as you ask me. Id kinder
like TO hear what he has to say
Course, he needn't know, Doc, that
I'm just workin' round the place
and amt got nothin' to do with your
case Geoff paused, and he did not
see the fat little doctor smile to
himself in the gathering dusk. He
added suddenly: That lawyer fell
Ter, Newbury, went to town right
after the body was brought back
this morning.
He took the same train I did,
but he didn't see me-" DIR. Hood
chucklcd. Il was careful to keep out
of his sight, and when we got to
the city l trailed him, First time in
all my experience | ever tried that,
but 1T wasn't so hard because he
wasn't suspecting anything. You
were right. Geoff, though how YOU
figured it out from just a hint of
that Letty's beats me. Where do
YOU think he went? Straight to
O'Hare's private detective agency"
Where Was Lane?
There was no moon, and the stars
were half obscured by scudding
clouds when Geoff. lantern in hand
made his way along the path over
the meadows to the main road. DR..
Hood was awaiting him. and, after
hiding his lantern in a clump of
bushes, he climbed in and they drove
off for a short distance without
lights, till a turn in the highway
cut them off from view in the
direction of the Cayley estate.
Il wasn't looking to have Zeke
Foster try to nab me-" the doctor
explained as he switched on his
lamps. It's Sergeant Eliot I'm
thinking about. He's lying low
somewhere went up to the house
after | left YOU in the road this
afternoon and found that he hasn't
been in evidence all day. don't
l,o'c 90 L.;
body was On the defensive, too;
mighty polite and anxious to help
but as careful of what they said as
though they were all in league to
protect the murderer. Wait till we
get the evidence of this headquarters
man"
"A closed ottermobile, the kind
Jake calls a sedan driv up long
bout I o'clock, but I couldn't see
who come in it, Geoff observed. Il
reckon they're there yet though. for
it went off in the direction O. Jake's
garage"
1T must have been Newbury, the
lawyer. returning. He's back, and
there's nobody at the house who
wasn't there yesterday, but you
watch out tomorrow. Geof. for a
strange fellow hanging around. He
may pretend to be n house servant
TO take the place of Henry Carp, who
Is really sick from shock, and he
may play the part Of guest, hut
he'll come from O'Haro's Agency"
I'll he soin' right long bout my
own business, Doc" responded the
stonemason in some haste Been
: coins