Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-10

had just been done away with, II was
still dark There was hint OF thun-
der in tho air. Thus, as l passed
through the quiet streets. along their
little gardens. and cast n negligent
gaze at the suffered houses l could
not help feeling that among these
peaceful little lives there must be
just one, an ambitious boy, a love
lorn girl. feeling disturbance, the
painful electricity of the air. IL only
one could see through walls. / stood
fC.r moment looking over the gar
den gate of a house where the front
garden was filled with a plantation
of haunting dahlias that shone
white in the darkness. No. nothing.
Nothing there but wealth, or at
least comfort and case. In silence l
went on. The street cndlessly
wound on it's way. Garden after
garden, comfortable houses. one
after the other. At last, dispirited
and very tired, / stopped for n mo-
ment to rest against the gatepost of
a long, low house. built perhaps Il
hundred years ago. Its architecture
interested me for it had only one
floor. 1t was one of those old coun-
try houses, George III perhaps.
which London has absorbed as it ate
up the fields. The front was COW
cred with white stucco, and toll
French windows led into the garden.
a portion of which was tagged. Upon
the flags stood old plastered jars. in
each of which grew a massive bush
of chrysanthemums. / could not per-
ceive details, but l guessed that the
lawns were well-kept; tho distance
between the house and it's two neigh
bors showed that 1t stood In extern
sive grounds. Here again, j thought
as l Icant over the low wall which
separated the garden from the street
here again wealth, and q life where
nothing happens.
At that moment, as I stared Mt one
of the French windows, l realized
first that here burned light. IL
was faint, because 1t had to struggle
round thicks curtains. Half-past five.
Someone awake? Curious. Lights in
the night always interest one: social
life, love, sickness, death, all these
cali lights into the windows. I stared
at it for a moment. Then, just as l
was about to pass on. ! start
ed. Ieaping away from the wall and
coming back; the sound of revolver
shot had impressed my cars. Ana
though 7 had seen no flash, i knew
with the absolute certainty OF in
stinct that the shot had come from
the room where the light still family
glowed.
/ listened acutely for nearly min
ute. Groans, the sound of a strug-
gle. another shot, any Of those would
confirm what ] had discovered. But
there was nothing. nothing but
silence. In the far distance j heard
the horn of q motor car, which sound
cd loud and near. so taut were my
nerves. But nothing came. and still
I stared at that window. What had
happened there? Who there lay
dead? The fact was such shock to
me that for a moment / proposed to
find AZ policeman az quickly as i
might. Then I felt ashamed: 1t Is a
moor adyenturer Of the night draws
the commonplace police into the ex-
traordinary.
SO. looking about me. and hnding
myself unobserved, I lifteo the latch
of the gate. tiptoed up the Tagged
walk. where my feet. trampling the
gravel. seemed to make the noise OF
a machine gun. A broad lawn lay
before the window: for a moment,