Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-07-11
". sronr rxus Pan

murdered in his library On the eve. o.
his daughters wedding The eoor
was found in the lock.
John BARLEY. crime detector and his
best friend; is called IN On the Ss rns
that the crime had been committed
while two detectives, hired TO- guard
the wedding gifts. were in the house.
Miss Long, secretary. OF the muir
dered man, discovers that one OF the
presents IL missing--a box containing
5000 in gold pieces.
Faith, Rice's daughter, admits that
her cousin, Donald Maxson, was jealous
of her. She had also received anony..
nous letters whose writer threateneo
to break up her wsadins' MoEd cones ss
Maxson has been drowned.
Peit. Bartley's friend. is the MARIA
' little pisasrseabIs Incident"
No one spoke for o moment, for
the buffers words had startled all
of us. The girl gave one horriied
look at the butler as II she could
not believe what he said; then
reading from his look that he had
told the truth, turned to BARLEY.
BARLEY was startled. I could see.
yet the expression on his face was
q
might have meant anything. See
ing that the girl was too hofrihed to
speak, he turned to the butler him
| self.
was that all they told you? I
judge they phoned you from the
beach,"
The butler shook his head. then
after a glance at the girl spoke:
mo, sir, they called up and said he
was drowned. Said he went in
bathing down at the beach. The
! life guard saw him swim out till
the heavy fog hid him. then heard
him yell for help. He swan out to
get him, but never found him"
Bartley's face was study for a
moment, then he beckoned me to
his side.
"Pelt." he said, this is strange
news. It's very odd the young man
should be drowned just when we
wished to see him. You better take
the car and go down to the beach.
See the life guard and find out all
| you can about it,
went from the room, walking
down the stairs to the first floor
and out of the house to the car, still
standing where we had left 1t. The
fog had almost lifted and the wind
was rising. the little spits of rain
dashing into my face as I climbed
! into the car.
The bathing beach was at the end
| OF Main street, the further end.
section of the Hill, street filleo
with little shops and stores. One
sideskirted the bay almost to the
entrance that led to the bathing
beach. Here I stopped the car and
| climbed out. There was a long
bathing beach, though divided in
two parts; one part was used by
the cottage colony and was private;
the other section was public. A
large uilding where they, rented
suits, stood by the entrance to the
boardwalk that led to the beach.
There was no crowd renting suits
this morning, IN fact no one was
around but a red-headed clerk.
! smoking cheap cigarette. He was
rather bored when I first spoke to
him, coming to life when I told him
what l wished. But he knew little
at that.
He had seen Maxson as he passed
down the walk to the private bath
Houses. and as he put II, wondered
why any fool wanted to 70 in The
water on such foggy morning."
Thirty minutes before we got the
phone call. the life guard had come
rushing up from the beach, saying
the young man had been drowned.
Then he had called the house.
The next thing was to see the life
beach. l went down the long board
walk past the bathing houses. long
rows OF weather. stained buildings,
ending at last on the sandy beach.
1t was a particularly fine place to
battle. The long point of land, used
once for a government reservation.
ran for mile or more out into
Fisher Island Sound. On one side
was the ocean itself; on the other,
only thirty feet away. were the still
waters of the bay. The beach was
almost deserted. save for several
children and the life guard.
Reaching his side, told him my
errand. His story was brief. Max
son mad come down from the bath
ing house In his suit. stopping to
talk with him for a few minutes.
The water was not very rough but
the fog made 1t impossible to see
more than a few feet away. He
thought nothing of the young man
going In, for he knew he was a yerv
good swimmer. After he had been
IN the water about ten minutes he
heard him cry for help. It was hard
TO tell Just where the cry came from
because Of the fog. He swan out.
nearing the cry once more but was
unable to find the young man. After
the fog had lifted he had looked
again with no results.
turned and looked at the ses
The surf was rising under the wind
and the water looked black ana bilv.
Ihe dark threatening sky. still
hlied with .wisps Of fog, made n a
cold and dreary picture. / shud-
dered as ! thought OF the Young
man. battling for his life. IN fbe
suiIen sea. turned to the g1,af6.
what do you think happened?''7
ne shrugged his shoulders. '.Darn.
ca II l know" was the reply. hThA
Iellow was as good a swimmer AZ
tnere 10 down here. Maybe he had 4
cramp. Maybe he a. out too far
ana was swept round the point ~
tne tide, out In the open sea-" Hs
paused, then added. -"But / don,t
see why that should happen. Hs
was a good swimmer, and that crv
I heard was not very far cut.
suess ike all Of them ne had 4