The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-07-09
CHAPTER a.
BEHIND A MASK

The thrOb and beat OF JcrryS voice
ceased Gu tho final word and we sat
in silence again. Lucy was weeping
scftly, l had to dab furtively at my
eyes, and Henry blew his noce moro
vigorously than usual. We had lived
through an emotional experience of
great intensity. The end of the drama
had plunged us cmotionally exhaust
cd. into the depths.
The precision with which the frag-
mcntary evidence MacNair and Dea-
con and I had discovered fitted into
the various parts of Jcrry's story was
amazing. Our evidence had sug-
gcstcd much. but it actually had re-
vcaled little. and this exquisite dove
failing Of cause and effect fascinated
me. Even my experience in the Sc
cret' room had become clear. Wax
figures. indeed!
l had not missed the pathos Of
Furie's devotion to his Bull and Nap.
For 80 years he had guarded and
cherished them! No wonder his ter
ror that they might be destroyed or
taken from him had driven him to
deceive me! Poor Furie! I gave Bull
and Nap credit for what sanity was
left to him.
Our case was far from complete,
however. Jerry, I believed, had more
to tell us.
And So" Henry muttered. break
ing the silence, that was the poker
game that cracked the town."
Jerry nodded, his eyes brooding.
'rorridity was abandoned shortly
afterwards. / wish I could have
put 1t in the way he did"
You have l told him gently.
II never felt as if I really knew
him." the boy went on.
Perhaps you thought Of him as
wearing a mask"
That's it," he exclaimed. "A
mask. yes. But sometimes the mask
slipped. It's a queer thing to say
about ones father"
I nodded Understandings, but Lucy
shook her head.
1T was the real Uncle Andrew shin
ing through the mask" she said. with
deeper insight than ours. THAT aw-
full game. and finding Uncle Jerry
dead-they must have done dreadful
things to him. Poor Uncle Andrew"
1T meant changing his speech. his
mode Of living, his outlook on life,"
Henry observed thoughtfully. But
fundamentally he remained the
same"
"Only sometimes the mask wore
thin" I added sadly.
Jerry shut his eyes. when I think
Of the way I harried him about open
ing that mine!"
It was hard to really find ones
father and lose him in the space of
an hour or two and I started up, in
tending to drop my arm over his
shoulder. but Lucy was before me.
Sliding onto the wing Of his chair, she
gently drew his head to her breast
and ran her fingers softly through his
dark hair.
You had better tell us the rest of
1t. jerry" I said quietly.
He nodded. Dad had no trouble
about the mine. It was never claimed.
He waited a few years. then he had
1t transferred to his new name. Queer,
what happened to the transfer and
the check, isn't It? II Lundy didn't
leave the room between the end OF the
game and when dad shot him, neither
did the transfer and the check-un-
less Lundy. passed them on to some
n else, which doesn't seem likely"
His mind is a blank about what
happened to him that night" I said.
He won't know what he did with the
papers. He must have hidden them
SO we'll that nobody has been able
to find them"
THE transfer may have been
found" Deacon suggested, land MOTH
ing been done about It,"
Him." I said. In my opinion the