The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-10-27
Chapter 35 MRS. VAN BERG's STORY

M h0s VAN 06n0 V V S'ts "I MUST tell someone. It just goes l on and on in my head all the time. don't sleep, you.know."
 You can tell me-Tm safe" said Caroline. And then as soon as she had said it she had revulsion of feeling. "No, don't tell me-don't! Don't tell me anything! Because if you did it. and they thought it was Jim, should have to tell them"
 Susie shook her head again.
 Tt wasn't like that. What did you think? didn't shoot Elmer-I didn't mean that. Did you think l did?"
 "I don't know. I didn't want you to tell me anything you'd feel sorry about afterwards"
 "I must tell someone" said Susie piteously. If I don't I'll go crazy"
 She broke off with start. Look out of that door and see there's no one listening!"
 Caroline opened the door and looked out. There was no one in sight. The contrast between the room and the passage was extreme. The air was cold. Against an uncur- tained window about three yards away the rain was beating. An inky cloud hung like curtain across the sky. It was so dark that the sun might have set already.
 She went back to the sofa and sat down.
 "There's no one there."
 And at once, without any prelimi naries. Susie Van Berg said:
 Jim shot Elmer"
 ''No!" said Caroline. "No!
 "Jim shot him. It was my fault made Elmer jealous. You know l can't help fiirting-Pm made that way. What did Elmer marry me for if he didn't like it? It made him mad, and-you know the way it is- I liked making him mad. But he ought to have known there was noth- ing in it."
 Caroline heard her voice, harsh and unfamiliar.
 Wasn't there anything in it?"
 "Only nonsense and Jim wouldn't even play up to that. He thought lot of Elmer. There was an invention they both thought lot of. That's what Jim came to see him about that night. Did you know he was here the night Elmer was shot?"
 Caroline nodded. What hap pened?"
 Did you read what I told the police? I didn't tell any lies, but l didn't tell all the truth. They'd have arrested Jim straight away if l had" 4.
 What didn't you tell?" ~
 'I told them I went downstairs to get book, and heard voices in the study. I didn't tell them that it was Jim's voice Iheard."
 "What did you hear?"
 "They were quarrelling-that's why 1 listened. l heard Elmer say, I'm through with you.' And heard Jim say, I'm damned if I'll be spoken to like that!'"
 "Was that all?"
 "No, it wasn't. Jim said, You take that backn And then Elmer got up heard his chair scrape along the floor and he came towards the door, and thought how angry he'd be if he found me there and ran away"
 Jim never shot MT. Van Berg" said Caroline. "Jim isn't thief. The person who shot MT. Van Berg is the person who stole the emeralds." CUSIE VAN BERG put her hand to D her head. She spoke in weak. extinguished voice.
 T don't mind about the emeralds he shot Elmer. And tore the page with his finger-prints out of Elmer's book. knew if the police found it they would arrest him. so tore it out" She sat bolt upright. her hands locked upon her knee. T tore it out, but I didn't tear it up. Do you know where he is? If you do, will you tell him that?"
 "That you tore it out?"
 "Tell him I tore it out, but didn't tear it up. If Elmer gets better, I'll tear it up. but if he doesn,t--" Her locked hands strained one against the other; a line of livid pallor showed beyond the painted line of