The Coolidge examiner., 1937-02-11

geSted to the servants that we 60
up the river to the island camp
for the weekend. Adah and Berry
always enjoyed the island camp
and they were delighted with the
idea. They rowed up the river to
the camp. 1 had some port wine
in the camp and l gave them a bot
tie that night. 1 knew that after
the long day, that would make
them sleep and it did. Iney went
to bed early.
Il loaded my revolver and put it
in my pocket. After a while 1
stole out; got into my boat and
rowed over to Second Head. l
walked from the beach to Mrs.
Avery's place. l jumped over the
wall and went into her Spinney. l
was careful to walk on the lawn
so that there would be no foot
prints. In the Spinney is a gravel
path. There was, as l knew, a big
rock in the bushes close to the path.
stepped onto it and sat there
waiting. Presently. l heard Ace
coming from one direction and al
most instantly his bootlegger, Tor
riano, coming from the other. They
met in that part of the path in the
Spinney where there is a circle of
cleared space surrounded by trees
the trees all draped with wild
grape vines. BY this time. the
late moon was out. 1t was as
white as day.
''The conversation between the
two men did not last any longer
than Ace expected. From it I gath
cred that Ace owed Torriano three
hundred dollars. Ace must have
given it to him in cash, for he
asked Tony to count it. Torriano,
who was obviously staggered at
getting the whole sum, counted it;
said at once, Good night, chief!'
cut right through the bushes not
far from where l was hidden and
leaped over the wall onto the road.
Presently, heard a car and l
concluded that he had left the
Head.
But I was not thinking of Tori
ano at that moment, for instantly l
became aware that somebody else
had come through the Spinney path
apparently from the SUNNI. of the
Head. 1t was Miss Fairweather-
Margaret Fairweather. She too,
had come to meet Ace. l could
not see her, but l recognized her
voice. 1 heard everything she said.
1t became quite obvious what Ace
wanted of her. Apparently he was
borrowing money from her. Later
l learned that it Was ten thousand
dollars and that she had brought
him a certified check. The conver-
sation lasted only a minute. Miss
Fairweather handed the check to
him and he gave her his note. Then
she departed the way she had
come.
THE sound of her steps had not
died down when l heard other steps
and l realized that Doctor Marden
was keeping his appointment
promptly. The conversation be-
tween Ace and Doctor Marden was
also brief. Ace told Doctor Mar
den that he had that afternoon
made a new will; that he would
within three days announce that
Caro- PrentiSs was his daughter;
that he would give a big party at
his house to celebrate the event
Doctor Marden expressed a kind
of appreciation and walked on up
the Head in the direction Margaret
Fairweather had taken.
Fortunately for me, Ace lin
gered an instant, also fortunately
for me, Doctor Marden hurried
away. At any rate, Ace had only
turned to start back in the direc-
tion Of Mrs. Avery'S house when 1
emerged from the busiest
For Gods sake. Bruce!' he
exclaimed. How Gomez
LAS he spoke, something hap
pened inside my head The tornado
died down. The flame stopped.
Nothing tore there. Nothing burned
there. But l knew what 1 had to
do. l knew that l had to kill Ace
Blaikie. For 1 knew that Ace was
lying, lying, lying; that he had no
intention of acknowledging Sister
Dora's child until he was forced to
it. l knew that the story that he
was going to induce Molly Eames
to elope with him as soon as pos
sible was also true. knew that he
had borrowed that money from
Margaret Fairweather for that pur-
pose.
Il drew my revolver and placed
it against his heart. Asa Blaikie,'
said, you are wicked man. And
am the instrument God has chos-
en- to punish you for your guilt. Do
not move! Do not cry out! If you
do, shall kill you and then my
self. But repent, repent, l bid you
repent! The time has come for
you to die!'
Ace took it. Ace could always
take anything. He knew at once
that his time had come. He did
not even demonstrate with NEON