The Coolidge examiner., 1937-02-18

Sylvia told me this story. She said
that after Marden left the Stow
kitchen. the night of the masquer-
ade, she suddenly remembered that
she had left Dorinda Belle down by
the Merry Mere. She said that she
couldn't bear to have Dorinda Belle
stay out all night. 1t might rain.
She didn't want to ask you if she
could go get her for fear you
wouldn't let her. And so she too
went out through the little garage
door and ran as fast as she could
to the Merry Mere. 1t took her a
| few minutes to find the doll
1.-THE little imp!" I exclaimed
involuntarily.
but what she let drop was what
established this case for me-that
she could hear Ace Blaikie and Mr..
Hexson talking in the Spinney. That
you see was my last link Now 1
have to go back and tell you that
when we all went into the Spinney,
after Sarah Darbe discovered Ace,
l found something. Nobody else
saw it and I've never spoken of it
to anybody. On the bark at the
base of the nearest white birch
were three drops of what appeared
to be green ink. 1t was a loose
piece OF birch bark. I tore it off
and put it into my pocket. In the
excitement nobody noticed. Both
you and Sarah were watching
Joe Geary as he worked over Ace"
Patrick drew out his bill-fold.
From it he nipped an envelope.
From the envelope he drew a piece
of birch bark and handed it to me.
On it were three green ink spots.
by hook or crook" he went on,
Il managed to find out if there was
any green in any house on the
Head. Perhaps you can remem-
Der now that got two of the wit
nesses 1 examined in this house to
lend me their fountain pens. Mel
ther of them used green ink. I had
asked Ken Winslow to hold up any
letter that came through the post
Office written with green ink. But
none came. When / came in from
my talk with Sylvia on the piazza
believe me 1 was boiling with ex-
citement-there you stood with a
written list of some kind in your
hands. And all the items on it were
written in green ink. When you
told me that you had made that list
at Bruce Hexson's, 1 knew. 1t
made sense with what Sylvia told
me-"
But Patrick" exclaimed,
"what were either of those men
doing with a fountain pen that
night?"
well, 1 think 1 know" Patrick
answered. But I can't prove it.
And SO I'm never going to say
anything about this green ink
You're the only person I'm going
to tell, Mary, and you're going to
keep your mouth closed over it as
long as you live"
I nodded.
First place I thought it strange
that after Doctor Marden had made
his accusation of Ace in Bruce Hex
sons presence, that Hexson-feel-
ing as he did toward him-let Ace
drive him back to his camp. In
the second place, Hexson's account
of what Ace said to Doctor Mar
den in your Spinney disagreed with
Doctor Marden'S account. Accord
ing to Doctor Marden, Ace said
that he was going to change his
will. According to Bruce HeXSon,
Ace said he had changed his will.
At once l figured that heXSon'S con-
fession wasn't entirely on the level.
He was trying understand me
with the best motives-he was try
ing to put something over. And he
has put it over Ace Blaikie did not
sign that new will at Bruce Hex
sons place the afternoon of the mas
querade He signed it in your Spin
ney. Bruce Hexson typed it out,
carried it with his pistol and his
fountain pen to your place. He
made Ace sign it. He gave Ace
his pen and Ace did what we all
do when he found the pen wouldn't
work at once He shook it. Three
drops of ink fell at the base of that
white BIRCH
1.-THE END.l