Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1938-02-11
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from his glass of ice water, 'the deed
S of mankind are full of wickedness.
, "Oh, l grant that one reads of ter
5 rible happenings" answered the young
1 engineer, placing his glass of por
wine on the bar as if to accentuatt
his words. "Look at this morning.
1 paper which plays up the murder O.
: Consul Traer. What a grim myster!
r that crime presents! Think of the
: horror of the Consul being murdered
and then thrown into the canal which
flows under his villa. Not only die
the wretch kill the Consul but he triec
his best to murder the Consul's fos-
ter-daughetr. The foster daughter
I tell you gentlemen, is the most beaut
tiful girl l ever saw. Think of his
heartless wretch, so devoid of feeling
that he could want to harm such a
lovely being. Thank God that there
is usually kind fate which watches
over the helpless and innocent. She
was only wounded in the head and she
tainted away from the loss of blood
The murderer evidently thought she
was dead and so he left her alone"
"God help the weak an dthe help
less" murmured the Rev James Code
troy, casting look heavenward be-
fore asking, $50 the Consul was
drowned ?"
eyes, and his body thrown into the
canal which flows right under his
own home. 1t seems that there was
a trap door in the cellar of the villa,
and it opened on the canal. Why the
! Consul constructed that secret canal
is not known. He was a bit eccen-
trio, you know. Anyway it sealed his
! DOOM"
There must have been terrible
fight between the murderer and Con-
sui Traer," continued the engineer,
because the cellar showed signs of a
battle. The torn and bloody night
shirt of the Consul was found by the
trap door, also an ak with strands of
grey hair sticking to it. Bloody fin
gerprints were all over the walls.
Some day we will hear of the Consu's
body being found in the outlet of the
canal and then we can give him a
Christian burial"
God grant it, remarked the Faith
er, bending his head as if in prayer.
THE motive for the crime was the
presence of 100000 marks in the
strong box" said the engineetr. "It
was stolen after the safe had been
cracked"
"That money will bring the thief
only sorrow and misfortune,' said
Father Godefroy, at is the devils
money"
"Who was Consul Traer, anyway 2"
asked Charles Morgan, the first mate
of the S. S. Imperia.
81 live near the Consul's villa, so
1 knew him slightly and also his
foster-daughter," continued the engi-
neer as he toyed with the handle on
his glass of beer. He was on his way
to South America. I had noticed all
day long that he was most uneasy.
Perhaps he, too, had felt the eyes of
the Consul's daughter. All, those
eyes!
What is our young friend the engi-
neer telling about the Consul? Well
g. he was known all over on
account of his strange whims. Ec-
centricities, some said, others called
them by worse names. But the Con-
sui was an honorable man from head
to foot-a true gentlemen. And I
say shame on anyone who would say
a word against him. Naturally a
man like the Consul had enemies. 1t
was his hobby to live alone with his
foster-daughter and at P. M, all the
servants had to leave. Is that wicked :?
He had a perfect right to do as ne
pleased" The engineer, having deliv-
cred. himself of this, looked deep in
his glass.
"God rest his SOUL" murmured the
pastor.
81 hope so," said 1 grudgingly as
1 thought of how the Consul wanted
to throw me into the canal.
4 what do you mean?" asked the en-
gineer.
"Well, the Consul never went &c
church, said 1 impudently.
"His deeds were well meant" re-
piled the pastor, looking at me in ar
angry manner.
A Three Days' Cough