Henderson daily dispatch., 1938-04-23
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CHAPTER SO

first as the little group of men
entered the living room of the
Worthington lodge. where the
other police, the house guests and
servants awaited them.
Ray stood up and his voice was
amazed. That's the man that
1 picked up-the hitch-hiker."
Barbara did not hear him.
simultaneously with Julia and
Garry Page, she spoke a name
outloud.
Bruce Kemper!"
One of the new police arrivals
spoke to his chief. "He gave him
self up, sir. He was on his way
to the police station to confess, he
said. Minton took his girl, he
says. He said he planned to get
her, too, but guess the shot must
have brought him to. He sur
rendered instead"
The gun which the police had
taken away from Bruce Kemper
also fitted the bullet that had been
found. The fingerprints on the
light were his. He had reached
through the door, switched the
light off, and shot through win
dow-the one that was opened.
He answered questions in a
deeply weary, sick voice. He
seemed unimpressed by the pres
ence of the group. The fierce
mental tension that had urged him
to this deed had broken. Even
Julia's face seemed to hold no sur
prise for him. An ambulance was
called and he was taken away.
When the excitement had died
down Julia spoke to Barbara. "I
suppose killed Jimmy. I
couldn't marry Bruce but I played
with him, and then looked him
up when I came to New York, and
he was working for Jimmy, and
Jimmy took fancy to me. It
was because of me he killed JIM
N.Y." Her eyes grew black with
fear. CT killed him, didn't I,
really? And now Bruce will die
for it,"
There was bitter condemnation
of herself in Julia's eyes and it
strangled her voice. Barbara felt
the WEAKNESS and confusion of
the last few hours giving way to
a great pity. 'No, JULIA" she
said. "Bruce is mentally sick"
"And I made him that wayw
mo, he's that way because he
is weak. If he hadn't been, he
wouldn't have let himself go down
when he couldn't have something
he wanted. Someone else, Julia,
would have got him upset if you
hadn't"
"Oh, Barbara, you believe that ?"
The girl began to sob violently.
The physician, still in the Lodge,
entered. A nurse had been hastily
summoned in case someone should
need attention and she took
charge Of Julia. With a little
prayer of thanlzfulness, Barbara
realized that Natalie had taken
this precaution for Julia's sake.
Garry came in to say goodby.
He had on his heavy topcoat and
carried a gray felt hat He looked
near and dear as he stopped to
take her hand.
"Goodby, Barbara, I'm going.
When all of this is a mirage, may
I call you some day?"
Some day, Carry" she an
swered, and wondered if ever the
threads of a broken pattern could
be pieced together so the knots
did not show, even to the heart.
She heard Garry's engine start
ing, and watched the car slide
down the silver streamer of rib
boned road, outside the side en-
trance.
Upstairs Wenda was having
Mysteries and the nurse had gone
to her. Julia, it was reported, was
sleeping.
Ray Upton came to sit at the
other end of the great overstuffed
divan by the fire. "You haven't
heard my good news" he said
gently.
That's right, and / could do
with a little good news. What is
it, Ray?"
,"I've got my assignment, Babbs
honey. I sail in four weeks for
Paris. I'll be there month and
then I'm going on to central Eu-
rope"
I'm so glad, but how I'll miss
you'll"
II wish you meant it."
It was quiet in the long room
where the tragic play had ended
such short time before. The log
had burned down and no one had
thought to replenish the fire. 1t
was showing again and the flakes
tapped at the windows.
II do mean it, Ray"
1--WE a hunch it would be .