The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-02-22

worry, I guess, before-before father did"
 "The evidence was all circumstan- tial, of course"
 Joan nodded. "Diabolically so. I guess even the jury couldn't be- lieve otherwise. The murder was so so cold-blooded. remember reading about it in the papers. Dad wouldn't have me at the trial, and mother tried to keep the newspapers from me. But I saw them, of course. And when I read the awful accusations against father, I would forget for a mo- ment who he was, and would shudder with hatred, too"
 Absently, she traced the outline of the lace in the nightgown she held in her lap.
 Father and this MT. Jordan" 7" she went on, were such close friends. He was as devoted to him as I am to MT. Hendry. Or rather, as Bob is to MT. Hendry. Father was young. and MT. Jor- dan, as his employer, gave him unlimited opportunity. He trusted him with every dollar that passed through the company, and father would have died himself before betraying his confidence. He could never have done-what they said"
 He could never have quarreled with him?"
 Joan shook her head. T don't think he ever did. But if there was some little disagreement - I remember someone testified to that - they would not have argued in bad feeling. Bob and MT. Hendry often disagree over cer- tain matters - they argued over this matter of buying the Bella Terra mine from MT. Norton - but there is no bitterness in the argument. Perhaps dad and MT. Jordan argued that morning - but that couldn't prove he - he -"
 Shot him?"
 Tears sprung into loans eyes. Shot him." she whispered, in the - back - Oh, Dorothy can't you believe my father never did that? Can't anybody believe it?"
 Joan jumped to her feet, crying a little hySterically.
 There were tears in Dorothy'S eyes, too, as she got up and put her arms about Joans shoulders. T do believe it, Joan, dear. I can't tell you why do, but I be- lieve in your father just as I be- lieve in you. We can't make a jury believe, but if we know our selves, don't you suppose between us. we could find out something"
 They sat down on the bed to- gether. Hopelessly, Joan shook her head.
 How could we Dorothy?" she cried despairingly. How could we do it, without money, now, when nobody else could - ten years ago?"
 Dorothy sighed. T don't know. Somehow it just seems to me that if you believe in someone so truly 80 positively - you must be able to impress your certainty upon other ."
 My mother believed in him that way"
 Of course. But your mother was probably so terrified, so be- wildered at the time, that her strength deserted her"
 
 I remember. That was another circumstance"
 How"
 Tt was a matter of theft - as well as murder. Whoever killed MT. Jordan did it for several thousand dollars which happened to be passing through the office that day. My father was sup posed to be the only one who knew of the money. And my mother had just undergone a critical operation. Father owed more than thousand dollars to the doctors and the the hospital"
 Dorothy's eyes were bright as she listened. Tt sounds" she said refiec- lively. "as if an ugly Fate had pieced the whole case together
 Tt was exactly that" Joan agreed listlessly Everything work ed together that way - as if it was my fathers fate, and he couldn't t escape it. I guess you can't fight Fate"
 "Fiddlesticks!" Dorothy snorted. You can fight anything"
 After a moment, she asked: with whose gun was the man Shot?"
 With his own gun and fa- ther's fingerprints were on it."
 Did he explain how they got there?"
 Of course. The gun was al- ways in MT. Jordan's desk, in the top drawer. For some peculiar