Evening Star Newspaper, January 11, 1924, Page 34

ABOVE S USPICION By Robert Orr Chipperfield. Aushor of “The Second Bullet,” “Unseen Hands,” . “The Trigger of Conscience,” Etc, Capyright, 1923, by Bobert M. McBride & Oo. “But how did he do it—the murder, I mean? What weapon did he use? You know there weren't any foot- prints on the sanded floor near where Benkard had been sitting.” The doc- tor halted beside the fountain. “I don't_know how Dunn got down here, but T figure ho came by the late train and kinder hung 'round till the rest o the folks went to bed. He must have been tolerable famillar with Benkard's - habits and took a chancs on his sittin’ up, alone. He asked mo last week how I thought the murder was committed, same's your doin’ now, and when 1 told him, T saw I'd called_the turn from the way he acted. Benkard muat have fell asleep after all. Do you remem- her when you examined the body you £ot me to lay boards from my pile on the terrace all 'round the bench, so's you could walk on 'em and not leave no tracks His companion nodded idn't git any notion murd'rer might = a-done thing, did you? If he was hangin' ‘round the terrace he prob'bly seen Rupert Ashe and hid till he'd went off again in his motor .boat, because the hoy aid Henkard was smokin the last sight he got o him from the steps. The murder must a-been all planned and figured out in ev'ry de- tall *way ahead, and 1 reckon Bunn brought some sort o' a weapon with him; he could a-hid a heavy hammer or a'wrench under Lis cout as casy as not, and we can be certain he had sonie excuse 'hout important business ready for Benkard so's he wouldn't suspects nothin'’ Geoff went on When he asked me T told him T had it figurcd out that Benkard fell asioen and the murd'rer datd down the boards same's 1 did for xou. 1 noticed then they didn't . make no sound on the soft sand, and he must a-been particlar, o' course, to go mighty easy and quiat. 1 told Dunn the niurd’rer must a-lajd them hoards one after the other, crep' up behind Benkard and hit him just one blow then when he was sure hed finished him he took 'em up agin as he went and put ‘em back on my pile. There wasn't no blood on ‘em though I looked careful. so 1 reckon he made kinder a wide clrcle to git ‘round the bench. He dtdn't have the nerve to slam him right in the face, and then Benkard's head must have fell forward on his chest. | figure Dunn hustled straight back to the city— No could a-got the early milk tratn if e'd walked to the county seat— nd_waited for the mews. He told it you recollect, that e couldn't ep that night and went out a Walked the streets till most morni o he had his allbi, sech at it was all fixed—But come on, Doc. Mis' Cayley an’ that lawver look® as though they was waitin' for us finfsh our confab and g Mrs. Caviey halted them with one final appeal “Now that Dunn is dead and there will be no trial. surely—surely it will be unnecessary and cruel to me end my daughter to expose the story about Mr. Shirley's death! There is poor old Henry, too. His loyalty to my brother made him voluntarily an sccessory after the fact, and 1 can- Tot Lear to think that he may have o spend his few remaining days in prisont “Well,” Geoft glanced at the doc- tor, “there’s somebody got to be told end T guess mebhe the doc will leave it to har to deptde.” 43 woman! A lady!” Geoff corrected with em- phasis. ¥She was waltin’ to marry young Shirley after lovin' him al- wave. Her halr turned gray with sorrow though she ain’t much older'n Miss Sherwood ‘pears to be, and she's gontle and sweet-natured. 1 reckon that the the same | vears. to | mebbe if the doc puts it up' to her, givin' her proof o’ the truth and what it would mean to you and Miss Millie and old Henry to have it come out. besides standin’ ready to givd the same proof to any o who knew and remembered the boy she might be willin' to let it b dropped there, though I s'pose she'll want his body brought home now.” .“Give me her name and addres: Mrs. Cayley exclaimed eagerly. will write or go to her, plead with her—!" Geoff shook his head. “I couldn’t do that, ma'am. When the doc sent me to her it was in strict confidence, and nobody else anywheres near New York city knew where she lived except Willlam Dunn, for young Shirley himself had told him ‘bout her. We'll do what we kin, but it looks as if she had a right to say what should be done.” “Geoffrey is correct on that." Hood backed him up valian decision must rest with her.” Mrs, Cayley was forced to be con- tent When they departed, Geoff took the wheel of the little car and handed Dunn’s lnst message to the doctor. It read: “My dear Geoffrey I can wait no longer that little journey I mentioned to vou when you were here, and I am writing to you now because, having neither relative nor friend in the world, there is no one clse who will feel the least interest in my de- parture except the authorities. 1| to start on the townsfolk ! "HE EVENING me, and two ‘others from headquar- ters. They pretend *hey only ‘want to leara if I have heard from you. but_that is an excuse, a lle! Sooner or later they will come with proof and I can make no defense. Only two roads are open to me, prison or the unknown, and I have made my choice. Your lifo appears to have been simple, Geoffroy, filled with hard work and holding few of the things which men count worth striy- Ing for, but you have avoided the pitfalls which e in the path of such as 1, so try not to think too badly of me. “It is nearly morning and I must do what remains to be done befors my neighbors are stirring. If thore be a hereafter and I am not judged too Barshly, perhaps wo shall meet again. “Good-night, “WILLIAM DUNN. CHAPTER XXIIL Geoft Minds ¥iix Own Business. A week later Geoft was mixing con- crete for the terrace at the Middle- tons’ old place and whistling cheerily the while, when Adrian came out to him. There were deep lines about his boyish blue eyes and his lips were set in an ominous line, but he smiled pleasantly as he greeted the workman. Geoff had only returned the night before from his second journey to have loft a note addressed to the chiof the detective: bureau at police headquarters the right- hand drawer of the cabinet which stands next the mantel here in my shall mppreciate it if tify them. 1t explains may not already oncerning my erime and why T have hated Josiph Benkard all these seven hated him even though T Served him well. but it was throug fear alone “When T was on the brink of fallure seven vears ago, T hypoth eca blocks certain stock be- longing to my customers. but it did nat s me. 1 thought T knew Benkard slightly at that time, but he must have been studying me known me better than I knew my. self and that T would be wax in his hands. How he found out what T had done T never learned, but he came to me at the darkest hour, when my books were {n the hands of the recciver and T knew the missing stock would be asked for very soon and—offered to replace it if I would become his secretary. 1 jumped at the repricve from disgrace and im prisonment. T was humbly grateful to him, not only for that. but for this mark of his confidence In me—until 1 learned too late what that confidence was to he! All the negotiations for his secret. underhand, crooked work were left to me, I was the cat's paw and if discovery had come 1 should have borne the hrunt of it and suf- fered in his stead, for he had with devilish: cleverness made it appear that T was speculating on the side and using his stock without his knowledge. He kept his word and replaced my customer's stock which T had originally stolen. for he saw 1 would he too valuable a man for Kim to lose, and I have become deeper and deeper involved while he kept his hands clean. T could not expose him and nothing but his death would have set me fres. T am frea now and I shall not live to be taken “T thought T was safe to find what peace I could, but within the last few davs I discovered that the au- thorities were beginning to suspect onl know | SAY “BAYER” when you buy-Ggnuine When vou see the “Bayer Cross” on tablets, you are get- ting the genuine Bayer Aspirin proved safe by millions STAR, WASHINGTON, the south and to the gentle soul who had walted there. for the tidings which he brought.” He had not mise Jjudged her. She had known what it was to live with the stigma of guilt clinging to the memory of one who had passed on. Although it would in this case have been richly merited, for the sake of the innocent relatives and associates left behind, as well as the loyal old Henry, Miss Katherine had been content to let the past re- main undisturbed, excepting for the few old friends who stlll remem- bered. For herself it was enough that her own sure woman's instinct had proved true, and the boy, led into temptation by an older, evil genius, had yet been more victim than ac- complles” in the crime for which he had pald with his life. “Thought we never should get you here, Geoff.” Adrian seated himself on the low wall. “Wish I could stay to see the house and terrace when you get them all in trim, but I'll be far away by that time.” “You goin’ fo travel?” Geoft looked up in surprise. “Yes. 1 have some property up in British Columbia that I've got to in- spect and no one needs me here- my sister-in-law has Miss Sherwood, you know.” Ho added the last hastily and then went on: “The case of Ben- kard's_murder is settled and done with. Did Dr. Hood tell you?" “I seen him when I got back last night.” Geoff nodded. that Mre. Cayley changed right ‘round and announced herself that her daughter was goln” to marry young Ashy “He's a fine boy and they ought to be happy.” There was a wistful note in Adrian's voice which told its own story to his companion, and Geoff was mightily concerned. What could have gone wrong between Miss Sher- wood and this boyhood playmate of) his? “I was sure Mrs. Cayley would consent in the end; women have & way of changing their minds, you know." “Don’t know nothin' a-tall ‘bout Geoft responded, hastily. “T aim to mind my own business, and most ‘speclally where they're sarned. | fou got pretty well mixed up in this Benkard case, though!" Adrian smiled, and then the lines of unhappi- ess séttled onoe more upon his fac “Doc Hood's the big sleuth in the newspaper reports, but 1 suspect you had more than « hand in it.” | “I only done what Doc Hood asked me to,” Geoft declared. “The way he figured it, that poor feller Dunn must-a brooded over his own failure till he got kinder cracked, and secin’ | Benkard more and more successful every year he hated him and mude up Lis mind to crush him, and the| ides was workin’ in his mind all the | while he was sendin’ them anonymous letters. Both the doc and me had Mr. | Lane wrong, though Benkard a-done things in his bu and prescribed by physicians over 23 years for Colds Toothache Gopusine” if they not actually know, for a ive has been hounding Headache Lumbago Neuralgia Neuritis Accept only Handy “Bayer” Also bottles of Rheumatism Pain, Pain . ‘Bayer” package which contains proven directions. boxes of twelve tablets 24 and 100—Druggists. Aspirin is the trade mark of Bayer Manufacture of Monoaceticacidester of Salicylicacid ‘was unlawful if they’d come out, but net Lane. The investigation showed that he was as stiaight as a dle, even if he did pull off some pretty shrewd deals, and his 'sociation’ with 3 ly on the level. wouldn't a-stood for anythin’ else. 1 ad I'm not in that gam remarked Adrian. “I suppose Dr. Hood told you that the New York medical examiners inquiry was just a formality; it brought out that Dunn's janitor heard him go out about 8 o'clock that night, and he never came in again till just before Infants’ Lace Button Shoes, and brown; to 8. $1.00 and black slzes 2 Black and Brown Suede Women's Pumps tan values. Men Brown Calfskin, Goodyear welt; English style. ial values at 3100 M St. Georgetown 6 in the morning. They found a shor, hewvy piece of lead pipe in his rooms that the janitor thought the plumb- ers must have left last month, but he admitted he hadn’t noticed it while he was cleaning up at odd times dur- ing the interval. Dunn was & fool to bring it back with him, but it just #hows that his mind was unhinged. It was @ horrible thing, of course, but I can't help feeling sorry for him, somehow. “Me, 100" Geoff turned again to his work as the other rose. “He's gone now, though, and whatever we think One,o ’an Three Dollar Sale Men’s, Women's, Children’s Shoes Ladies’ and Grown Girls’ High Lace Shoes Values up to $8 this sale Chiliren’s and Misses’ High Lace and Button Shoes Sizes 8% to 13 Women's Brown Pump, log-cabin calt brown quarter, vamp, Big Men's Brown Blucher Style Dress Shoew, all sizes. Very epecial. At— A Sensational Offer ' Open To Everybody~ For Full Particulars See Next Sunday’s NEWS New York:s Picture Newspaper ' S¢ Everywhere ©' him, or anybuddy elne, can't make no ‘difference. You ain't goin’ ‘way 800n, are you? Mis' Harper Middleton dldn't say nothin’ *bout it to me when 1 come to “She_didn't know. I only Sust de- cided—T mean, I received a report from my representative that made it necesgary. A man's work is the only thing in Jife, after all, that's always walting for him when everything €lse ho may have hoped for and plan- ned goes to smash, (To bo Concluded Tomorrow.) and _ Little brown biu solid leather. 10% to 13%; to 5%. Spe- Borw Gentw style, Sizes sizes 1 clal at— Strap Pumps, turn soles. Boys Lace Shoes. Sizes 1 Big values at