Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 1920)
I( THE MARK OF CAIN ) ^ Copyright. 1917, by J. B. Llppincott Co. ^ ^-i “There!” shouted Fishy, triumphantly; “now wait a min ute, Mr. Berg,” and by the force of his own insistence Fibsy held the audience, while he pursued his own course. He drew a silver quarter from his pocket and handed it to Sandsrom. “Look at that,” he cried, “look at it good!” He snatched it back. “Did you look at it good?” and he shook his fist in the oth er's face.. ,, “Yes, Ay look at it good. “All right; now tell me where the plugged hole in it was? V\ as it under the dale, or was it over the eagle. The Swede thought deeply.. “Be careful now! Where was it, old top? Over the eagle?” v “Yes. Ay tank it been over the eagle. “You tank so! Don’t yon know?” The heavy face brightened. “Yes, Ay know! Ay know it been over the eagle.” “You’re sure?” “ Yes, Ay bane sure.” “All right, pard. You see, Mr. Coroner,” and Fibsy handed the quarter over to Berg, “they ain’t no hole in it anywhere!” Nor was 1here. Berg looked mystified. “What's it all about?” he said, helplessly. “Why,” said Fibsy, eagerly, “don’t you see, if that fool Swede don’t know enough to see whether there’s a hole in a piece o' chink or not, he ain’t no re liable witness in a murder ease 1” «... . ii 1 n o . _ The boy had scored, ho iar as the Swede’s alleged recog nition of Landon was evidence, it. was discarded at once. Coroner Berg looked at the boy in per plexity, not realizing just how the incident of the silver quar ter had cotne about. It was by no means his intention lo allow freekle-faeed office boys to in terfere with his legal proceed ings. He had read in a book about rnal-observation and the rarity of truly remembered evi dence, but he had not umlestood it clearly and it was only a vague idea to him. So it nettled him to 1 ave the principle put to a prac tical use by an impertinent urch in, who talked objeetiouable £>; ng. a «rudge Hoyt, looked at Fibsy wTtti growing interest. That boy had brains, he concluded, and might be more worth-while than his appearance indicated. Avice, too, took note of'the bright eyed chap, and Kane Landon, himself, smiled in open approval. But Fibsy was in no way elat ed, or even conscious that h* had attracted attention. He had aeted on impulse; he had dis believed the Swede’s evidence, and he had sought to disprove it by a simple experiment, which worked successfully. His asser tion that the Swede had been told to say that he eeognized Landon, was somewhat a chance shot. Fibsy reasoned it out, that if Sandstrom had seen Landon in the woods, he would have recog nized him sooner at the inquest, or might even have told of him before liis appearance. And he knew that the police now sus pected Landon, and as they were eager to make an arrest, they had persuaded the Swede that he had seen the man. Sandstrom’s brain was slow and be had little com prehension. Whether guilty or innocent, he had come to the scene at his wife’s orders, and might lie not equally well have satisfied at the orders or hints of the police! At any rate, he had admitted that he had been told to say what he had said, and so be had been disqualified as a witness. And yet, it all proved nothing, rather it left them with no defi nite proof of any sort. Fibsy ignored the stupid - looking Swede, and stared at the coro ner, until that dignitary became a little embarrassed. Realizing that he had lessened his own importance to a degree, Berg strove to regain lost ground “Good work, my boy,” he said, condescendingly, and with an air of dismissing the subject. “But the credibility of a wit ness's story must rest with the gentlemen of the jury. I under stand all about those theories of psy—psychology, as they call them, but I think they are of lit tle, if any, use in practice.” “Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” said Judge Hoyt. “I find them ▼ery interesting. Do you always o Fibsy, with an earnest face, “it’s seein’ true. Now, f’r instance, Mr. Coroner, is the number for 6 o’clock, on your watch, a figger or a VI?” “I cannot allow this child’s play,” and Mr. Berg looked de cidedly angry. “But that’s rather a good one,” said Judge Hoyt. “Come, now% Berg, do vou know which it is?” “Certainly I do,” Berg snapped out.. “It’s the Roman letters, VI.” “Yessir?” said Fibsy, eagerly. “An’ are they right side up, or upside down, as you hold 12 at the top?” B.rg thought a moment. “As 1 hold 12 at the top, they’re up side down, of course. All the numbers have their base toward the center of the dial.” “The the six on your watch is VI, with the tops of the letters next the rim of the watch?” “It is,” said Berg, adding sneeringly, “would you like to see it?” “Yessir,” and Fibsy darted forward. The coroner snapped his watch open, and after a brief glance, the boy gave a quick little wag of his head, and went back to his seat, without a word. But the man flushed a fiery red, and his pompous air desert ed him. “Were you right, Berg?” asked Judge Hoyt. “Come now, own up?” tt k * i _» 1_ A very natural error, mum bled the coroner, and then De tective Groot pounced on him, demanding to see his watch. “Why, there's no six on it at all!” he cried and then gave an uncontrollable guffaw. “There’s only a rottnd place with the sec ond hand into it!” “This tomfoolery must be stopped,” began the coroner, but he had to pause in his speech un til the ripple of merriment had subsided and the jury had real ized afresh the seriousness of their purpose. “Hold on Berg, that’s a fairly good one on a coroner,” said Judge Hoyt, a little severely. “Have you looked at that watch for years and didn’t know there was no six on itt” “I s’pose I have. I never thought about it.” “It does show the unreliability of testimony intended to be truthful,” and Hoyt spoke thoughtfully. “Terence, how did you know Mr. Berg’s watch had a second hand instead of the six numeral” “1 didn’t know a thing about it. But I wanted to see if he did. It might of been a six up side down fer all o’ me, but most watches has second hands there and most people don’t know it. I got it out of a book. People don’t see true. They think a \yatchJias gottcr say six o’clock, they don’t remember it might mean it, but not say it.” Again Hoyt gave the boy a look of appreciation. “Keen witted,” he said to himself. “Ought to make his mark.” And then he glanced back to the dis comfited coroner. CHAPTER VII. Stephanotis. — » m Now Mr. Berg’s disposition was of the sort that when of fended, desires to take it out of some one else rather than to re taliate on the offender. So, after a little further questioning of the still bewildered Swede he turned again to Landon. “Let us dismiss the matter of the Swede and his evidence,” he said, lightly, “and resume the trend of our investigations. Do I understand, Mr. Landon, that you expect to inherit a legacy from your late uncle?” Landon’s eyes flashed. “I don't know what you under stand, Mr. Coroner. As a matter of fact, 1 haven’t much opinion of your understanding. But I know nothing of the legacy you speak of, save that my uncle said to me yesterday, that he would leave me $50,000 in his will. Whether he did or not, I do not know.” The statement was made carelessly, as most of Kane Lan don’s statements were, and he seemed all unaware of the con clusions immediately drawn from his words. “Judge Hoyt,” said the coro atTj turning to the lawyer, “are yn Mvn&te4 in ten of Mr. Trowbridge’s will?” ‘‘Most certainly, as I drew up the document,” was the answer. “Is Kane Landon a benefici ary?” “Yes; to the extent of $50, 000.” It wa3 impossible not to note the gleam of satisfaction that came into Landon’s eyes at. this news. Hoyt gave him a stare of utter scorn and Avice looked amazed and grieved. “You seem pleased at the in formation, Mr. Landon,” the coroner grieved. Landon favored him with a calm, indifferent glance and made no response. Bn^g turned again to Miss Wilkinson, the blonde stenog rapher. “Will you tell me,” he said, “if you know, what caused Mr. Trowbridge to leave his office early, yesterday?” The girl hesitated. She sliot a quick glance at Landon, and then looked down again. She fidgeted with her handkerchief, and twice essayed to speak, but did not finish. “Come,” said Berg, sharply, “I am waiting.” “I don’t know,” said Miss Wilkinson at last. Fibsy gave a quick whistle. “She does know,” he declared; “she takes all the telephone calls, and she knows tke G’uvnor went out ’cause somebody telephoned for him. “Is this true?” asked Berg of the girl. “How can I tell?” she retort ed, pertly. “Mr. Trowbridge had a lot of telephone calls yes terday, and I don’t know wheth er he went out because of one of them or not. I don’t listen to a telephone conversation after Mr. Trowbridge takes the wire.” “You do so!” said Fibsy, in a conversational tone. “Mr. Berg, Yellowtop told me just after the Guv’nor went out, that he’d gone ’cause somebody asked him over the wire to go to Van Cortlandt Park.” “Tell the truth,” said Berg to the girl, curtly. “Well, I just, as lief,” she re turned; “but it ain’t my way to tell of private office matters in public.” “Make it your way, now, then. It's time you understand the seriousness of this occasion!” “All right. Somebody, then, —some man,—did call Mr. Trow bridge about 2 o’clock, and ask*d» him to go to Van Cortlandt Park.” “What for? Did he say?” “Yes, he said somebody had set. a trap for him.” “Set a trap for him! What did he mean?” “IIow do I know what he meant? I ain’t a mind-reader! I tell you what he said—I can‘t make up a meanin’ for it too. And I ain’t got a right to tell this much. I don’t want to get nobody in trouble.” The girl was almost in tears now, but whether the sympathy was for herself or another Avas an open question. “You haAre heard, Miss Wil kinson, of testimony that means to be true, but is—er—inexact.” The coroner smiled a trifle, as if thus atoning for his OAvn late slip. “Therefore, I beg that you Avill do your utmost to remember exactly what that message Avas.” “I do, ’cause I thought it Avas such a funny one. The man said, ‘you’d hotter come, lie’s set a trap for you.’ And Mr. TroAv bridgc says ‘I can’t go today, I’ve got an engagement.’ And the other man said, ‘Oh, c’mon. It's a lovely day, and I’ll give you some stephanotis.’ ” “Stephanotis!” ies, sir, I remembered that, ’cause it’s my fav’rite puffume.” “Was Mr. Trowbridge in the habit of using perfumery?” asked Berg of Avice. “Never,” she replied, looking at the blonde witness with scorn. “I don't care,” Miss Wilkin son persisted, doggedly; “I know he said that, for I had a bottle of stephanotis one Christ mas, and 1 never smelled any thing so good. And then he said something about the Caribbean Sea-•” “Now, Miss Wilkinson, I’m afraid you’re romancing a lit tle,” and the coroner looked at her in reproof. “I’m telling you what I heard. If you don’t want to hear it, “I'll stop.” “We want to hear it, if it’s true, not otherwise. Are you sure this man said these absurd things?” “They wern’t absurd, least ways, Mr. Trowbridge didn’t think so. 1 know that, ’cause he was pleasant and polite, and when the man said he’d give him said, right, off, he’d go.” “Go to the Caribbean Sea wi” him ?” “I don’t know whether he meant that or not. I didn’t catch ! on to what he said about that. I but I heard Caribbean Sea all j right.” “Do you know where that sea | is?” i “No, sir. But I studied it in j my geography at school, I forget where it is, but I remember the name.” “Well it’s- between—er—that is, somewhere near South Amer ica, and the -well, it s down that way. Did ibis man speaking sound like a foreigner?” “N—no, not exactly.” “Like an American?” “Yes—I think so,” “Explain your hesitation.” “Well,” said the girl desper ately, “he sounded like he was trying to sort of disguise his voice—if you know what I mean.” “I know exactly what you mean. How did you know it was a disguised voice?” “It was sort of high and then sort of low as if making believe somebody else.” - u You 're a very observing young woman. I thought you didn’t listen to telephone conver sations of your employer.” “Well, 1 just happened to hear this one. And it was so—so queer, I kind of kept on listenin’ for a few minutes.” “It may be fortunate that you did, as your report is interesting. Now, can you remember any more, any other words or een tences?” “No sir. There was a little more but I didn’t catch it. TSrey seemed to know what they was talkin’ about, but most anybody else wouldn’t. But I’m dead sure of the puffumery and the sea.” “Those are certainly queer words to connect with this case. But maybe the message you tell of was not the one that called Mr. Trowbridge to the park.” “Maybe not, sir.” “It might have been a friend warning him of the trap set for him, and urging him to go south to taeapo it.” “Maybe sir.” These things must be clearly looked into. We must get the number of the telephone call and trace it.” ¥<Can’t be done,” said Detec tive Groot, who being a taciturn man listened carefully and said little. “I’ve tried too many times to trace a call to hold out any hopes of this. If it came from a big exchange it might be bare ly possible to trace it; but if from a private wire or a public booth, or from lots of such places you’ll neve? find it. Never in the world.” “Is it then so difficult to trace a telephone call?” asked one of the jury. “I didn’t know it.” “Yes, sir,” repeated Groot. “Why there was a big case in New York years ago, where they made the telephone company trace a call and it cost the com pany thousands of dollars. Aft er that they tore up their slips. But then again, you might hap pen to find out what you want. But not at all likely, no, not a bit likely.” Avice looked at the speaker thoughtfully. The night before she had asked the number of a call and received it at once. Rut, she remembered, she asked a few moments after the call was made, and of the same operator. Her thoughts wandered back to that call made by Eleanor Black, and again she felt that impression of something sly about the woman. And to tniuk. she had the num her of that cal 1 and coul<j esmily fm T mil who it summoned! But all such things must wait till this investigation of the present was over. She looked at Mrs. Black. ! The handsome widow wore her : usual spinx-like expression and ! she was gazing steadily at Kane Laudon. Aviee thought she de tected a look in the dark eyes as of a special, even intimate in terest in the young man. She had 1 no reason to think they were ac i quaintauees, yet she couldn’t help thinking they appeared so. At any rate, Eleanor Black wTas paying little or no attention to the proceedings of the inquest. But Avice remembered she had expressed a distaste and aversion to detectives and all their works. Surely, the girl thought, she could not have cared very much for Uncle Rowly, if she doesn’t feel most intense in running the murderer to ground. She turned again toward the coroner to hear him saying: (To be continued next week.) There are more than 10.000 youn» women enrolled as students In the University 1'eMUftVtUtia UUB i'diU. WARNING ' Unless you see the name “Bayer” on tablets, you a re not jetting genuine Aspirin prescribed by physicians for ^4 %\ years, and proved safe by millions.—Say “Bayer”! SAFETY FIRST! Accept only an "unbroken package” of genuine “Bayer Tablets of Aspirin,” which contains proper direc tions for Headache, Earache, Toothache, Neuralgia, Colds, Rheu matism, Neuritis, Lumbago, and pain generally. Strictly American l Handy tin boxes of 12 tablets cost but a few cents—Larger packages. Aspirin la the trade mark of Bayer Manufacture of Mohoacetlcacldester of SalicylloaoSA More Interruptions. “Women are taking a great interest In politics.” “To my sorrow,” sakl the harassed fedltor. ^ “Didn’t you work for a woman’s suf frage?” “Yes, but since they’ve won the bal lot women who never bothered me be fore In their lives are calling me over the telephone to settlte their political arguments.”—Birmingham Age-Herald. How's This? HALL’S CATARRH MEDICINE will do what we claim for it—cure Catarrh or Deafness caused by Catarrh. We do not claim to cure any other disease. HALL'S CATARRH MEDICINE is a liquid, taken internally, and acts through the blood upon the mucous surfaces of the system, thus reducing the inflamma tion and restoring normal conditions. All Druggists. Circulars free. F. J. Cheney & Co., Toledo, Ohio. TAKEN FROM EXCHANGES Theory raises a man’s hopes. Prac tice raises his wages. Be cheerful and don’t argue; and you will multiply friends. Wise men may fool others, but the fool fools only himself. Don’t wait for the dead past to bury Itself—cremate It. Paint is like news—of no value un less well spread. Our best opportunities are of the home-made variety. He who laughs last sometimes laughs impudently. Broad hints are wasted on narrow minded people. Facts—and fancies—are stubborn things. The successful man doesn’t believe in luck. Bachelors are men who have illu sions about women. The high cost of living makes us dig down. Kissing is dangerous, but every girl considers herself immune. Many a man is continually in hot water without ever acquiring a clean record. Nor can you tell from the size of a man how far he can jump from the frying pan into the Are. Everyone wants to be entertained; and he will pay as much for it as for food. ■Wg''"' ■" - B On the Job. “Doc, I’in sick of coming to you with this bill.” “Sick?” I’ll gladly prescribe.” The Cuticura Toilet Trio. Having cleared your skin keep it cleat by making Cuticura your every-day toilet preparations. The soap to cleans^ and purify, the Ointment to soothe an$ heal, the Talcum to powder and pef-> fuma No toilet table is compleff without them. 25c everywhere.—Adr« Its Kind. “I saw a circus performance I® which wonderful tricks were done by a big percheron and a tiny Shetland pony.” “That was an exhibition which might be called one of mite and, mane.” Important to Mothers Examine carefully every bottle Of CASTOUIA, that famous old remedy for Infants and children, and see that It Sli In Use for Over 30 Years. Children Cry for Fletcher’s Castori* Growing Our Own Fruit. The imports of fruit into the coun try have shown a steady decrease in the last few years, and it is said th be due to the fact that our orchard products are increasing In quantity and variety. 1 At the Musicale. Enthusiast—Don’t you think the chiara oscuro was fine? . i Non-Musical Guest—To tell the truth, I liked the chicken salad bet ter. Not the Same. “Mrs. Gaddy has no conversation.1* “Why, she talks incessantly.” “Who said she didn’t?” Practice and Theory. “Jubbs was a crank about the sim ple life.” “Naturally; he is now ia a home for the feeble-minded.” Easiest means of spreading happi ness is by paying compliments. Sow ’em thick. Speaking of styles someone remarks that the snake Is the longest-waisted animal. In your effort to make both ends meet you must be mighty careful they don’t snap in the middle. Banns of marriage are so-called be cause ban originally meant proclama tion. Nothing looks so unhappy as a man waiting for his change fn a dry goods store. Postum used in place of coffee has many advan tages, soon recognized. Postum. is better for health, costs less than j coffee, yet has a flavor very similar to coffee. Postum Cereal should be boiled a full fifteen j minutes. Another form Instant Postum is made instantly in the cup, no boiling required. Grocers sell both kinds J "There's a Reason" k