THE MYSTERY DEEPENS
FOR a long time neither the squire nor David spoke or moved. David sat
on the bench where he had sat, a little boy at Sunday School, and the
squire remained kneeling, forgetting his aching bones. When sharp pain
reminded him of his years and his rheumatism, he rose and sat by David
on the low, shallow bench.
"I can't understand it," said he again and again. "One cannot believe
it. There wasn't any motive. He couldn't have wanted to steal it--such a
thing would be entirely impossible. He was already rich; he was always
well-behaved from his childhood up."
David did not answer. His face was in the shadow, only his tightly
clasped hands were illuminated by the bright moonlight. His mind was
confused, he could not yet coördinate his impressions. There was Katy
Gaumer's story, there was Koehler's terrible accusation; here was this
damning proof of both. He felt again that rising, protesting pride in
his father, he felt a sickening unwillingness to go on with this
investigation, which seemed to mean in his first confusion only an
intolerable humbling of himself before Alvin Koehler, the effeminate,
the smiling, the son of a madman and a thief. Poor David groaned.
At once the squire rose with a troubled sigh.
"We'd better put these things back and drive in a few nails to hold the
wainscoting. We'll surely meet some one if we carry them into town and
then the cat would be out of the bag."
David agreed with a nod.
"And here is this paper!" The squire started. Perhaps they were nearer
an explanation than they thought. "Put it in your pocket, David."
David thrust the paper into his pocket with a sort of sob. The squire
laid the precious vessels back on the rough floor of the little pit and
put the wainscoting in place. A few light taps with a hammer and all was
smooth once more as it had been for fifteen years. Then he led the way
into the dim church.
"Come, David!"
David did not answer. He had sat down once more on the low bench. His
thoughts had passed beyond himself; he sat once more beside his father's
body here in the church. He experienced again that paralyzing horror of
death, the passionate desire to shield his poor father from the curious
eyes of Millerstown, his rage at the wild, dusty figure in the gallery.
He remembered William Koehler as he had seen him later in the corner of
the poorhouse garden, waving his arms, struggling like some frantic
creature striving to break the bonds which held him. He saw the face of
Alvin, empty, dissatisfied, vain. He remembered the little house, its
poverty, its meanness. He remembered how he had called upon God to prove
Himself to him by punishing Alvin Koehler's father. David was proud no
more.
"Come, David!" urged the squire again, returning; and this time David
followed him, through the church, out into the warm June night. Cinder
was being dumped at the furnace, the sky flushed suddenly a rosy red,
then the glow faded, leaving only the silvery moonlight. It was only
nine o'clock; pleasant sounds rose from the village, the laughter of
children, the voice of some one singing. Millerstown was going on in its
quiet, happy way. At Grandfather Gaumer's all was dark; the house stood
somberly among its pine trees; the garden still breathed forth its
lovely odors. The two men proceeded into the little office of the
squire, and there the squire lit his lamp and both sat down.
Trembling, David drew from his pocket the paper which the squire had
found with the silver vessels. John Hartman had expected that long
before the silver service was discovered the threatening letter would be
destroyed. But here it lay in his son's hand, its fiber intact. It had
caused John Hartman hideous suffering; it was to hide it that he had
given his life's happiness; here now it lay in the hand of David. Slowly
David unfolded the yellowed sheet and looked at it.
The squire, startled by a cry, turned from the door he was locking
against possible intruders. David's blond head lay on the squire's desk,
the paper beside it.
"What is it, David?"
David held out the paper, his face still hidden. The squire felt for his
spectacles, his hand shaking. Here now was the explanation of this
strange mystery, a mystery thought to be forever inexplicable. Why had
John Hartman done this thing? The squire held his breath in suspense.
But the squire read no answer to his questions. The paper, old and
yellowed and flabby to the touch, could be scrutinized forever, held to
the light, magnified, but it told nothing. On it only a few words were
legible, a portion of those written by John Hartman as he sat by the
roadside in his misery long ago.
"My dear little boy." "My poor Cassie." There was one fragment of a
sentence. "What shall I--" and there all ended.
The squire looked at the paper solemnly. The mystery had only thickened.
"He was in some trouble, poor Hartman was," said he. "He was in great
trouble. I wish he had come to me in his trouble." Again and again the
squire turned the paper over in his hand, still he found nothing but the
few, scattered words.
"I think I will ask Katy to come over," said he. "Perhaps she can
remember something more of this."
David did not lift his head to answer; he did not hear what the squire
said. He tried desperately to control himself, to decide what must next
be done. When Katy came in with the squire, he was startled almost out
of his senses and sprang up hastily. Of all the ignominy of his life
Katy had been a witness.
Katy had not gone to bed to stay, but had only hurled herself down once
more upon her oft-used refuge. It was evident that she had shed many
tears. The squire drew her to a seat beside him on the settle and kept
hold of her. It was always natural for any one who was near Katy to find
her hand or to touch the curls on her neck or to make her more
comfortable with one's arm. To David, as she sat by the squire, she was
an impregnably fortressed and cruel judge.
Again Katy told her story--all her story, her running away, her talking
with William Koehler, her falling asleep, her sight of the shining cup.
"You say he _pushed_ it in, Katy?"
"He had it in his hand and he dropped it in quickly. Then he--he sent me
away. I am sure I ought not to have been in the church; it was all right
for him to send me away. I remembered it all but the shining cup. If
gran'mom was alive, she could tell you how I came running home."
"And you never told any one?"
"I spoke often of his having sent me home," explained Katy. "But I never
remembered about the shining cup until the preacher came to see David's
mother. Then I couldn't tell David,--I _couldn't_ tell him! But perhaps
it isn't there; perhaps even if he had the cup in his hand he hadn't
anything to do with the other; perhaps--"
"The silver is there," said the squire sadly. "We found it in the bottom
of the pit."
"Oh, dear! oh, dear!" cried Katy.
David looked at her coldly. She sat with her curly head hidden against
the squire's shoulder. David wished that she would go, that she would
remove herself far from him, forever. He had suffered this evening to
the limit of endurance.
"You did your duty," said he in the tone learned at college. "You
needn't feel any further responsibility."
Thus propelled, Katy rose and checked her tears and passed out of the
squire's office.
When she had gone, David took up his burden manfully, though somewhat
savagely. David was proud once more, but the pride was that of honor,
not of haughtiness. John Hartman had had a code of honor; it was that
which had broken his heart. Millerstown had a similar code of honor. By
inheritance or by observation had David learned the way of a just man.
"Now," said he, "we will find Alvin."
"To-night, David?"
"Yes, to-night."
"But Alvin will know nothing!"
"But we will find Alvin."