William Heyliger

“ Joe spoke in a whisper. “What crime, Uncle David?”
“Embezzlement. You heard that telephone talk of Landry’s? He’s lost heavily in the deal that wrecked Bruce. He’s probably lost money that didn’t belong to him—Allan’s money. Somebody has planned that Allan shall die. Is it the man who would be sure to become wealthy, or the man who might save himself from jail? Who undermined this bridge?” Without haste he knocked the ashes from his pipe. “Come, Joe; we’re going back.” ”

“ Bryan Smith, the president of the bank, agitated and flushed, appeared in the doorway of the little room, saw the blind man and cried out:
“Doctor! Doctor Stone! This way, please.”
Joe Morrow, still clutching his two dollars and his pass-book, went with his uncle and the dog, and the door closed upon them. Inside the room three men stood about the bank president’s desk. The veins in Mr. Pelle’s neck were swollen with rage; Albert Wall, the cashier, tapped his fingers against the desk and frowned, and a third man, who looked lost and bewildered, held on to the back of a chair near the window. ”

“ He settled into a chair and closed his eyes, and appeared to doze. The dog, ever watchful, lay at his feet.
Captain Tucker left the room, and presently, in another part of the police station, a typewriter began to click. The captain came back grumbling and out-of-sorts. The doctor’s devious, subtle methods always provoked him to a show of ill-humor. The telephone rang sharply—there had been an automobile crash near the bridge. A minute later a motor roared into life in the alley beside the station and a motorcycle patrolmen sped away. The blind man did not stir. ”

“ And so they went up to the porch to be met by Allan in the great hall.
“Glad you came, Doctor. Joe, I’ll show you the mare—” His voice broke off. “Bruce, here’s an old friend.”
Joe edged back a step. Bruce Robb, proud and imperious, had often driven him from Allan’s acres, and he was still a little in awe of the man. But the Bruce he met today was morose and restless, and given to a habit of gnawing on a clipped, black mustache.
Alec Landry surged down the hall. “Hi, Doctor. A party to be remembered. Well, why not? It isn’t every day a man comes of age.” ”

“ Stone brought out his pipe, filled it, and puffed with calm enjoyment.
“You see,” he said, “Jud Cory told us the truth. When he arrived with the information that he knew of the money that was his, it was like plunging a knife into Boothy’s heart. Money has rather been Boothy’s god. The way to save the money came with Jud’s threat to kill him that so many persons overheard. Boothy went to the bank, drew out five thousand dollars, wrote the will and the note that you found, wrote himself the letter he showed you, and went to Baltimore to await the results he knew would follow. ”

“ Others have fallen into the habit of shuffling feet and groping walk, with body bent forward and hands outstretched. Some never have walked down stairs unaided. These are things which must be unlearned if the dog is to bring independence. At The Seeing Eye the student is taught to free himself from these habits of helplessness, so that self-reliance and courage gradually return. Anticipation replaces despair as the dog opens a new world for her master, one he dreamed of but never hoped to have again.
All the practice work of the student with his dog takes place on the streets of Morristown. ”

“ Here, walking into a wall of night, he would by himself have to go slowly. But to his uncle the night presented no change, nor did it bring up any new handicap. For to Dr. Stone the world was always dark and black. There was no day or night.
Kent’s car was gone from the driveway. Dr. Stone said: “Easy, Joe; walk on the grass. Any lights?”
“Only in the back.”
It seemed to the boy that his uncle made a sound of satisfaction. The dog, as though sensing the man’s desire for caution, led them slowly, silently. Dr. Stone’s cane touched the tree. ”

“ A thousand men within twenty miles might talk with a foreign accent. I can’t understand this, Doctor. If somebody wanted to use Ira to carry a message why did they shoot close enough to hit him?”
“I wonder,” Dr. Stone said gravely. His hand went into his pocket and this time came out with the pouch. Slowly, almost leisurely, he filled the pipe.
Joe Morrow, groping in the dark for light, abruptly grasped the cords of memory. “Ira could have known his voice,” the boy cried, excited.
“How’s that?” Captain Tucker barked.
“I saw Ira talking to the organ-grinder yesterday in front of the bank.” ”

“ Bruce shrugged. “Allan wouldn’t thank you for a cream-puff. He knows how to ride—he’s proud of it—he warms to a horse with plenty of fire.”
“And yet—.” The cane in the right hand swished gently against a trouser leg. “Even a skilled rider might find it dangerous to ride a strange, fiery horse in the dark.”
“Why don’t you tell that to Skipper, Doctor? It’s his show. Anyhow, the mare isn’t a killer. I know horses.”
“And gypsies?” the doctor asked softly.
Joe was conscious of those strange premonitions twitching at his nerves. Bruce gnawed at his mustache. ”

“ Water lapped against the boat, and moving lights crawled across the distant toll-bridge. Dr. Stone said, “Not much action, Joe,” and the headlights of a car swept toward the lake. They stopped near the planking and snapped out. By and by oars creaked and splashed loudly, a dark shape moved toward the toll-bridge, and voices came across the water.
“Why the toll-bridge, Rog?” the sharp voice asked.
“Use your head,” the genial voice answered. “There’s plenty of light down there. Somebody may see us trying to haul in a big one.” ”

“ I knew only two persons in town who had met the car, or Rog: Jerry, and he was up-country. You; but it was dark last night and you wouldn’t have recognized the car. That put it up to Lady.”
Joe blinked.
“If you owned a dog,” Dr. Stone went on, “it would be your dog. I’m blind. Lady knows it. Lady believes she owns me, and she never forgets. To her Rog will always mean danger—to me.”
“Oh!” Light broke upon the boy. “Then Lady——”
“Yes,” said Dr. Stone. “I knew when Rog’s car stopped at the toll-house. Lady growled.” ”

“ Then footsteps once more filled the room. Not footsteps in a home, but footsteps crunching over a graveled walk. Sounds, for a moment, became confused and fragmentary—the icy-clutch beating of that heart, a child humming, the wash and gurgle of water. Footsteps again crunching gravel. Joe could almost vision a child at play. ”

“ Without haste the doctor folded the check twice, and tore it into bits.
“Write another check,” he ordered quietly. “This time write it for fourteen thousand nine hundred forty dollars. This time sign your own name. Sign it Boothy Wilkes.”
To Joe Morrow the world went topsy-turvy. Through an incredulous haze he saw a snarling man sign a check and almost hurl it into his uncle’s face. As they came out upon the porch with Lady, Captain Tucker’s car swung into the driveway from the road.
“I’ll have men here in half an hour. Where’s Otis, Doctor?” ”

“ The doctor appeared to listen to something in the night.
“Are you going on?” Mr. Foster cried.
“Tomorrow,” the blind man said with that same gentleness. “The night offers obstacles. We might miss something we should see.”
“But to wait—to wait—” The voice broke.
“We wouldn’t hold you in suspense a moment longer than necessary. Tomorrow, at daybreak. Have you the cap, Joe? Don’t lose it.”
Ira rumbled a heavy “good-night” and passed from the moonlight into the shadow of the orchard. A woman’s voice called: “Pa! Pa! Captain Tucker’s wanted on the telephone.” The captain hurried toward the house. ”

“ Dr. David Stone, walking rapidly beside Lady, seemed unaware of the penetrating chill of the pale, thin dawn. His broad shoulders swung with his stride, his coat was open, and no hat covered the white hair of his magnificently-formed head. ”

“ The shepherd dog guided him across the room skillfully preventing him from bumping into chairs and furniture. With his feet on the first tread he spoke again. “It wasn’t Cagge, gentlemen.”
“Do you always leap at conclusions?” Otis King asked insolently.
“I usually keep off paths other men mark for me,” the doctor said quietly.
Joe followed his uncle up the staircase. He kept close to the dog, afraid, in this house of terror, of he knew not what. In the upper hall Captain Tucker halted and clutched his arm. ”

“ The doctor sat up and knocked the ashes of his pipe into the fireplace, “No boy is hard at twenty, Captain. He only thinks he’s hard. Mind if I talk to him?”
Captain Tucker sighed. “I was hoping you would.”
Dr. Stone reached for the dog’s harness. “More work for us, old girl,” he said, and the dog looked at him steadily. Joe wondered if she understood. They went out to the small police car, the tawny shepherd anxiously leading the blind man through the snow to the running-board. Crowded into the car, Joe and the dog in the rear seat, they rode toward the village. ”

“ Half way home a cloud of dust rode toward them, and Captain Tucker’s car came out of the dust. The car stopped.
“So you didn’t arrest Donovan,” said the doctor.
The police officer leaned across the wheel. “Joe must have told you he’s not in the car.”
“Nobody had to tell me,” Dr. Stone said mildly. “Captain Tucker, with a jewel thief in charge, would not be likely to stop for a chat with a friend. You didn’t arrest Donovan?”
“N—no. Even though you’re reasonably sure a man’s guilty, you can’t arrest him for robbery unless you have at least some proof. There is no proof—there’s nothing. ”

“ Dr. Stone said slowly, “there’s always a slip.”
The telephone truck was gone, and now another car came up the driveway and stopped with a squeal of brakes.
“Captain Tucker has evidently finished his breakfast at last,” Harley Kent said with bitter sarcasm. “He’ll want to question Donovan. If you don’t mind, Doctor——”
“Of course.” The doctor took an uncertain step and paused. “I seem to have lost my bearings, Kent. Would you give me your arm to the door?”
Joe followed blankly. It was the first time he had ever known his uncle to lose a sense of direction once established. ”

“ There are no secrets which The Seeing Eye uses to make the shepherd an effective guide, but there are several essentials to success. The first is experience. The knowledge gained by the years of work which have gone into the development of The Seeing Eye is called upon in the education of every student. A second essential is that the carefully selected dog is educated, not trained. She is taught to think for herself and in her instruction learns certain principles which she can apply to problems she will meet later. ”

“ The man’s anxiety to take advantage of a ghost scare and buy cheaply fooled me. We all stumble at times. I should have seen from the start it couldn’t be Sweetman. He was greedy, but he didn’t have the brains. Then, too, there were no creepy manifestations whenever you appeared. By the way, who told Sweetman the ghost would invade his house if he pulled down Farley’s? You?”
“You’re stumbling now, Doctor, aren’t you?” the artist asked. Joe saw that his eyes had become sharp and watchful. ”

“ Captain Tucker spoke. “What good would that do? The old man could write it again.”
“Could he?” Dr. Stone mused. “I’m not so sure. A man who has to lean on a servant’s arm is a sick man—perhaps a dying man. By the way, Tucker, did you look for the manuscript?”
“Yes. He kept it in his bedroom.”
“And?”
“It’s gone.”
“Waring,” Dr. Stone said slowly, “you checked yourself too late. So Anthony forgot—and the manuscript is stolen. That unfinished sentence could convict you.”
“Of what?” Waring snapped.
[90]
“Of murder. The man who stole that manuscript killed Anthony Fitch.” ”

“ Your brother, Boothy.
Captain Tucker folded the letter. “Well, Doctor?” he asked in poorly-concealed satisfaction.
The blind man’s face was inscrutable. “Does a man facing death, a man known to keep a tight fist on a dime, stop to draw five thousand dollars in cash from a bank?”
“Boothy was a-tryin’ t’ buy him off,” Mr. Wilkes shrilled.
“How do you know that, Mr. Wilkes?”
“Reasonable, ain’t it? Reckon a man would ruther pay five thousand dollars than be laid out stiff. What about Jud Cory?”
“We have him,” Captain Tucker answered, “but Boothy’s missing. We believe he’s been murdered.” ”

“ Doctor Stone asked mildly. “Sometimes the blindest persons have eyes.”
A car stopped at the toll-house and, while Sid Malloy collected the toll, Captain Tucker opened the doors and inspected the inside. A clock in a village church tower struck three, and the midafternoon traffic thickened and converged upon the bridge. Cars rolled upon the bridge approach, and stopped, and rolled on again, and the sound was like the beat of some large machine. ”

“ An hour later they came out of the house, and Donovan was with them. The chauffeur was still with them when the car rolled away.
Joe ran for home. “Uncle David! They’ve arrested Donovan.”
“Tucker?”
“No; State troopers. I saw them take him away.”
“I expected it,” Dr. Stone said mildly. Joe, watching him, was presently aware that he slept peacefully in the depths of the porch chair. So can the blind, shut out from the light of the world, in turn shut out the world and drop off into almost instant slumber. ”

“ An automobile, making speed, went up the street with a low drone of power.
“There she goes now,” Joe cried, excited.
“A wonderful motor,” said Dr. Stone.
“That’s just it, Uncle David. A shabby old car with a pip of a motor. What for? A quick getaway?”
[57]
The doctor whistled softly under his breath, and said nothing. Through the black, moonless night Lady led them at her fast pace to an opening in the reeds and out upon planking that led to the boats. Joe got in first, steadied the craft, and helped in his uncle. ”

“ The pace is rapid, rather faster than that of the average pedestrian. Upon arriving at street crossings the dog guides her master to the edge of the curb and stops. He finds the edge immediately with his foot or cane and then gives his guide the necessary command for the direction in which he wishes to go.
[15]
The dog can be depended upon to do her part. Her lessons have been thorough, particularly those which teach her to think for herself. She must pass the school’s rigid “blindfold” test in which her instructor’s eyes are bandaged so that he is, for practical purposes, blind. ”