from the absorbing tale as
Justice Higginbotham unfolded it, one of the most glamorous that
Jimmy had ever heard.

Suddenly, in the middle of a sentence, Justice Higginbotham
stopped talking. From the room facing on the porch there had come
the faint whirring that was a prelude to the striking of the
old-fashioned clock. Then came the deep tones of the hour.

Jimmy remembered now that when the clock had struck an hour before
there had come the telephone message appraising the group of the
death of Morris Miller.

The last stroke was still reverberating when the staccato jangling
of the telephone bell drew a number of the old men to their feet.
As if by a common impulse, as if they expected to get the answer
to their spoken question through their eyes, every person on the
deep porch, turned in the direction of the telephone. They looked
as if they expected to see the dread message or messenger through
the walls between them and the instrument.

The white-headed, grizzled negro came to the door. He spoke to
Justice Higginbotham:

"Fo' you, suh. Je'sey City callin'."

As Justice Higginbotham arose to answer the call, Antoine
Rochambeau spoke, his voice breaking to a faint croak:

"Jersey City is the home of Wrigley." The speaker was looking at
Professor Brierly with burning eyes, a hectic flush flaming in his
drawn cheeks. Professor Brierly looked at him sharply. He swiftly
stepped to his side, laying his hand soothingly on his shoulder.
The flush subsided, the man's tense body relaxed. He shook his
head mumbling.

Fourteen pairs of eyes were looking toward the doorway as Justice
Higginbotham once more returned, and came to an unconscious
dramatic pause. He nodded, as if in confirmation of a statement.

"Wrigley was drowned yesterday noon at Bradley Beach, a seaside
resort on the New Jersey coast about one mile south of Asbury
Park."

While he was talking, Jimmy heard the squealing of brakes on the
other side of the house. A motor car had come to a stop in front
of the camp.

The eyes of the entire group turned in that direction. At Justice
Higginbotham's announcement several of the men had stood up. They
now dropped back into their seats. There was a long pause. To
Jimmy it seemed that they all held their breath. The negro came to
the door, in his hand a sheaf of telegrams. His eyes swept over
the entire group.

He held them out to Justice Higginbotham who had stepped aside
from the doorway to make way