The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-21

@
frances" inquired the speaker, suddenly stopping
and turning to the silent and frightened clerk
81 am listening, replied Harcourt, in q hollow
voice that seemed to come from subterranean
depths rather than from the motionless man in
the chair.
Very WELL then, will go on. ] lay awake.
harassed by the shores and the moonbeam until
heard some distant clock strike 2 few min
utes later the sound of the snoring began to sub
side. and finally ceased. Then l thought if |
could stop up that knot-hole through which the
moon shone l might 60 TO sleep. / put out my
hand and picked mp one of my socks from the
floor. and thought would poke the toe of it into
that troublesome hole I stood up on my bed
until my face was opposite the hole looked
into the moonlit room and saw-but you were
there! You know what saw!"
'Oh, Lord in heaven! Why was ever born!'
walled Harcourt, startled out of his stiffness and
wringlng his hands above his head.
You were there. Oh, how stealthily you
must have entered! | never heard you. but
saw you in the brilliant moonlit room. You did
not see me with my n the knot-hole, for my
room was dark but you and saw all that
happened
trousers; you searched the pockets and drew
from them a packet and placed it in your bosom
At that moment Yelverton awoke. discovered
you, seized pistol from under his pillow and
leveled 1t at your head. You sprang upon him
and threw up his arm before he could pull the
%
the possession of the pistol, then an explosion.
Yelverton fell back, shot dead"
"Oh, that it had been myself" walled the
youth.
Indeed" sneered Hanson, II shouldn't have
thought that to have been your sentiment at the
time, for think never saw an instance of the
instinct of self preservation SO instantaneous In
asserting itself or so promptly obeyed one
moment you gaZed upon your victim, then dart
ed to the door, locked it the inside, leaving
in ohad
Hoor hurried to the open window on the roof
and closed it fast darted to the open window on
the balcony. passed through 1t and closed the
shutters, which fastened by spring on the in
outside. Thus you made good your
escape, leaving the room locked anc
bolted from within, even while the
reused house was hurryng along the hall to-
toll had been heard They tried the door, and
finding it locked the inside, burst it open.
They found the man dead in his bed. They
found the windows fastened on the inside. No
one could have entered the room, they said.
Yelverton had shot himself, . was their verdict.
He had attempted suicide once before, it was
said. Every one was shocked, but no one was
much surprised. man who led such life as
Yelverton might have ended it by his own hand
at any time these ten years past. Such was pub
lie opinion. Only one man knew the facts of the
case. That man was myself. But l gave no
, sign"
why did you not9" breathed Harcourt, in a
hollow tone.
Because the secret was too valuable to be
thrown away"
But. as you saw all that occurred, you must
have seen that it was an accident" pleaded Har-
COURT
IAN accidesstl Was it accident that you stole
to Yelvertons room ms the dead OF night to rob
him of his money!
mo, no; lot to rob him-to get back my own.
or what was more sacred than my own another
mans money that had been Entrusted tony
keeping as clerk of the hotel" mcaned Harcourt.
And that you staked at the table and lost to
Yelverton"
"A blackleg-a sharper, who won by cheat
ing" broke in the youth, in a tone of despera-
ton, trying to justify himself for endeavoring
to get the money back.
Don't malign the dead" sternly commanded
Hanson.
II do not wish to, but told the plain truth"
What business had you to be in the COM
pany OF a blackleg and a sharper. and of all
things. what right had you to stake another
mans money!"
None! none Oh, God! Easy is the descent
to hen,'" groaned the miserable criminal, tearing
his harA
'Yes, "hssented Hanson, coldy land in your
case it was not only descent it was plunge,
tumble dive. You were half way down be
fore you realized that you had started. But
come! You need not go headlong to the bottom
less pit. unless you choose. l am willing to ad
nit that, from your point of view, the death of
Yelverton may have seemed an accident; but
under the circumstances of your presence In the
room, no jury in this world would call it an acct
dent. The law would call it murder"
II was trying to wrest the pistol away. to pre-
vent him from shooting me, when it went off
and killed him."
"And he was trying to prevent your escape
with his property when the pistol went off shot
and killed him. The law would call it murder,
my boy. But come. Do not despair You act
ed one might almost say, in self-defense-
though in self defense while committing rob-
berry. You did not mean to become criminal
You did not voluntarily descend into the dark
abyss. You made one misstep and fell head
long"
''But the verdict of the cororer's jury was that
Nathan Yeverton came to his death by bullet
shot into his brain from pistol held in his
hand This verdict was literally true. The
pistol was in his hand when the shot was fred"
said Harcourt, speaking with difficulty.
Eyes, the pistol was in his hand but he did
not fire it, The pistol was in your hand, Also
for you had hold of it trying to wrest it from
him. And between you the weapon was dis
charged and Yelverton killed"
ut an
''Now, don't say that again; it is stupid and
monotonous. Pull yourself together man, and
face the music. The coroners jury have found
it suicide, and suicide it rests Poor Yelverton s
body has this day been given up to his friends
and shipped to Washington to be buried there,
with the stigma of suicide on his name. The
curtain has fallen on the last act of the tragedy.
This settles it-uness l, the hidden witness of
the crime, should come forware to give informa-
tion." concluded Hanson, with a penetrating
gaze into the gloomy face of his companion.
why did you not give this information before
the coroner's jury?" demanded Harcourt, in a
tone of despair
''Why2 Because, in the first place, I never
was called as Witness in the second place,
make it rule of life never to give anything for
nothing; in the third place, kept silence that
might sell it to you"
.'To me9"
"To you"
II am too poor to offer you bribe Mr. Han
son."
And ! too rich to need bride of the sort you
must mean"
What then, do you want?" asked the terror
stricken clerk.
mot your money even if you had it to offer
me- | wish you. IN return for my silence to do