The Arizona sentinel., 1890-08-16
The old man was speechless with rage.

/ is with two of my friends in an adjoin-
ing room. They are engaged in an argu-
ment on the value of silence. The argu-
ment is enforced by my friends, and Mr..
Scar-Top Johnny is just now living ex-
ponent of its truth. And also there is
Mr.. Fountain-he is here too"
Fountain at ten, said the old man.
! completely thrown off his guard.
81 know, | know" said Tom, with
elaborate politeness. "You wrote eleven
but you should write more plainly. He
read it ten. The error Or his part was
excusable."
The old man saw he had made fatal
admission. He revenged himself by say
ing:
Course you for an inpudent dog"
"Oh, thank you, thank you. :" returned
Tom. bowling "You are entirely too
complimentary"
Then, dropping his bantering tone, he
said fiercely;
Throw up your hand, you white haired
rascal | know your whole game.
You've got deal to answer for, but
you've got this consolation. that your
punishment for the greater crime will
make that for the rest impossible"
''Oh indeedl" the old man at last
found voice to say. young sir, will
you tell ME why you maltreat me thus?"
Tell you? Yes, If you will tell me
why you maltreated A nnie Templeton
by abducting her.
oh | think you will have to prove
that. These gentlemen do not seem to
be officers Of the law. Perhaps you will
show me your warrant for these proceed
ings. | am afraid, young sir, you will
find it difficult of proof that have alb
Quoted any young lady,
Tom was staggered by the GOODNESS of
the old scamp. 1t was true that the last
man he expected to see there was Parker.
Only that morning he had proved to his
own satisfaction that Parker was not
concerned in the plot, and had won Hol-
brook to his way of thinking. He had
leaped to the conclusion he now enter
tained on seeing Parker enter. While
he was certain he was right, still the
thought flashed across his brain that the
willy old man had procured the abduc-
ton while covering his own tracks.
He rallied, however, in moment, and
all the more quickly as he saw from the
sneer and the look of triumph in the
wicked old eyes that Parker had real
lied what was passing through his mind
"My old man." returned Tom, "Tm not
at loss for reasons for taking you to the
police If not for the abduction, why
then for falsely persOnating clergyman
and marrying an assumed Mr.. Fountain.
if not for that, then for falsely person
ating clergyman again and marrying
the assumed Mr.. Fountain under the
name of Simpson to another woman"
''ln the name of all the fiends. how dc
you know all this. boy!" screamed the
old man.
"And then," continued Tom, ''there is
the blackmaiiing of Mr. Pierson foI
years"
The old man glared at him.
and then there is the fraudulent affi-
davit and subornation Of perjury in the
claim of Preston against the Pierson
estate"
The old man quailed before Tom. The
accumulation of charges was beginning
to tell
"Then there is the abduction Of Mrs
Templeton.
Stop, STOP" cried the old man, "have
you got her too?"
st was as easy to find her." replied
Tom unblushingly, 'as to find the
daughter And them
Stop, stopr' cried the old man, over
whelmed Have pity on a poor mis-
guided old man.
"There is just one thing more l should
like to mention
stop, STOP" moaned the old man.
-'And that is the murder of Temple,
ton"
The old man looked up.
81 never did that. Heaven knows
that is the truth. never did that. |
confess the rest | confess the abduc
ton of Annie Templeton and her mother
but blood has never stained these
hands. No, it was not until after the
death of Templeton, not until after !
had heard of it, and knew what its effect
was, that conceived the idea of seizing
and concealing these women and press
ing Preston's claim No, I'm not guilty
of that"
'You old rascal. don't lie to me-
cried Tom angrily. Il know the whole
plot. Why, you hoary headed villain
if we could go back to the dark days OF
English vengeance, and not only hang
but draw and quarter you, you would
not get half the punishment you de
serve"
The old man lifted his hands appeal
ingly.
"Don't l know the whole story" con
tinued Tom. You were tool of Pier
sons; you knew his previous life, his
change of names; that the Templetons |
were the rightful heirs; that by killing
one and imprisoning the Others-the two
defenseless wOmen-you could begin to
make that old drunkard's claim good
and divide the property in equal shares,
one-half for yourself You old rascal, |
you have the agreement drawn and |
signed now in your possession"
"You are the devil incarnate," whim- |
pered the old man.
"Then you feared that Mrs. Fountains |
son could raise a good claim, and SO you
epticed him here tonight with the in
tention !9f Going him too
"No, ~ Heaven hear and help me,
have never committed murder. only .
meant to confine him until | could get
the matter settled and disposed of. He
was interfering"-
''Oh, that was all your