The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-09-25
CHAPTER xXXIII.

CHAPTER xXxII1.
When at last Levi Kredge spoke. he
said, in fierce, sullen way:
Il won't talk. You can't make me.
Leave me, you human bloodhound"
so YOU want me to leave you, eh!
You want time to reflect, l see. You are
afraid YOU will commit yourself. Quit
right, Levi. Twill so, but before taking
my departure, warn you that your last
chance is gone.
Thus Paxton answered.
you lie. You can't convict me Of
John Oakburn's murder. l defy you to
do that. You have fooled yourself in
this case. Everybody has been fooled.
Smart as you are. Smart as you are,
Mr.. Paxton, you have not once suspected
the truth. Only Marion Oakburn and
myself know that. Permit me to say to
! you before you 60, that I'll prove how
completely you have followed false
scent, when I make up my mind to
speak. think I've given you a riddle
to puzzle your brains. That's all I've
got to say now," said Kredge.
He then turned his back upon Paxton,
and not another word could the detec-
tive induce him to say, though he did his
best to make him talk further.
Paxton left the cell more discounted
than he would have liked TO admit.
There was something in the manner
of Levi Kredge that caused him to think
that the fellow really was holding back
some startling evidence.
What can he mean? How could I
possibly have been following a false
trail, as he hints?" muttered Paxton.
But Levi Kredge was frightened,
though he was keeping back some Sc
| cret which he meant should serve as a
trump card in the desperate game he
was engaged in.
His sister paid him visit soon after
Paxton left.
Levi informed Judith of the detect
ives visit, and he related all he had
said.
$50 you were in the office on the night
OF the murder, and you did enter through
the window? You have kept this O Sc
cret from me. Why did you not trust
me? You are in dangerous fix, Levi,
and I fear they will hang you; but did
YOU really take the money from Garri-
sons safep" said Judith, with an avar-
icious light in her eyes, which Levi did
not fail to notice.
"No; I think I've told you that before.
But you needn't worry about their hang
ing me. I'm as good as doomed to
long term of imprisonment, which Is al
most as bad. The prospect terrifies me.
I shall make confession. I've been
thinking the matter over since the in
fernal detective left me, and I've con-
cluded that my only chance is in telling
the whole truth. Cant you guess why
I didn't tell you all, JUDITH"
No" o.. @~aasE's-s>s-
aI'il tell you. Simply because knew
you would insist upon my dividing a
nice little sum Of money with you.
Then you did get the money which
John Oakburn received for the cheque
that day."
Kredge laughed strangely.
Then he said:
Il tell you again, mol"
Judith vainly tried to win Lewis con-
fidence, but finally she became angry
and left the prison very much piqued
at her brother's refusal to satisfy her
curiosity.
After he was informed Of Pratt's ap-
plication to Abraham Benjaman, the
Jewish money-lender, for loan. STAN
more told Paxton, the detective, and he
went on at some length to reveal plan
which he had formed, whereby he meant
knew about the crime Of John Oakburn's
murder, and the marked money.
Paxton approved Of Stanmore's plan,
and he remarked:
When they are in your power, those
rascals will not refuse to speak. When
1t is revelation or prison, men are apt
to open their lips"
The detective hoped that in the state
ment to be wrung from Pratt and Weeks
he would find clue to the real truth Of
the mystery.
Meanwhile Marion Oakburn was in the
terrible delirium Of brain fever, and
much as she might have desired to ex-
plain any mystery to which she held the
key, she was not able to do so.
She rared incoherently, but the one
subject that seemed to fill her chaotic
brain was her fathers murder.
Paxton and Stanmore had instructed
The nurse to note all she said, in the
hope that some clue might be gathered
from her rawlings, but nothing could be
learned, so wild and incoherent were all
her statements, and SO unreal and weird
we're the hallucinations which prompted
her utterance.
If at this time human life had de-
pended upon Marion Oakburn's revela-
| tion, that life would have been lost.
Once in her delirium, Marion shrieked:
Its O. lie! It's lie! My father was an
! honest man. You shall not traduce him.
I will defend his memory at any cost"
| CHAPTER xXXIV.