The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-15
ons between you and your brother-in-law

on that was not open?"
Well, his condition was not quite salts
You don't think he behaved to suit you?"
mo, i don't, quite.
'You don't know what his impression was
about your behavior. do you?"
We'll, no."
And the only friction was caused by your
opinion of your brother-in.law,s conduct
measured by your own Standard"
Mr.. Kipling glared at the lawyer. "yes. "
ne answered; "e-r-measured by my own
standard
There was a time when that relation
ceased TO exist, was there not?''
'E-er-yes."
Previous to this time. you had shown as
ward your
do you mean that 1 objected to himr'
oh dear, no, He dropped me altogeth-
err" Oaughter.)
Mr.. Kipling, do You attend to business
matters in your household"'
Emo; my wife takes care OF the busi-
ness matters in our household"
And what was Mr.. Balestiers positiong'
''Oh, he looked after the hoeing and the
hiring of farm hands. and such things.
Now, Mr.. kipling, after your business
relations with your brother-in-law ceased.
did he owe you any money!
mo, except the rent for a meadow. He
hadn't paid any money for that meadow"
That was point that you differed about
well, yes; he never asked for the blessed
thing He just said he owned it,"
What do you mean by the blessed thing?'
But ne didn't say he owned the hay. He
said, The meadow is NINE"
Now, Mr.. Kipling before you went away
this spring did you not tell various persons
that Mr.. Balestier was largely indebted 90
you for large sums of money which you and
your wife>had given him. and that he was
sort of pensioner on your bounty?'
"Oh, not that: not that. 1 said I had
helped him. One man said to me that he
thought had been holding Balestier up by
the slack of his breaches for the last year.
/ said 1 had done all could for him..
But when he asked you about the slack
of his breaches. you gave him the impression
that you had done so?
well, possibly"
"Dii you tell this to other people%'
KIPLING AS A GOSSIPER.
at didn't tell 1t to everybody. I believe
two or three whom / knew asked me about
il, and 1 told them. didn't want to make
a fuss about it. you know. His creditors
wanted to know what 1 was going to do
about his bills
"Was Colonel Goodhue or John Bliss a
creditor Of Balestier?'
Emo. But they asked me about him"
Nov. Mr.. Kipling, so far as you did tell
people that you were helping Balestier, it
Rudyard Kipling turned red, then pale OF
the many things he had done for his BROTH
er-in-law, there was not one that ne could
or would have brought up at this moment.
And all that remained for him to do was
to stammer Indignantly, mo, no..
Then, Mr.. Kipling, will you explain to
me why that was not false?
Because" answered the witness, impa-
tiently, II told Colonel Goodhue and Mr..
Bliss what / had done for BaleStier, that
was through with him, and had dropped
"But you say that you did convey the i'm
preston that you were holding him up"
Aaov, ted ~ IN
ling AZ had been doing it for the last three
years. That's what 1 was here for"
as that why you came here?'
81 came here to Brattleboro for the pur-
pose OF helping that boy If could"
us that your mission in this courtry?'
Yes. Not in coming to America. but in
Incidentally" said the attorney. with a
grin, ''you have writtenT'
Mr.. Kipling smiled; incidentally. have
And all the assistance you gave him was
in these matters, where he paid every dol
..Er-he worked 1t ALL
when did you first learn that Mr.. Bal
esther knew. OF the stories you had put IN
circulation" offct-
a frown, that the stories were in circula-
ton before 1 placed them. / placed them
more in the way of agreeing with them"
What did you mean when you said you
were carrying him?'
HE would send for all the ready cash he
wanted and pay ii off at his leisure. He
would get advances all along the line, you
know"
. Yet every advance was paid offY'
you were glad to see him work.,
''I-yes. But he wouldn't, after bit"
Now, when you met on the road the other
day, did he threaten to blow out your brains
immediately"
ONE WEEK OF GRACE.
Mr.. Kipling smiled. HE offered me week
nf in
which he said I had circulated about him."
And you Immediately had him arrested?'
mo, not Immediately; that is-er-yes, the
next day; oh. yes" 5ass
Now. when he said he wanted to speak to
you about certain matter. you checked the
only opportunity he had for explaining his
position by referring him to lawyer"
'.I-er-yes, IL you call that a check"
Were you angry them"
Mr.. Kipling smiled and contemplated a
II had just fallen off my bicycle and had
hurt myself; but was calm. Oh, yes; was
perfectly calm" A.
furtherance of your purpose to aid him all
oh! gracious" cried Rudyard Kipling:
ne aaf was iong c since NEE He has driven me
Then you are in the same condition that
Mr.. Kipling gazed at the attorney in home
less disgust. "Oh, i think not" he replied
Was there anything in Balester's appear
mind?'
Mr. Kipling leaned forward. and with great
swear that ne was cracked or crazy"
T I'm n DO you not feel guilty for bringing
ing for an examination as to his sanity?'
Well, drawled Mr.. Kipling, "if you
would get that done But they say IT'S
opening wedge to that end. You see, he's
all right when he's sober, but when he's
loaded he's perfectly crazy This will prob
ably keep. my own brains in my head. 1t will
save me from being shot,"
dh Is sa something S you very much fearr'
he gave you a. weeks time to retract
"Er-yes. under threat of death"
DID ne specify what stories he wanted
you to retract?"
"Oh, no! Oh. dear. no.. He didn't conde-
scead to explain that much. He was shaking
all Observation-Disclosures"
sort of fever and ague?' suggested the
attorney.
TOO MUCH FOR KIPLING.
Mr.. Kipling seemed to collapse You can
call it that" he answered.
III there were any story floating about
that he had been supported by your bounty
it was false, was it not?'
mot exactly, for he couldn't have got
credit anywhere If we hadn't been backing
him."
And the only reason you did not learn
what 1t was he objected to was because Won
waved him aside and referred him to a
lawyer?