News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1897-11-03

'eSNtNes
urally truthful, she hedged in the wrong
place "He-he sort Of suspected it,
reckon"
"Being an honest fellow himself,
wonder he didn try to stop you.
"You wouldn't say that if you knew.
You see, LATE and me-that is-well,
he thinks mighty sight Of me, Mr..
Jaffray."
"That's so. I'd lost sight of that for
the moment, said the inspector grave
ly. Then be sprung an innocent little
trap that had been gradually taking
shape i'll his mind.
"Now, what clears up some things I
couldn't quite understand. l wonder
what LATE did with the money"
The girl was too new to the business
of equivocation and she promptly be-
trayed herself. Gle put it under the
hearthstone at Ma'am Wilkeson's'-
she began, and then she saw the trap.
"Ah, see!' said the inspector. "Of
course this is merely supposition on
your part, since he never spoke to you
about hiding the money" He smiled
under cover of the darkness. 1t was
transparency clear now, all save one
particular detail. How did it happen
that the girl knew Anderson's confess
sion word for word?
Jaffray was puzzled for a moment
and then there flashed across the field of
recollection the rustling in the laurel
bush and the picture of a barelegged
boy galloping northward on Anderson's
horse Having thus solved the puzzle
he asked quietly, "What is it you want
me to do, Miss Godfrey"
''It seems to me like there amt but
one thing to do. LATE hain't done any
thing and-and I have. Cayn't you all
just turn him loose and take me in
stead?"
The inspector fought good fight for
self control and lost it. "By God, young
woman, he isn't worth it!' he burst
out But she put her hand on his arm
and straightway forgot her part.
ooh, yes, indeed he is, Mr.. Jaffray!
You don't know LATE, and you new can
know how much II love him. Cayn't
you take me?"
'No," said the inspector roughly,
driven to the last resort of the sorely
tempted. You go back home, and I'll
see what can be done toward getting
| him off easy No, don't say anything
more. You don't know what you ask. :"
Before he could stretch out his hand
to prevent her she went on her knees
beside his chair.
81 do know" she said piteously,
"and it's such little, little thing-just
to let me go in his place. What do you
care as long as you got somebody to own
up to everything you ask"
"Get up, Miss Godfrey" he said
sternly. II repeat, you don't know
what you ask. The law is not to be set
aside or tempered with simply because
its workings happen to hurt some of
u.s..
"Oh, no, it isn't that, she went on,
unmindful of his command. Il don't
mind the hurt only for Lafe's sake. It'll
kill him, Mr.. Jaffray. It'll spoil his
whole life, and reckon the law don't
mean to be that hard. Oh, please take
me and let him go, won't your
''No, tell you, once for all. Now
get up and go home before I get angry
and say things I'll be sorry for -"
She felt herself refused and dismissed,
and she rose, trembling. "Cayn't I see
Lafe-just for minute?" she pleaded.
"No; | can't allow even that"
She went down the steps slowly and
with evident reluctance, turning on the
last one to ask softly, "Where is he
now, Mr.. Jaffray?"
Hes asleep i'll that room. Now go,
and don't ask any more questions. "
She paused moment and then went
swiftly to the gate, and the inspector
sat listening until the click of horse
shoes on stone stopped suddenly. Then
he sprang to his feet and began to talk
to his beard.
"That's what l might have expected
She cantered the horse up the hill to
make me think she's gone home, and
now she is coming back afoot to get a
word with the boy. By the Lord Harry,
I've mind to- No; that would never
do. And yeti
He tramped up and down the porch,
this sworn officer Of the law who was
yet but a man, fighting over again the
old battle between justice and mercy as
many loyal servant Of justice has
fought it since the law first set itself
over against lawlessness. Then he flung
the stump Of his cigar far out into the
grass and went into the porch bedroom.
where he bent over the sleeping man as
If to satisfy himself that the letters
were still in place.
Anderson stirred uneasily. els that
you uns, Mr.. AJaffray?" he asked.
eyes. " He took the irons from the
boys 9pkles "Now you can stretch
your legs bit. I'm going to take
chances on your running away
Anderson laughed mirthlessly. 81
couldn t do much with these here on, "
he said, holding up his hands.
] The inspector felt the handouts on