The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-05-05

may talk TO you, but in the meantime
intend to see that you work out your
term in the penitentiary."
But you acknowledge your writ
ing?" asked the stranger, ignoring the
threat.
Eyes, l wrote that note, but if you
know anything about it at all you
know that | wrote it for that gentle
manly thief and all around scoundrel,
Harry Roberts, after the Sheriff had
shot him through the hand and he
could not write for himself"
His visitor lighted fresh cigar and
gazed calmly up to the ceiling.
Judge" he said, Il hardly expect
ed you to give in just because of that
note, but l thought l might as we'll
try it at first-just as a feeler, you
might say. Now listen to me- We
are alone here. No one is around to
listen. l never like to bluff when
hold good hand. So l am going to
make honest confession, and if my
soul don't profit by it, maybe my
pocket will. l know as well as you
do that that woman is not your wife,
but | must have money, and | would
not hesitate to swear that she is.
Harry Roberts, who afterward married
her, saved your life when you first
came out to that country a tender
foot So when he got in trouble and
70 Ii ho
cabin on the Point with his hand all
smashed to flinders, and you felt call
ed on to write that note to his wife
for him and to help him out of the
country. He was caught however, and
hung afterward, so he is out of the
way.
Nov the case stands this way: |
am a tolerably well educated man my
self, and it was no great trouble for
me to take Mays marriage certificate
and make William Henry Roberts read
William Herndon Richards If you
remember May, she is INSCRIPTIONS.
l had friend in the clerks office, and
l managed to get in there and change
the license the same way. So you see
we have documents a-plenty. You'll
give me the $4,000 before noon to-
morrow or l will show your note to
Senator Holt and commence legal pro-
ceedings to compel you to provide
support for your wife, nee Robbins"
The judge was mad clear through
now, and he rose up and started for
his visitor with blood in his eye. The
stranger sprang behind the table.
Easy, now" he cried, cor I'll let
you have it through the pocket" And
the lawyer saw that he was grasping
a pistol in the side pocket of his coat.
He was by no means coward, but
he did not care to run against a pis-
toll bullet. He took his seat again.
That's BETTER" commented the
stranger. There is no need of vio-
lence in this matter, hope. l don't
want to hurt you. Just cool down a
little and consider my proposition for
a few minutes then tell me what you
think of it,
Il don't have to consider to tell you
that you are the most unmitigated liar
keeping his temper with difficulty.
"But l don't suppose that man who
is so shameless as to confess himself
the lying blackguard that you have to
me can be affected by anything | can
say, so l will spare myself the trou-
BILE of expressing my opinion of you.
But you are as great a fool as liar
Admitting that you have the license
and certificate-which | have no proof
of except the word of a confessed liar
don't you know that it would be the
easiest thing in the world for me to
prove by dozens of people in Red
Gulch that Roberts and this woman
were living together as man and wife
and that l lived by myself? Don't you
know
Now judge" interrupted the stran-
ger in his turn, 81 didn't try any bluff
on you, but UP and told the whole truth
like an honest man, and yet here you
are a-blufing already. Nobody knew
whether this woman was married to
Roberts or not. and nobody cared The
class of women who lived in a mining
town like that was not usually over
particular as to their morals Be-
sides, Red Gulch is dead town now,
and has been dead for five years.
Where would you go to find single
man whom you knew there seven years
ago? Now listen to me. Suppose
you don't give me the $4,000? What
happens? 1 go to the senator with
my proofs; the senator puts his foot
down on certain marriage; you say
it is all blackmailing lie; the sena-
tor says my evidence looks pretty
strong; that you must prove it lie.
Then you have nice job on your
hands. You have got to hunt up a
lot of people that you have not heard
of for years, and if you should happen
to find some of them not one would be
able to swear that the Robin woman
was married to Roberts or was not
married to you. All of that would
take time and money and accomplish
nothing in the end.
ION the other hand, give me the
money-and $4,000 is cheap, too, tell
you-and in "a hours all the documents
are in your possession, and l am out
of the way. If you don't, think what
NV little story to the senator means