Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-09-08

stinct of escape had been lin 1t.
A more unqualified confession OF
guilt would have been impossible, and
yet 1t was far from being such a N
as the inspector had desired and cx-
pected. Indeed he was sorely disap-
pointed and annoyed, since he could
not help reproducing himself for let
ting a prisoner get away from him,
even through the dark gate Chester
Sewall had chosen.
Without that confession, however,
the evidence before the coroner's jury
OH the Willmarth inquest would still
have been sufficient to warrant them
in the verdict they rendered-that the
murder was done for the purpose OF
robbery by Chester Sewall. How this
hideous revelation of her lovers guilt
affected Trina no person but herself
was privileged to know. She was a
young person of more than ordinary
s~elf-control, and not even Mr.. Cyrus
Pratt, who, with delicate but pervas-
i've assiduity, assumed the position. OF
chief consider to her, could have seen
that she demonstrated more than a
conventionally proper amount Of
grief. all of which was exclusively OH
her fathers account.
The two inquests, upon the muir
derer and his victim were held on the
same day. Publication of their results
told the last obtainable news in the
Willmarth affair and put an end to
the Sensation so far as the newspa-
pers were concerned. So il was quick
ly forgotten by the public. A few
months later there was a little revi-
val of interest in it on the occasion
of the wedding of "the charming
daughter of the eminent financier, the
late Richard Willmarth," with "the
able political leader, Mr.. Cyrus Pratt"
when the old story was retold.
But not even at that late date had
an inkling leaked out concerning
what would have been, as a piece OF
truly sensational news, hardly second
to the murder itself-viz., the making
of atonement for the long bygone
wrong done to Abner G.. Hall by
Irma's father. The production Of the
original agreement between those two
men and it's confederation by the CON
fession of Michael McCaffrey readily
satisfied Irma Willmarth OF the JUS
tice and validity of Mrs. Halls claim
to restitution Of her husbands estate.
Being so convinced, she was quite
willing, even anxious indeed, to make
amends for her fathers bad conduct,
which she said was lust like pa, he
was so sharp about money Matters
IL il could be done without publicity.
And Mr.. Pratt, who even before he be-
came her husband. had much to do
with the management Of her affairs,
was very clearly in favor of a satisfac-
tory and quiet settlement of the
claim. He saw the desirability Of ST.
lencing at once what might other
wise become an ugly scandal, contain
ing unknown potentialities Of social
damage. The original sum and added
interest claimed by Mrs. Hall was only
n little over $166, 000, a trivial amount
or at least not at all a serious one
in comparison with the great estate
left by the late banker to his only
child. But the one essential condition
to a settlement, which was insisted
upon strenuously, was that it must be
made privately, without the knowl-
edge of any other person than those
interested in the transaction.
Fortunately Adde'S happiness in
her love and a distinct appreciation of
John Latham's merit seemed to have
had 4 modifying influence upon the
widows viHdictive spirit. The time
was, not long since, when she was
willing to abandon the claim for
financial reparation il by so doing she
could vindicate her husbands good
name and destroy Richard win
martins. But Willmarth was dead,
which made an enormous deal of diff
ference to her, and she very philo-
sophically concluded that she had no
just ground for quarrel with his child.
So she eventually gave her consent to
making the settlement a private af-
fair, and it was thereupon affected
promptly, gracefully and permanent
ly.
The only person not a party thereto
who even suspected it was the shrewd
old knave, Michael Mccartney, who,
seeing no public use made of the im-
portant document he had given up,
quite correctly surmised what had
taken place. And he could not bear to
be left out in the cold" The happy
thought occurred to him when he
heard of the marriage Of Miss Will
marth to Mr.. Pratt that he might
shake a stake out of Them and he
discussed with his s~on-in-law the
feasibility Of so doing.
Its the boss himself you'd have to
be dalin wid," said Dennis astutelv,
'if We wor to try that on, an if he was
the kind of a man you'd shake dol
lars out of as you'd shake nuts off n
tree, sure he wouldn't be boss. You'd
better paint yourself red an go playin
wild n bull nor try games wild him.
The best you'd do wud be to get me
fired out of the public works an your
self locked up maybe for all your
life.'
Such possibilities were naturally de-
void of temptation to Mr.. Mccartney.
The alternative then presenting itself
to his mind was an appeal to Mr..
Latham, as the representative of the
Hall interests, for something hand
some as a reward for long and faith
full service in carefully keeping for so
many years that Invaluable paper
He actually had the audacity to make
such a claim and avowed himself cut
to the heart by the ingratitude which
inspired its contemptuous rejection.
After that he declared he wanted no
more to do with such people, and so
completely has he ever since with
drawn from them the favor of his ac-
quaintance that they have no idea
what has become of him.
When Addie Hall married John
Latham-along about the time the
lilacs were in bloom-the Harlem
cottage was found much too small for
h family. The parlor was the only
room large enough for him to move
about in, and even then he had to be
careful how he stretched himself.
Furthermore Mrs. Hall suddenly de-
veloped a taste for what might be
characterized as modest o~stentation.
L have lived in a bird cage long
enough" she said, "and now that |
can afford it, propose to end my days
in a rnnI $1,000.