The Irish standard., 1903-08-29
Mystery Of the
Bayou Woods
By WALKER KENNEDY.
Copyright, 1908. by A. N. Kellogg Newspaper Co.
CHAPTER XIv.-CoNr1NuED.

our own way"
"Can your first Witness" said the
judge.
Il believe l will take Col. James
Franklin first" said the lawyer, eN-
aiming memorandum. II am not
certain whether a subpoena has been
served on him or not, but he is pres
ent, and l presume will accept service
now"
Franklin looked darkly at Everett
q moment, and then bowed gravely to
the court, took the witness chair,
stolidly faced the lawyer, and twirled
his thumbs. Nh. Everett asked him
few playful questions about his pro-
fession, his age, etc, which put him
in a subtlued passion, and then began
in earnest:
"Do YOU know the condition of Mr..
Wright's estate at the time of his
death?"
81 do
"What valuation would you put on
it?"
"About $1,000"
"When did Mr.. Wright dispose of
most OF ms estate!
"About 20 years ago he disposed
of all his property to the Shelby
County Real Estate a. Investment
company, and, believe, to some
western company"
''The Diamond Mining company?"
81 believe it was"
you are interested in the Shelby
County Real Estate & Investment
company:"
Yes"
Gown about niue-tenths of the
stock don't you?"
Can you tell me what all this fol-
de-rol has to do with this case?'
"Well. yes. could tell YOU" said
Everett blandly, ''but that is not ma
terial. Answer my question, please"
"Answer the question, Colonel"
said the Judge. ....
"Yes; | do
"You also own virtually all the
stock in the Diamond Mining COM
pany?'
EYES,
"Then you are to-day the owner of
nearly all that has been regarded as
the Wright estate?"
81 suppose | am"
evil you please tell us what that
estate consists of?'
After considerable haggling Frank
lin mentioned the various city lots
and plantations. but omitted any
mention of the Colorado tract.
",rhere was Il tract in Colorado,
was there not?'
"Yes.'
cit was purchased by your mining
company?"
''lt was"
'The consideration for all this was
about how mucho'
'"Twenty-five thousand dollars"
''Was it a bona fide sale?"
'It was"
"And you paid Wright sa5.oOo?"
"About that sum-"
''What do you mean by that?,"
''He owed me something for legal
services. which was credited on the
amonnt?"
''What is all this property worth
now?"
at has increased very largely in
value in 20 years, as matter of
course
''What figure do You put upon it?''
81 should say that it WAS worth
between 100000 and S300.O00."
'Of course that does not include the
Colorado tract?"
t,,1- ~
that"
"What is that worth?"
"'That is impossibl" TO say"
"You have some ilca?'
eff it should prove TO contain GOLD
it would be a very valuable piece OF
land. If ii contains no precious met
ais | should not think it was wol'tl
song"
els it worth $1,000. 0oO?" asked the
lawyer, quietly.
'Why. sir, ] could not place an.
valuation on a piece of land have
never seen and that has never beef
mined"
"Well, Ill put the question in an
other way If you could show a clca
title to that mining tract could yo1
not sell it ut once for 100000
cash?"
Franklin looked at his question:
keenly for q moment, but the latte
was casually examining the content
of q letter as if he were preparin
to PROFOUND another query fro1
something he found therein. The vii
ness answered somewhat savagely:
"Yes"
couldn't you easily get 100000
for that property?"
81 suppose l could
There was tremendous sensatio
in court when Franklin, with evide1
reluctance, made this admission.
"You have recently, l believe. bee
in correspondence with capitalists r
garding the Colorado tract?"
"Yes."
81 believe that is all l want to kno
on that branch of the subject, b'
there is another point on which | wis
to question you"
Franklin was evidently aware
what this point was, and he put {
a staggering air Of victory.
"When all the Wright estate w
turned over to you 20 years ago, w
not secret agreement drawn up /
tween you and John L. Wright spe'
flying that no consideration was ev
paid by you, and that the transit
was made in order to protect Wrig