Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-05-20

must think the whole thing over be- fore I say anything to anybody"
 At this moment all further conver- sation was interrupted by the appear ance of Wright's wife. Warde saw that she was a pleasant-faced, rather good-looking young woman, who had evidently undergone hard spell of sickness. He further saw that the meeting between husband and wife was of the tenderest character, and then he went away.
 There was at least one person, he thought, who believed in Wright's in- nocence absolutely.
 On his way back to his office, he stopped at the office of Col. Franklin. ''The colonel will be back at three,' said his clerk, 8 young man by the name of Frank Hillsman. You've only to wait 15 minutes. Better take a chair, Have a cigar?"
 Hillsman was knowing young man with a gay, dissipated look, not bad hearted fellow one would say, but with an unmistakabl tendency to surrender very promptly to tempta- tion. He wore jaunty clothes, smoked CASaASs p4oJCo EoAO4 ASSn- lessly, and knew every saloonkeeperl in town by his Christian name. He plumed himself on his wickedness. and had a vague idea that he was man of the world.
 Warde accepted his invitation to wait, but declined the cigar. He had suffered from Hi1lsman's cigars be- fore. "Say, Irv,' said Hillsman, fa- miliarly, that's humming murder case, that Wright business, ain't it?"
 ':I should say so. It's a very mys- terious affair."" replied Warde.
 Mysterious? What are you giving me? Why, it's as plain as the nose on a mans face. The colonel heard all the testimony, and he says he can see no hope for Wright"
 "Is the colonel satisfied of Wright's guilt?"
 Mot doubt of it.'' .<
 I'm sorry to hear that. Does he intend going into the prosecution2"
 ''I think not. It'is scarcely intricate enough for him. His forte is digging truth out of well, not picking it up on the ground. Besides, since the facts have come out so strong against Wright, he does not feel like having anything to do with it. He's always been a great friend to the family, you know; and he dislikes the idea of prosecuting the son for the mur- der of the father, who was his friend"
 "Yes; I see.''
 Between you and me, I believe Wright's family were blamed glad to get rid of him, and the colonel knows it.''
 What makes you think SOP"
 ''Why, I'll tell you. Old Wright was as hard a piece of cobblestone as you ever saw. He treated his wife as if she had been his nigger, and he never had pleasant word for any body at home. He kicked his son out, you know, and there's his daughter, Miriam, perfectly scrumptious girl, that he didn't take any more notice of than if she had been mummy. The only decent thing he ever did was to get himself killed, and he couldn't help that"
 ''What did he ever do to you, Frank?" -... ............. .....
 Nothing at all; but didn't know him? He used to drive up to this office every day, never looking to the right or left. or speaking to a soul. All day long it was cotton re-. ports,s safnpling cotton, thinking cot- ton, and, for all know, eating cotton. Every now and then he'd go off to one of his plantations and spend 8 fa1 4 gcsve I niggers. In fact, he was a perfect hog if there ever was one.'' NJ "%r
 At this point Col. Franklin came in hurriedly and took Warde into his private office. ssWhat can I do for you to-day?'' he said, throwing off his cloak and dropping rather wearily into a chair.
 ''I wish to learn your views on the, testimony brought out this morning. {. My dear boy" said the lawyer com panionably, T don't want to be quoted, you understand; but it was simply awful. It looked like the in terposition of Providence. I have been so mortified at the revelations this morning that I have about de- termined to withdraw from the case. I could not very well prosecute for murder the son of the man who was my lifelong friend.' ~
 ''Do you know, colonel, don't be- lieve the young fellow did it, said Warde.
 "In the face of that evidence this morning?"
 'In spite of it; and am going to 1isnovAr tba tr1Jfh ''
 Col Franklin looked seriously at Warde as if to see whether he were in jest or earnest, but detecting noth- ing humorous in the young mans face said: "It looks to me like wild Agoose chase, but hope that you will Ae able to establish Herbert Wright's
 ocence. It is a shocking case as. : ,nds."
 9 ave just been up to see him." ..1un t does he say?"
 to be innocent. He has
 oi"in or other which I expect onie c1ew add to those I already 1'er on eo Ah these threads I hope Ia ,aVes ess+ ana n4 tHa WIG truth"
 "Did he tell SSu wha1 1o wasF