Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-08-01
CHAPTER VII.

quitting the prisoner, Mr.. HargraYes
walked from the station 10 the court
At the back of the room, in the portion
reserved for the accommodation Of the
public, sat a shabby man, of furtive
and shrinking aspect, with watery, blink
ing eyes, who was correcting the entries
in a dog-eared little notebook with ar
inch of blunt pencil. In his abstra ctior
in this task the shabby man looked hare
at the ceiling from time to time, and the
solicitor made vain attempts to attract
his attention, until an officer observed
the pantomime and said in a deep muir
muir, "hloss, you're wanted" The mar
rose with a frightened start and caught
sight Of the lawyers reckoning finger
He nodded in answer to the summons
and, having hidden his pocketbook and
his fragment of pencil in his pocket as
If they were guilty secrets, made a shut
fling way into the vestibule. Hargraves
was there before him, and had already
penciled these words: Joseph Taylor
Pacific Hotel. Keep in sight" The
shabby man took this message, read ii
and straightway began to chew the paper
on which it was written.
"There'll be something for ex's. gov
dered eight half dollars.
He skunk away, having bestowed the
coins in as many separate pockets as he
could find, as if they were as secret as
the dog-eared book and the pencil, and
as he shambled down the street he swal
lowed the pellet of paper as If It were 8
pill of unusual size, with exaggerated
motions of the throat.
Hargraves returned to the station, wa.
closeted there for something like quar-
ter of an hour with the officer in charge
stopping to purchase an early copy Of
an evening paper on his way. His eye
ran over the pages as he walked anG
in moment he had lighted upon what
he wanted.
THE body has been identified as thai
of Mr.. Harvey Martin Jethroe, a popu
lar and wealthy man, for many years
well known in mining and mercantil,
circles throughout South America"
Hargraves' way led him to the Pacific
Hotel, where he inquired for Mr.. JOSEPH
Taylor. Mr., Joseph Taylor was in tn,
billiard room.
We'll" said Mr.. Taylor, what car
do for you, sirf'
MY name is Hargraves, and I am s
solicitor. l have a communication o.
some Importance to make to you, and Il
it were convenient, should like to make
it privately"
IF you will come to my .oom," sale
Mr. Taylor. rising.
He was not entirely at his ease. a.
Hargraves keen eyes discerned readily
enough; but he led the way with appa-
ent willingness, marshaled his visito,
into an elevator and followed him. Their
again he led the way to the extremity
of a long corridor, and finally to small
sitting IN.
1--WE shall be sufficiently private here
sir" he said. Take a chair, if yor
please and let me know your business.
That may serve to introduce IT," ssit
Hargraves, laying his newspaper upor
a central table, and indicating a head
line with his forefnger
Mr.. Taylor, with an aspect of surprise
adjusted a gold trimmed pince-nex. On,
stopped TO read. He dropped with sucl
suddenness that, if chair had not beer
by hazard behind him, he would hav,
fallen TO the floor
What" he asked in a trembling an,
half-breathless yoice-"what has thi
got to do with me?'
why. MIR. Taylor" said Hargraves
"you annou.lce yourself as the emissar,
of some socesty or firm winch has deal
ings with Mr.. Jethroe, and you use ia
ward that gentleman threats of 4 mos
unmeasured nature. 1t is not for me t
explain the connection these facts ma,
have with the dreadful event recorde,
there" he pointed to the open journa
before him. ''Fou, perhaps may be in
clined to give me some information"
1t was evident that Mr.. Taylor wa
not a man OF strong nerve, and that h
was not accustomed TO circumstance
of personal peril. 1t was evident, fur
Their. that he felt himself in peril now.
But who are you" he stammered
land why do you come to mel"
Il am solicitor" said Hargraves
land l come to you because l am en-
gagged for the defense of the man VIII
is charged with last nights crime"
"He's-he's-arrestedT Taylor asked
swallowing between each word, and pant
ing like a man who has been run to
standstill.
~ have just been in consultation wit
him. and have come straight from hin
to you"
But" the wretched man painted, N
can't have sent you here"
HE did not specifically send me here,
Hargraves answered. ''but the informs
tion he gave me made it seem very we
worth my while to come. viii put III
matter in a nutshell. Mr.. Taylor. al
engaged for the defense. Do you de
cline to help me?"
But I've got to understand" sal
TAYLOR. wiping his forehead. Look her,
sir"-he saw suddenly how his hand
were shaking, and tried to steady ther
upon the table with sueh poor success
that an ash tray which lay there oega
to jerk about the cloth. de wrappe
the betraying members IN his handkel
chief, and hipped them between h