Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-07
THE HOUSE OF THE
BLACK RING.
cHAPTR xIx.-continued.
BY FRED LEWIS PATTEE.
Copyright. 1905. By Henry Holt 4 Col

RI have a chance to speak for himself, and
then the Justice was to bind them over to
appear at the next term or court. he an
nounced in due form the nature or the three
cases. The first would be that OF James
Farthing, charged with breaking ana enter
ing the store of Squire HartsWick, ana aiso
of entering the post Office in Sugar valley
and causing the death of Karl heichilne,
the postmaster.
Squire Hartswick, as complainant, opened
the case at some length. He began by estap-
fishing the motive. He told minuteiy the
relations between the two men, dWeiiIhs
particularly on the quarrel at Moon run
His daughter he averred, had Planned TO
give Karl the final answer on the day which
had followed the murd This mad peeh
the immediate cause. Jim had been seen
driving toward Sugar valley on the night OF
the tragedy. A hammer with A: r.
burned into the handle had been found near
the body AS to the testimony of his daugh-
ter at the time of the first arrest, II was
unrea sonable and fantastic. she was TEN.
porariy deranged mentally as result VI
her narrow escape at the forest hre. he
had with him the opinion In writing OF an
expert. Then he went over the detans OF
the robbery of his own store. He passed.
to the Justice the handkerchief with jim
initials and he described the findings In
the Farthing barn He produced har!
KeichIine's stamp book and identified
1t by the printed prescription: he
touched upon the cave episode. me rae
of robbers retreat under the very noses
of the Farthings threw upon them suspi-
cions of the darkest kind. When Amos
and Dan Tressler had once late at night
investigated the cabin they had rouno
Farthing there. The finding of the second
stamp book was a mere coincidence In
1886, when Eli Smith of Sugar valley was
the representative at Harrisburg he hao
sent a copy of the Agricultural Report TO
every farmer in his district 1t was doupt-
less the most widely distributed book In
the locality. Nearly every household had
one. Beyond a doubt many other post
masters had used 1t for stamp purposes.
At one time he did himself. 1t was q mere
coincidence and could not in the least take
away from the grave suspicious which the
finding of two hiding places for plumber on
the Farthing property had created.
The squire took his seat with the air OF
one who has proved his case. James tartn-
ing was called and sworn.
He arose cool and alert, and he told his
story in a convincing manner. He knew
nothing Of any of the robberies. He DID
not even know that the sQuire's store had
been robbed until after his flight over the
ridge. AS to the goods In the barn, he
could not even guess how they came there.
That was not his handkerchief; he had
never had one like it. All of his linen was
marked with an indelible stencil, and he
showed the mark on the handkerchief
which he had in his pocket He told graph
ically the events of the preceding after
noon, the flight into the cave, the shooting
of Iona, and the exploration of the cave
later in the night AS to the murder or
Karl Keichline, he was miles away at the
time it occurred.
"Where was yeh?' cross-examined the
II rode down Gum Run
How far did you go?''
ITO Gum Stump.
What time were you there2"
''At eleven o'clock"
Can you prove 1t? Did any one see
your"
Yes. SIR
''Who2"
sTd rather not say"
''You have witnesses. and yet when it
might save you from the gallows, you re-
fuse to tell who they are?'
Yes"
"Do you mean Rose?"
'She was with me-"
"And you have other witnesses, and re-
fuse to give their names?'
yes"
'You will note this fact. your honor. We
have nothing but his bare statement. II
he had witnesses, wouldn't he produce
them? l have no further questions"
Your honor, may 1 be called at this
point? asked Rose with culver OF nerV-
BUSINESS in her voice.
Have you important testimony on the
point at issue?"
81 have
Let her be called. You may testify.
madam"
your honor, I object" The squire was
on his feet instantly. II have with me ex-
pert opinion-here. look at this-that says
she is not in mental condition to testify.
She must have run away. ] gave express
orders for her to be carefully guarded"
but, your honor, have with me certain
documentary evidence Of great import
ance"
.'You may present it,
She arose and advanced to the table with
firm step She was pale, but there was
that in her eyes which warned all who
knew her that something unusual was
coming She was looking straight at her
father, as If he alone were the court She
held paper in her hand.
Mr.. Farthing has told the truth. I was
with him at Gum Stump at IL o'clock, and
we had witnesses. This certificate will
show you that we were married by Preacher
Gregg there at the parsonage on May 30
II you send for him he will testify as to
the hour This was the reason why Mr.
She passed the slip not to the justice, but
to her father. A silence as of death was
IN the room.
''You married himT' he gasped.
yes. 1 did. 1 hated Karl Keichline; I
tolerated him at first just because your
heart was set on 1t. But I couldn't marry
him, I found that OUT I couldn't drive my
self to do 1t. And had got to give him his
answer on the ISL OF June. II l. SAID no, i
knew what would happen. You wouldn't
rest night or day until you had ruined Jim
completely. and you had the power to do
1t. Then you would have forced me to
marry Karl. There was only one hope
and we took 1t. | thought that after he
was actually my husband you would forgive
US. ! should have told you that day at the
store, but you withdrew all your charges
Then you hurried me away to Pittsburg,
but Amos telegraphed me-
amos telegrapbed?' he repeated. az IL
his mind had refused to act
Yes, / got a telegram from Amos yes-
terday at O'Clock saying, Come Instantly
don't know how I got away, but / did
and l caught the last train and rode all
night"
what about that admission Won mazda at
the store that day, Miss Hartswick" spoke
UP the sheriff you virtually admitted
that you knew something about the muir
der"
"why-why-I'll tell you" It was evident
instantly that he had found a weak point
For the first time she seemed to lose her
self-possession. She composed herself. how
ever, after a moment. TT was like this T
went down to Grammar Millerss and she
frightened me. She said somebody "A die
and Il was because I went there. IT came
out just as she said But, oh, / told her
not to- -~A
| "oh. pshaw!'' calculated Amos from, IN.
doorway. ''As
Your honor" spoke up the sou,ra spd.
denly, II withdraw all my charges T.st
the prisoner co.