The Washington herald., 1906-12-16
THE CANDIDATE
A Political Romance By Joseph A Atsheler

ordinary Westerners following with rapt
attention every word and gesture of Jim
my Grayson.
The candidate went on with his story Of
the consequences; the crime had been
committed; the profits had been reapeG
and enjoyed, but slumbering justice.
awake at last, was at hand; it was time
for the wicked 10 tremble, the price must
be repaid, dOubly. trebly, five-fOld. Now
he peTsonified the guilty party, the op-
position which he treated as an individ-
uaI; he compared 1t to a man who had
committed a deed of horror, but who long
had hidden his crime from the world
others might be suspected of it, others
might be punished for IT, but he could
never forget that he himself was guilty
though ne walked before the world inno-
cent. the sense Of Il would always be
there, it would not leave him night or
day; every moment. even, before the full
exposure il would be inficting its pun
ishment upon him; il would be useless TO
seek escape or to think of IL. because the
longer the guilty victim struggled the
more crushing his punishment would be.
The correspondents forgot to write. and,
like the audience. hung upon every word
and gesture of JimmS Grayson, as he
made his great denunciatory speech; they
felt that he was stirred by something un-
usual. that some great and extraordinary
motive was impeling him, and they foiN
/ lowed eagerly where he led them.
Harley saw the look OF awe on the faces
Of the audience grow and deepen. With
/ their overwhelming admiration of Jimmy
& r. h7g-t
/ too. a sudden fear OF him. His long, ac-
cusing finger was shaken in their faces
| he was not alone denOuncing a guilty
man, but he was seeking out their own
/ hidden sins. and presently ne would point
at them his revealing finger.
/ Hobart stood with the three witnesses
/ beside the door, still in the dazzling light
| Harley was sure that not one Of the four
/ had moved in the last half hour, and jim
/ my Grayson still held them all with his
gaze Harley suddenly saw something
/ Ike a fiash of light. a signal glance as
/ Il We're pass between him and Hobart,
and the next instant the voice Of the can
didate swelled into greater and more ac-
! cusing volume.
| Now, you behold the guilty mani" said
! Jimmy Grayson. I have shown him 70
| you. He seems to the wOrle full Of
pride and power. but he knows that jus
/ tice is pursuing him. and that it will over
take him; ne trembies. he covers. he
fees. but the avenging footsteps are be
/ hind him. and the sound of them rings
| In his frightened ears Ike a death-knell
70 his soul a wall rises across his way.
/ He can fee no farther; he turns back
from the wall. raises his tcrror-stricker
eve. and there before him the hand ot
fate is raised; its finger points at him.
! and a terrible voice proclailus. Thou art
the guilty man"
| The form Of Jimmy Grayson swelled
and lowered, his hand was raised, the
,ong foreinger pointed directly at the
four who stood in the dazzling light, and
the hall resounded with the tremendous
/ echoes OF his cry. Thou art the guilty
man.
As if lifted by a common impulse. the
great audience rose with an indescribable
sound and faced about. following Jimmy
Gayson's long. accusing finger
The man Williams threw his arm be
fore his face, as If 10 protect himself
and. with a terrible cry. yes, I did it,
fell in, n faint on the floor
They were all on the train the nex'
day. and Harley was reading from d
copy ot the GRANVILLE Argus an account
of Boyd's release and the ovation that
the people had given him
How did you trace the crime to vii
, liams. HObart?' asked Harley
I didn't trace ii; il was Jimmy Gray.
{ son who brought ii out by giving him the
third degree replied Hobart, though
! there was a quiet tone Of satisfied pride
in his voice. You know that in New
York, when they expose a man at polic'
. headquarters TO some such supreme test
E they call 1t giving him the third degree.
, and that's what we did here. It seem;
that Williams was IN the saloon wheI
Boyd and his partner quarreled. and h
knew they had a lot or gold from tn,
claim in their cabin. His object wa
robbery When ne saw WOffOrd 90 Ol
ahead, he followed him quickly 10 tn
cabin. and killed him with the knit
} which lay on a table. He expected &
! have time to get the gold before Boy
z came but Boyd arrived SO soon that h
was barely able to slip out. Then VIII
liams, cunning and bold enough, cam
back Us if he were a chance passer-by
and had been called by Metzger an
5 Thorpe The other two were as limo
0 cent as you or I.
S I could not make up my mind whic
: Of the three was guilty, and 1 induce
= Jimmy Grayson TO help me. It was righ
in line with his speech-nO harm don
: even if the test had failed-and then tn
man who managed the lights at the oper
= house. a friend OF Boyd's. helped me wit
the stage effects. Jimmy Grayson, q
= course. knew nothing about that 7 boz
+ rowed the idea 1 have read somewiier
Y that Aaron Burr by just such a devic
:. once convicted a guilty man who wa
. present in court as a witness when al
other was ching tried for the crime
3 well. you have saved his life 10 an ii
} nOCent man, said aHrley.
And have cost a guilty one his An
o then, after a moments pause, Hobal
n added. with a little shiver:
n But I wouldn't go through such a
=, ordeal again at any price. When Jimm
y Grayson thundered out, Thou art tn
q guilty man, it was ali I could do to kee
from crying, Yes, I am, I am" "
# CHAPTER XIV.
The Dead City.
:. As they left the hall Churchill owe