The San Francisco call., 1906-09-09
HAGAR OF THE RNW'N5HOP FRddb5 III HUME

him dead.'
Rather wondering at the hercc-"Ss
. of the girl Hagar left her and wen ~
70 the fail in which Kerris was n
.arcerated. The gamekeeper wz5
nuge blond man with a fresh. hs s7c-
some face. Usually his expression y =
frank and kindI-. but nav. OWNS =
recent events. ne looked sullen- n
spite Of all Hagar's questioning he 2>E
sisted In declining an explanation.
iii say neither one thing nor 60
other" he declared: 'if 7 did kill. -
Leslie, or I didnt. is my business. A-J-
how. he deserved to be killed
Whom are you screening? ASST
Hsgar. changing her tactics
No one" replied kerris. CO. >"
rising on his face.
Yes You are else you would -,
jeopardize your neck. Eut you 3.-l
be saved In spite OF yourself i k1o~
who killed Sir Leslie.
You do?" asked the man, looz,n-
up anNiousiy.
YES. his cousin. Sir Lewis. VIC hsvs
found his pistol concealed where tr@
murder took place: he stole your hao-5
to wear them and throw the blams ~
you- You came out OF Weiby Pa,
committed Did you not see 80
Lewis?"
'No. didn't replied Kerris. hast;iT.
II saw no one, 7 heard a shot end
thought poachers might be about. o..
as Sir Leslie had discharged Ha I
didn't think Il was my business TO sec
after them
sir Lewis paid you visit shorty
before the murder?
Yes. he did; to see me about sons
game"
did you miss the boots after he
lettg
II never missed them till the night
Of the murder when 1 wanted TO pull
EN- op," said Kerris. Il hadn't worl
them for some days. as they were new
boots and rather hurt my feet"
Then no doubt Sir Lewis stole then
for his own purposes. said Hagzr
triumphantiy. He Is guilty. and
you
II am Innocent cried Kerris. proud
ly. Il don't mind saying IL now. I
never killed Sir Leslie. I never laid
finger on him."
Aud you did not say so before be-
cause you are screening some one. Who
10 itT
Kerris made no reply. but looked un-
easy.
Before Hagar could repeat her ques-
ton, the answer thereto came from
most unexpected quarter. The door OF
the cell was opened and Julf entered.
with expression OF profound as
tonishnent on his face.
Here's a go. he cried 10 Hagar.
from whom he received the boots"
"Sir Levis%'
No, I have seen Sir Lewis and he
denies his guilt: aISo he tells me a
story which corroborates Micky's evil
dence. and explains why Kerris here
holds his tongue"
Kerris rose from his seat on the bed
with bound and strode toward Julf.
looking worried and fierce
Not word not a wordp' he said.
between his clencked teeth. Spare
her"
Her said Hasar. a light breaking
in on her. Laura Brenton?"
Yes. Laura Brenton." said Julf.
shaking OF the gamekeeper. "Micly
has seen her. Ii was she who gave him
the boots"
'I told her to! I told her to- inter
rupted Kerris In despair.
Nonsense, You wish 10 screen her.
and you have tried to do it all along.
But you are wrong. Laur4 Brcnton is
not worth your sacrificing your life.
my man. She Is the guilty person who
killed Sir Leslie. And why? Because
he had cast her off and was about to
marry another woman"
Kerris gave a great cry. TT Is false
false. She loved me-
She loved herself" retOrted Julf
sharply "Sir Leslie promised TO marry
her. and because she could not force
him. 1t was 10 throw the blame on
you that she stole the boots and wore
them on the night she met Sir Leslie
by the Queens pool. IL was to get Sir
Lewis into trouble that she stole his
pistol to kill his cousin"
And did she hide it in the urn?"
asked Hagar. astonished by these rev.
elations.
NO; Sir Lewis did so. He knew that
Laura committed the crime"
How SOP
HE heard the shot and went to see
who had fired 1t. BY the Queens pool
he found his cousins dead body and
picked UP his own pistol on the bank
As Laura, to his own knowledge. had
taken Ii away from the library on the
day she came with her father to pay
the rent. he knew that she had killed
Sir Leslie. To screen her. and not
thinking OF his own danger should the
pistol with his name on 1t be found. he
hid 1t In the urn where you found IT,
So you see. two men have tried to
screen this woman. who loved neither
Of them"
She loved me-mer' cried Kerris. IN
agony. "Oh, why did Sir Lewis speak,
To save himself from arrest" replied
Julf. He was not so loyal as YOU. nv
poor FELLOW. However. you will soon
DC released Today I arrest Laura"
And this was done on that very
q.
rified by the statements OF Mfclv ana.
SIR Lewis, although George Kerris
Ioyally kept silent. she confessed all
Julrs explanation was correct. She
had met Sir Leslie on the night OF ths
murder by the Queens pool. with the
Intention of killing him should he per
slst In his intention OF casting her or.
He did 80, and she killed him. She
mad stolen the pistol aud the boots 10
throw the blame. should occasion arise.
on Sir Lewis and KerrIs- Also. she had
taAen away the pistol of Kerris from
ms cottage to ineu1pate him. But for
Hasar and the episode of the pawns,3
boots. which Laura had given to Mic<v
70 get rid OF. she might have sue
ceeaed IN her vile plans and have es-
capped free to ruin other men. As n
was, 'sne confessed her crime and was
condemned to penal servitude for life
one deserved the scanold. but she es
eaped that through the Ieniencv Of the
beauty. 'Ou'n anu
d.