Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-07-05
IS: 81 z &. 3: * q & e. q
CHAPTER VII.
NHE morning after the discovery.
of the murder Nicholas Hard

ter. She had gone upstairs. He rush.
ed up instantly. Claire was waitingI
for him at her bedroom door. He
Numbered in and shut 1t behind him.
They have got hini!'' cried Claire,
with both hands to her heart
Got whom?'' said her fnther sharp
~. Got whom, ell z.
Her face fell beneath the angry gilt
ter In his eyes.
The man they want for this
friglitful business" said she lamely
and sank down upon a chair.
And pray who Is he? You seem to
known
No answer. save twltching fingers,
rocked body, lowered lids.
IL You were to hear 1t was that
Z young Erickson would it surprise you
very much z No; It would mott" It Ind
only stiilcd her. And now intend
4 to know why not, You have thrown
sAnd enough In my eyes, but your
manner this morning told nae some
Z thing, and nm determined to kncsg
all there Is to know before Leaves
this-rooln.'
And with no less emphatic delibera-
\ ton the father strobe to the door,
locked 1t and pocketed the key, but
was met on his return with such Wild
eyes md suppliant hands that even
his harsh heart melted at the sight;
9OnIy tell mo whether they have cap
tured him." she said. aand faithfully
promise to tell you all. !"
precious soon will. Now keep your
promise"
1T was kept to the letter.
NOW you SEQ, said he when Claire
had finished, what has como at your
folly. You have eItangled yourself
with a young fellow whose fate, ii he
be caught, one would rather not con.
template. You may even be called aa a
/ witness against him, if last nights In
teryiew leaked out. And II you told
+ n Jury all you have told me, about the
address and all that | am afraid It
would hang him II nothing else did,"
Hang Tomw
'syNell, Claire, II looks to me very
like q hanging matter. 1t would need
very clever and probably a very
costly defense to give him the ghost
Of chance Of having 1t brought In
anything less"
Then he must have it!' cried Claire.
oh, he never could have done IT
willfully! He must have the very best
defense that can be got, but; oh, who
will pay for it r. IS 3
II am thinking Of doing SO myself"
replied Nj. Harding quietly. 81 don't
say will, but i may,
Your
And the girl was sobbing upon his
Y breast, with her arms about his thick
red neck, as they had not been for
+ many a year now. He removed them,
but almost gently, and told her not to
jump at conclusions, as he had by nd
means madc up his mind. Indeed. let
them first catch their man. But as the
Z lads father had been his constituent
/; as well is his enemy, on whom he had
perhaps been little hard, he thoqght
that On the whole IT might prove the
right and proper thing to do. Claire
was oyerw4elmed, not only With grat-
itnae for a first CLEAN Of comfort, but
also with shame. All these years she
had misjudgea that ma 9imous man,
her own father, apd what GOALS Of fire
WAS. he henping on her spndutiful head!
She cried herself 10 sleep with shame
and hope, and that was when Tom
Erickson was flying south from West
bourne park, with the police In full
cry at his heels,
Thomas ErIohsen Ind been appre-
hcnded at Kew ON the Saturday even
ing aud lodged for that night In tho
local lookup. The bare fact was read
by Mr.. Harding ip next days Dispatch
and by Claire IN her fathers face be-
& fore she heard il from his lips at TWEEN
ty minutes to II In the morning. On
tie Monday morning she gave him his
breakfast early and alone, and he Their
s assured her that he was going to ase
what could be done.
Mr.. Harding did not consult his OWL
4 Mwyer, but lie went on foot to the pur
iieus OK the Old Bailey and there
mounted to a noisome den with hi
shoulders lipSand his hat well over iii
eyes. He departed as furtively som'
minutes later and was followed dow
tile breakneck stairs by an unclear
yulture OF a man with snuffy beak ant
grimy talons, who skipped into q cabri
olet and was driven ut speed to tn
NIarylebone Office.
There was dense crowd outside
but with tho free use of his own e.
bows and Mr.. Hardings money tn
Old Bailey lawyer fought and bough
hts way In. He was In time TO witnes
the formal remand Of Thomas Ericl
sen and to draw Ills own conclusio
from The, bold fixed eyes and treml
lousy scoriiful lips behind the iro
railing Of the dock, That look wa
less for the magistrate than for til
opera glasses OF tho "oble lord whol
the magistrate hat wed ~upon til
bench But the Old ls.liley lawyer re;l
1t HIS own way. Here was a glaringl
guilty man putting face OF brass VI
Oh i heart Of putty, the very type Wit
which he ,SSas best accustomed an
most competent to deal So the WI
ture took q pinch Of SNUFF that resoiint
ed through the court and, on the pri
0ner.s removal, squeezed out himse
to make Inquiries. # was as he 81
pected. The prisoner would be conve.
ed Immediately to the new prison
GIerkenwell But tho attorney mai
aged to get AWAY first through y
fnYs ~