The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-25

tendent. ne means bluff, by the look
of him, but l have given you you
case"
| From a wicket gate in the orchard
hedge a young man in fiannels and
straw hat was coming toward us. The
blue wreaths from his briar pipe
| framed a sun Drowned face, tense with
something more than curiosity. 1t was
Harold Sterling, and / could have
wished him anywhere else just then.
Morning, Foster" he said in his
breezy way as he reached us. "Glad to
see a responsible officer at last. What
do you make of Lupins latest achieve
ment? Hanged himself from remOrse
because he'd brought a false charge
against honest folk. eh?"
ShOne kept nudging me, whispering
quite audibly: In fairness you ought
to warn him that anything he says
will be used"
AT my trial for theft and murder
Ell? Mr. Radford Shone?" the young
man interrupted him. II don't think
so, if superintendent Foster is the
same keen old fox of a Foster I've
known since | was a boy. Possibly
there will be a police court case of as
saut if you are not very careful"
"Come. come, Mr.. Harold" L inter
posed. You won't make matters easier
for any of us by talking that way. I'll
have a private chat with you presently.
Just now / want to look at the we'll"
l could see that Radford Shone was
inwardly Tuning at my not acting on
the strength of his information and
arresting Sterling there and then. But,
taking no notice of him for the mo-
ment, 1 closely examined the brick
parapet around the well. and peered
down the circular shaft as far as the
daylight served to show the walls of
the abyss. Both on the surface of the
parapet and in the interior of the we'll
the bricks were uneven with age, but
there were no traces of recent dis
placement, as there would have been
had there been a struggle on the
brink.
1 drew Shone aside and pointed this
out to him. He smiled superior. My
good sir" he said, 81 never suggested
that there was a struggle on the top.
1 maintain that the moose was placed
round the deceased's neck UP here in
the orchard. and afterward pulled
tight. He was probably dead when he
was thrown over"
I gazed round rather helplessly, for
the trampling of the search party had
destroyed any possible traces of a
struggle in the long grass, and ShOne' S
theory took the force out of an argu-
ment which had been hoping to twist
favorably for Mr.. Harold.
Here. you. Is there any water in
the weIl2" l demanded of couple of
stablemen who had lounged up.
Hasn't been any for years." was the
reply.
/ thought for a minute. and then 1
went and looked at the rope on the
windlass. 1t was old, of course, but,
being protected from rain by wooden
hood, il was sound enough. I unwound
the end q few feet and looped it into
slip knot. Shone's jealous eyes
watched my every action.
Going to hang yourself?" he asked,
in the sneering tone that must have
made him a friendless nan.
Il am going down the WE'LL" / an
swered him CURLY. And you, Mr..
Sterling, will be good enough TO lower
me with due regard for my wife and
family. 1t will keep you from being
quarrelsome while 1 am below
But" protested Mr.. Radford Shone,
glancing significantly at the uniformed
constable, who had now stabbed his