The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-05-03

| SetI- I've sOIuctHiuB IuOFc 10 say u
/ you"
And so Tom had his eyes opened t.
the little ways OF great lawyers, Blu
| his impression OF his champion wa.
by no means an unfayorable one. fol
| the glib, spruce Bassett he disliked
but this rough tongue and rugged face
| filed him with confidence and so re
| doubled his gratitude toward his un
known ally, who heard that he had
| spoken OF him with tears in his eyes
and who did not fail to let Claire heal
1t too.
Upon her meanwhile the strain was
beginning to tell. More than once she
was within an ace of breaking down
at teIItale moment. And just when
her nerves were at their highest pitch
and the situation hardly to be borne
there came the new development which
well nigh turned her brain.
1t began with comparatively small
matter. the unprovoked insolence of
Claire's maid; but this was the growth
Of days, not a sudden thing. though 1t
was only when her tangled nerves
could endure it no longer that Claire
whipped out her purse. put a months
wages on the dressing table and babe
the woman BECOME.
Hannah, the maid put her thin.
strong arms akimbo and burst out
laughing in her mistress face.
This instant. eh? And you think
you'll get rid Of me for two-pound -fvei
That you won't then, nor yet for 20
guineas. So now you know"
I'VE shall see." said Claire, moving
over to the bell.
81 wouldn't ring, miss, If were you"
"Then will you go? You have been
it, and I shall send for policeman to
turn you out"
Il wouldn't do that, miss. either, or
may tell the policeman something
you won't like"
.'What do you mean"
"What l say. but don't mind saying
it palmer to oblige. l shall tell him
who you were with on the night Of
certain murder and what he said to
you and what you could tell against
him in the witness box if they like to
put you there! That's all. Miss Hard
ing. You look faint. / wouldn't ring
just yet If were you. Here's a glass
OF water in the meanwhile"
Claire had indeed turned white as
paper. Instinctively she took the
glass. but it slipped through her fin
gers and fell into the fender with a
crash. The room seemed full of pale
faces. low brows and venomous black
eyes set close together, all spinning
round in nauseous whirligig like de-
mons dancing. She sank into chair
and hid her face. but started and re-
coiled from the touch of cool fingers.
wet with rosewater. upon her temples. |
Keep away from mel" she cried
do not dare to touch me
again. So 1t was you It the gate that |
night? l remember now!'
1T was me. miss"
You shut it?'"
ri did"
"And. pray, how do you know who he
WASP and her voice was stronger.
You never were at Winwood in your
ife.''
Perhaps not. but I can put two and |
.wo together as well as most. Be
sides, I'm not that hard Of hearing.
Come, let's be plain. You've confessed
70 the master. miss, and you've con-
'essed to me-"
There was pause for proper COM
,rehension: then said the young lady,
with inefrable scorn. "And to how
many more-through your lips?'
Never a soul! That was too good
me not to keep. No, Just seen him
irst and then set to work to find out
Who he was. But 1 never said 1 seen
linn to SOUL"
"And why not to me until today?"
'Why, because l wanted to know
our game. And it wasn't that easy to
ind out. You see. miss. you're pretty
eep one yourself" |,
Claire sat still in her chair. She was i
low perfectly calm and even expert +;
ncing an odd sense Of relief in facing
n overt crisis after SO many secret
remors and hidden shocks. And what
J your object. Hannah?" said she at
asst. Suppose they put me in the wit
ess box, what would you gain by it?
-ou probably think I would do any
hing to avoid the exposure. On the
l would tell everything to the
7hole world IL thought 1t could do
ny ECCQ. Dut TIE caSe Is 50 pidCk a. |
eady that. on the other hand, It could
o very little harm. Your threat IS less j
errible than you imagine" I
rs that so?'' with an evil smile. |
Hey day. but it's an artful one! Sup
ose I told that there Daintree instead
{ the police? What them"
Claire had suspected this, yet it took
er breath away when it came. so l.
ou are professional spy" she gasp
l. Il might have known it all along,
,u vile woman, from your facet To
2 sure she might have known it then.
II the sallow face turned a deeper
elbow. The black eyes came as close !
sgether as the nozzles of a double bar
lied gun, to blaze as though both trig-
PTS had been pulled at once.
"Ah. yes. We don't all show It In
Ut faces, do weT Kissed the woman.
And which ia tho worst I wonder
lem that does or them that doesn'tf |
it worse to cheat the man that's
md of you. like you've done. or to tell
i'm. as / mean to do. that he's being
heated? You think you've found NE
Ut He shall find you out. To make
ne lover pay for the other lovers de-