Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-04-14
CHAPTER XVIII.
Prier's Conclusions.
Bv CLARENCE BoUTELLE.

He laid il down at last.
II don't understand it at ALL" he said,
sadly; Il don't understand 1t at all.
The letter is cold, flippant, insulting.
And yet-there is a vein of earnestness
running through it all. And he has
befriended Sem. He has taken him
away from his gloomy thoughts, and
away from the chances of insults ana
Sights. l wonder if he really knows
ANYTHING which might be of service 10
me- or whether that hint is as careless
and baseless, as much he has written
seems to be. | wonder whether his
invitation to me to come and hunt him
up is a mockery Of my efforts or chal-
lenge to my earnestness? | wonder-I
wonder everything, almost; and l
know-almost nothing! If l could only
look into Jasper Jahnway's face for
half-dozen minutes; if l could only eX-
change a dozen words with him, l
should not be so utterly in the dark
as l now am. And why may l not!
II wouldn't take a day to find hshlng
vessel, somewhere along the coast here'
that would be safe for an ocean Voy-
age, and that could be hired for a
reasonable sum, captain, crew and ALL
II might not be very comfortable; but
am ready to sacrifice comfort in this
matter. I don't know the name OF
Jahnway's vessel, but 1 think l can
find out without great difficulty.
don't know where he will go. but after
all he has written about the cold and
the season doubt his going far south;
and if he has been a sailor, as he
hints and Patsy Gullens says, l don't
think he'll get very far off shore. II L
hunt for him from Newfoundland to
New York and in a strip of water
reaching two hundred miles off shore,
| shall be astOnished if l don't find
him.
"Danger-hardship- -eXpense-uncer-
tainty-I realize all that. But I'll be
blamed if 1 don't hang somebody. I'll
be blamed if l don't go out after Jasper
Jahnway within forty eight hours"
Mr.. ]. B. Prier had one enviable
characteristic appertaining to his WILL
You know he often let impulse sway
him: you know he often listened to the
dictates of his keen analytical powers
of reason: in these respects he was
like most men. Nor was he very re-
markable man as regarded his power
Of will-his .fixity of purpose. But ne
had the power when he had once made
up his mind to do a thing, of putting
it aside until the proper time came.
1t was a power we might any Of US
cOvet.
He had decided to hire a large and
well constructed fishing vessel as soon
as he could find suitable one. He
had decided to hunt thoroughly the
space he had decided it would be likely
Jahnway would cruise in. This was
a great undertaking. 1t was strange
thing to do 1t seemed quiXOtic. 1t
was entirely unprecedented in Priers
experience. He was going outside OF
anything he had ever known. He had
never heard of a detective doing as he
was about to do
No matter, though all that were true.
He had decided to go. He was go
without further thought: let them wait
for the arrangement of details until
more convenient season. Sufficient
unto the day is the evil thereof" he
quoted, gravely, as he put thought of the
coming dangers and difficulties Of the
ocean voyage resolutely from him and
took out the little book in which he
had put the analysis of the anonymous
letter.
What shall l write? Shall it be:
who killed Constance Craig? Alas.
no: there is no use in writing that
-rather-be--'
And he unused silently for some min
utes
Yes" he said. aloud suddenly and
with emphasis. Yes, l will write that
1t will busy my mind for little time.
But | will not write such u statement
of negationS in my book: | will write
il elsewhere"
He closed his book. He put it in his
pocket He drew loose sheet of pa
per toward him. He wrote on the first
line. in large letters:
WHO did not Kill Constance Craig.
He went on with his work, as fol-
lows:
Gilbert Sem did not kill Constance
Craig In spite Of circumstantial evi-
dence, in all its strengthen spite of
the new link in the chain which was
placed in my hand by Matilda Webb
when she was dying. Gilbert Sem is
innocent, He carries truth and hon
esty in his face; l would stake my soul
on his honor: it does not need the
agreement of the anonymous letter
with the confession Jahnway sent me.
nor the fact that neither is like the
writing Of this ill-uSed man, to prove
that Gilbert Sem is guiltless.
The detective was growing tired.
He suppressed a Yawn; and then he
yawned. half-minute later. without
trying 70 suppress it; he looked at the
inviting bed: he listened. from his
comfortable place before the fire. to the
wild night outside: his pen moved less
freely: he wrote much lesS-Said much
less aloud-and one could but have
believed. could one have looked upon
him. that he thought much less.
Walter Aldrch did not Kill Con-
stance Craig.
He wrote that. He said nothing.
His face darkened. Undoubtedly he
believed Aldrich liar. But he exon
Grated him from all responsibility re-
garding the greater Crime-the crime
Of murder.
Elsie Sem is innocent"
1t took no time for thought to enable
him To write that
John Kane is guiltless.'
He muttered a half-apology to him
self for having used the clergyman's
name at all. And then, as he pushed
the ink from him, and sat lazily, a
moment or two, before rising, he
Thought Of the face he had seen in