The Washington times., 1909-06-11
By ROBERT CARLTON BROWN
1.-THE BURDEN OF PROOF
=AUTHOR OF

met neither had again raised his gaze
| 10 the others Phil congratulated him.
self on the fact that Bradshaw had
changed his. tactics On account of his
That night the letters came. Phil
grasped them greedily, a whole hand
ful, the envelopes slit open and parts
| OF the letters carefully cut out by or
der of the officials who had read them.
There were three from Alice. Realiz-
ing that something important must have
developed. Phil looked at the dates and
began with the one that had come first
II was long and mou Gful. Everything
| had gone wrong She was kept in a
state OF anxiety by her family, and Bob
bothered her greatly.
Alice said that She had had a long
talk with Doctor Lyons, and they had
both agreed that Mr.. Rogers was not
doing the best in his power for Phil.
| They had come 20 the conclusion that
there was some agreement between
Bob and the lawyer, for it had been
learned that the $4,000 provided for
by the will would still go TO the first
of the boys to be married.
She went on TO say that her family
was tempted by the money. It was
understood from the wording Of the
letter the true state of the case. II
was very depressing.
He quickly picked up the next let
ter. That was even more full of de-
SPAR, Alice explained that she owed a
great deal 10 her family; that she
they demanded. 1t was a vague. wav-
ering letter, and Phil readily under
stood that the girl did not know eX-
actly what she had best do.
Her love for Phil was strong and
at the same time her regard Tor her
family came into play and SIZE was
tOtteTing on the verge.
The third letter was peculiar. Alice
began BY calling herself unworthy and
then went on 10 explain that her father
and Bob had spread the news that
young Stephens was engaged to her.
She ended by saving that she did not
know what TO do. The family would
give her no peace and everybody took
| # for granted that she and Bob were
| TO be married.
| Pills law became rigid as he rel,l.
| Then he picked up a thick letter from
| DR.. Lyons. The physician told practi-
cally the same news as Alice.
He had mistrusted Mr.. Rogers from
| the FIRST. Eben had been given into
BOb's charge ~ the courts. and every
thing looked hopeless. DR.. Lyons closed
with the fear that Alice's family would
prevail upon her and make the girl
marry Bob in order 70 get the money.
T4ae physician explained that Mr.. Arl-
| ingtOn was a feeble old man who once
had been rich, and that he was willing
| fortune. Also, that Alice was such a
good daughter that she was blind to his
faults. and willing 10 make any sort Of
sacrifice for him.
despair was PLAINLY SpeileQ on re 4 5
| face when he had finished this epissle.
There was still another letter from
| DR.. Lyons. That. told him of the
| progress of things and explained that
| Mr.. Rogers was spending a lot Of
money on Daring's case, but seemed TO
| be making little Roadway.
The last Letter was from Mr.. Rogers.
1t was very curt and businessIike.
The lawyer aid not seem so greatly in
terested as he at the outset He
told Phil that he 4ad been appointed by
the court to execute the will OF John r
Stevens. and that he would do so as
soon as he could free Phil. As to the
new trial things had come up which
had delayed il and made the outcome
seem doubtful
He had learned that Phil had been an
untractable prisoner, and finished with
curt paragraph in which he said that