Mexico weekly ledger., 1910-01-13

/ think, II you hadn't Gomez b cried
and fell to sobbIng. but after a mo-
ment she Strengthened up again There
was a defiant look in her face now. a
tremor in the voice that said: II don't
care what he's done. / want Laurie to
como back, do you underestimate 1
want him back-I want him"
/ Shirley Bloodgood bit her lips.
II know, l know, Miriam-I do un-
derstand"-
"0h, but you can't understand" she
persisted. you haven't a husband,
and you don't know"
eyes, yes, Miriam, | know" were
the only words that rose to the girls
lips to comfort her, for at that mo
ment the faint sound Of the insistent
doorbell broke in upon them
Mrs. C~halloner's slight frame shook
with sudden agitation Is she exclaim.
ed:
'That doorbell will drive me crazyr'
And, almost instantly recovering her
composure, she gasped:
IF 1t should be LaurieF'
The girl glanced at the smoldering
fire In the CRATE, where to her excited
fancy in all their hideousness rose be-
fore her the headlines she had read in
the evening papers, "Challoner Caught
In ChicagoF'
"How are we going to break the
news to herr sighed Shirley as she
quickly left the room. Just outside Of
the door she encountered Stevens, and,
quickly placing her finger on her lips,
she motioned him to be silent. When
they were well out Of hearing he an
nounced In a confidential tone:
"Mr. Murgatroyd, Miss BIoodgood."
"Mr. Murgatroydl William Murga-
troyd7 What does he want, stevensr
She was plainly excited.
"Sh-h-hr warned Stevens gently.
Hes the prosecutor Of the pleas"
"Oh, then it 10 Mr.. William Murga,
troyd. But what does he wantf
Stevens shook his head. The next
moment Shirley Bloodgood had enter
ed the drawing room and stood gazing
into the face of William Murgatroyd.
SHIRLEY Bloodgoodr The name fell
incredulously from bis lips. "You
here"
Shirley held out her hand.
"And you-what are you doing
here" she asked quickly, II didn't
know that you were a friend of the
family"
Tall, well built with a smooth shaw
en- face, a square chin and a nose that
stood well out into the air, Murgatroyd
was a man who appeared to be with
out enthusiasm; but, although sharp
and businesslike, his manner was easy.
Turning to Shirley, he came to the
point at once.
IL want to see Mrs. Challoner," be
announced. But I'm glad you're here,
for / don't know her very well, and'-
you can't very well see her now"
Shirley interrupted, shaking her bead.
"She's frightfully unstrung. She's Ill,
You know it's almost three weeks now
since laurie first went away, and
II know" he broke in just a bit Inn
patiently.
"whatT" Shirley gasped, the truth al
last dawning upon her. "You don't
mean to say that you're here in-iu
your official capacity?"
Murgatroyd smiled grimly.
Its the only capacity In which I'm
likely to be here, Shirley" he remind
ed her.
But" she protested, II thought they
left these things to-
'The police" he finished, and agar
: smiled grimly. They do, but there
J are reasons You see" he went on t
! explain, "since 1 was appointed prose
cutor of the pleas I've turned up {
thing or two in the police department
and, well, the police department. and
: are somewhat out Of tune. This cas-
! they have put up to me and my men"
surely you can't meal to imply tina
: you have to do this kind Of thing your
selfT
Eyes; it's up to me. ] am sorry I
remind you" he went on. the full re
~sponsibflity Of his Office upon hin
= that / am here to see Mrs. Challonel
to lnd out where Challoner is and t
Q persuade her to persuade him to com
U back"
'Then he wasn't caught in Chicago?
y Shirley exclaimed almost jubiiantly
, And then, touching him on the arm
g bit Familiarity, she added:
"Billy, you don't really believe tha
a Laurie murdered Colonel HargravesT
Murgatroyd laughed a short laugh
n 'I don't know" he went on evasiv'
ly, whether Challoner murdered Hal
graves or not"
"You don't know"
nNo." returned the prosecutor. 3
far the evidence is purely circumstar
II tial."
Shirley drew a long breath and eel
: oed excitedly, "CircumstantialT TheI
yyas a flicker of a smile on her face q
Of uhe added:
It. "Then the newspapers were wron
re when they said 1t was a c%ertaintyP'
n Murgatroyd held up bis hand ar
went on to explain;
"what l tell you is confidential. 70
understand
TX Eyes, yes" she said IMPATIENT
It. "But tell me about 1.-THE real facts
o. that is, If you can"
of There's no eason why J shouldn'
no I suppose" said the prosecutor OF Il
os pleas. "The real facts as we hay
. them-as we have them, mind-al
simple. ChaIloner quarreled with Col
hS mel Hargraves."
"what aboutT" asked Shirley impr
en- sively.
3D. Murgatroyd flushed.
M 'That makes no difference" he a
swered, with some confusion. "Tl
cd point is that they were enemies.
was a quarrel In which the passions
each were reused to the utmost. .
W make a long story short, Colonel Hi
graves won $4,000 at Gravesend. II
men met in Cradlebaugh's. Anoth
" quarrel followed.
bia What does that proven
ul- Nothing, only n man named Pc
mican of Cradlebaugh's witnessed BIO
oua rrolS and ChalIoner has run wa