The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1910-04-07

: The +
RED MOUSE
A Mystery Romance
---~->-.->-->---~s--e.--e
By WILLIAM HAMILTON
OSBORNE
= Copyright 1909. by Dodd. Mead a CO.
CHAPTER VII.
? Copyright 1909. by Dodd. Mead a CO.


was sitting in his private Of
- flee In the courthouse when
Mixley aud McGrath entered
You've done as instructed? You've
got Challoncr outsider the prosecutor
asked
The men replied In the affirmative.
Bring him in" commanded Muir
gatroyd
They returned with the prisoner
Challoner looked better than he had
the night before
~ sent for you" said the prosecutor.
because Of what you said last night
am not sure that you meant all you
said "
Challoner laughed loudly.
"Of course | remember It." he said
presently. ara. pointing with a steady
forefinger to n weapon on the prose-
cutor's desk. II shot him with that
gun there"
Most decidedly. then" continued the
prosecutor. you do not recall that |
told you that anything you might say
would"
~ heard all you said" the prisoner
broke I'm. But what's the use? II had
20 come | was getting tired of hiding
and never having wink Of sleep Be
sides. knew that pemmican, Cradle
baugh's man, saw the whole affair.
There was no escape"
Murgatroyd's face expressed APP
proval OF this point Of view His
voice, however was noncommittal
when he observed:
"Pemmlcan saw II all. then7"
Certainly he did" Challoner volun-
teered
When the prosecutor spoke again he
did so without looking up from sew.
eral documents he was scanning
81 haven't examined Pemmican-my
men have. though" he said. 1--WE got
him under lock and key. and he'll
have TO stay there until'-
Challoner moistened his lips.
Until my trial, | suppose" he inter
posed Poor devil That's hard
iinesp'
The prosecutor ignored the com
ment, but he reminded the prisoner
say anything that could be used
against him. concluding with:
You came here from the jail quite
willingly this mornlngT
Don't you think we can cut all that
sort Of thing out. Mr.. Prosecutor"
little scornfully
Before answering Murgatroyd shot
glance at his men as II TO sharpen
their attention.
"Very well, then" he said finally
III you're quite willing / should like
TO know the exact details As ! un
derstand II. both Hargraves and you
were fatally infatuated with an ac.
tress at the Frivolity-quarreled over
her Is that rightT
surely there Is no necessity of
bringing any other names into this
Challoner answered hotly. and then,
little by little calming down, he re-
counted graphically the incidents Of
that memorable night.
A most unusual performance on the
part Of the prosecutor cut him short
All the time Challoner had been laying
bare the facts Murgatroyd had been
toying with a pigskin wallet on which
appeared In gold the initials "R. H."
and just when his prisoner was on the
point Of ending his story he tossed II
over to him, demanding;
do you recognize that?" The prose
cutor desired II possible to add rob
berry to the motive In the case.
"Know itf' the prisoner replied glib
ly. II should think | did! II was Har'
graves. When saw 1t last there was
$4,000 In It," Turning 1t inside out,
he asked in an offhand manner:
where's the money gomez
Murgatroyd's eyes searched the face
of the man before him.
"You took It," he asserted coldly.
Challoner strove TO clear away his
muddled recollections.
81 took it2 Decidedly notw he ex-
claimed Indignantly. But the mans
dipsomaniacal doubts and fears tinged
the tone of his voice and lessened the
impressiveness of his denial though he
added: "Why, your witness, Pemmi-
can, can tell you that He saw the
whole thing"
Murgatroyd asked OF ChalloneI
whether II was not fact that he had
tried to borrow money all over town
The Eyes" he elected was muttered
angrily.
"But | didn't touch that" ChalloneI
resumed. the beads Of perspiratioI
standing out on his brow. If die
take the money. what In the worlt
have done with it? Tell me that. Blu
look here. Murgatroyd; let's get dowI
TO business and have this over with.
told you that waited for Hargrave
for two nights. We had game II
Room A. There was a compact. Har
graves won out Hang him, he al
ways won out! We had row thel
and there. pulled that gun and fire.
ut him point blank"
"And thenT'
~ killed him. and would do 1t owe