Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-02-10
BY

pistol. They did not know the little
man now. He stood straight up, bold.
eager, repentant.
Listen" he said. And any one
here who values his life will let me
alone. l am the inventor of the Rhine
strom patent. l know what Mr.. Brad
ley meant about the royalty. You're a
thief, Pinckney! Do you hear? A
theft Why don't you speak? Deny
it if you dare. you theft"
There was a gasp of surprise, of hor-
rOr.
You told me the royalty was to be
a hundred dollars an inch. Now l find
it's a thousand. That was why the
patents could not be in my name-you
wanted to steal. And that was why you
wanted that gun of Sommers' killed.
so that you could get the government
to take mine-mine." be repeated,
bringing his fist violently against his
chest-"not Rhinestrom's, but mine.
And you were to get nine times as
much as me. You told me to forge
that gun before Sommers came. You
got Smith drunk and put him in
charge of that tempering bath-you.
And you know it-and l was u party
to it. l stood for it. l saw the rotten
work was done. And l waited. day
after day, night after night-sleepless.
afraid. | waited. And one day in Il
whisper through the works the news
came. How do you think | felt since
then? 1 am a murderer. and so are
you! And you not only have that on
your soul, but you would disgrace an
other man. The dead are enough for
me-" His face took on a look of aw-
full. supernatural fear as he went on.
''They whispered to me in the night,
and the sightless eyes of the lad, blind
ed, blink at me through the darkness.
And it's the face Of my boy with sight
less eyes accusing me. | won't stand
it, l tell you. I'm going with my soul
naked to the lash before my God and
cry for pity and forgiveness
Amazed, horror stricken. finally dunn
founded, the listeners had hung SPELL
bound through the terrible confession.
When it was finished for one moment
no one moved. Then Marsh, with a
little, gasping catch in his throat, turn
ed and walked quickly out of the Of
fee, and as he went through the door
they saw a CLEAN of his revolver. The
door closed, and Bradley, the first to
recover sprang toward it. but even
the quick secret service man was too
late. He jerked open the door. There
came a sharp report. Bradley stepped
back inside and closed the door.
Hes gone" be said.
Next Pinckney, as one coming out
Of a daze, looked up. and the secret
service man touched him sharply on
the arm. Those %curiously shrewd, hard
eyes were looking into the eyes of the
general manager, and in that look
Pinckney read that the game was up.
"Will you come with me. Mr.. Pinck-
ney" Bradley's voice was courteous,
polite and cold and hard as steel. II
hope you won't make any trouble. I
don't care to walk you out h%andcuffed
before the men,"
The chief conspirator, cool to the
last, nodded.
"Tll come" he said CURLY. Then,
accompanied by Bradley and followed
by Mr.. Durant, he walked out coolly
to the door through which Marsh had
gone to death.
The st~enographer already had taken
her departure. Sommers and Frances
were alone.
"My own!' he whispered.
Tie girls arms slipped up about his
neck naturally.
"Let us go away" she murmured
'cTake me home"
THE END