New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1911-08-09

the man whe -6ad caIIea- tnsM Iofu
] would not slight tho claims Of n,
dead mother. but would give TIL
young GIRL Q chance for her life. IL
othess fstfet out the fact that che hal
Waited The clubhouse With her sister
would not proclaim Il It was enougf
for me 70 proclaim my Innocence.
] was II this frame Of mind when
Charles Clifton called and was allowed
TO 80 me. had sent for him n ON
Of my discouraged mooda He WAS ny
friend. but hs was also my legal advis'
q. and It was % such ! had summon.
"a him, and It was . such 10 had now
come. Cordial % our relations had
been. ! noted no distinctive outstrstch.
Ing Of his hand and % did not reach
ont mine. was tho nrst to speak.
II am an innocent man % Tar 40 the
attack made upon Miss Cumberland
goes. I had no hand in her murder, II
murder It IL found ont to be. my story
which you have read IN the pApsrs and
which ! felt forced to give ont. possi-
bly, to my own shame and that Of an
other whom would fain have saved.
II an absolutely true one. did not
arrive at the Whispering Pines until
after Miss Cumberland was dead. To
this ! am ready to swear. and It IL
upon this fact you must rely In any
defense you may hereafter be called
upon to make in my regard"
But saw that I had made no i'm
preston on bis convictions. He re-
garded me az a guilty man and. what
was more to the point no doubt, as
one for whom no plea could be made
or any rational defense undertaken.
"You don't believe me-" went on.
still without any great bitterness. Il
am not surprised at it after what the
man Clarke has said of seeing me with
my hands on her throat. But, Charles,
to you will confess that I did this
out Of wild desire to see IL those
marks were really the marks Of stran-
Cling fingers. You shall believe me-
you must" insisted as I perceived
]
don't ask it of the rest of the world
But you, If you are to act as my coun-
sci, must take this denial from me as
gospel truth. She was dead before l
touched her. Had the police spy whose
testimony is likely to hang me climbed
the tree moment sooner than he did
he would have seen that. Are you
ready to take my caseY'
Clifton is fair fellow, and knew
e he once accepted the fact I thus
urged upon him he would work for
me with all the skill and ability my
desperate situation demanded. I was
of great leap Of heart as
The set expression Of his features re-
axed and he responded almost warm
y:
II will take your case, Ranelagh
God help me to make it good against
Ill Odds"
was conscious Of few hopes, but
some Of the oppression under which
labored lifted at those words. had
assured one man of my innocence! He
vas ready to speak before was.
Then you had not been long on the
;cene Of crime when the police arriv-
.dY
II had been in the room but q few
do not know how long l
vas searching the house."
"The police say that fully twenty |
elapsed between the time they
eceived Miss Cumberland's appeal for
lelp and their arrival at the clubhouse.
+ you were there that long,
II cannot say. Moments are hours
t such crisis. r.
My emotions were too much for me,
nd confusedly stopped. He was
urveying me with the old distrust.
n a moment saw why.
"You are not open with me-" he
rotested. "Why should moments be
ours to you previous to the instant
vhen you stripped those pillows from
he couch?"
This was poser. had laid my
elf open to suspicion by one thought
ss admission, and, what was worse,
was but the beginning in all prob
bility Of many other possible mis-
likes. l had never taken the trouble
} measure my words, and, the whole
nth being impossible, l necessarily
lust make slip now and then He
ad better be warned Of this. I did
1t wish him to undertake my cause
indfolded. He must understand it's .
faculties while believing in my inno- ;
nee. Then if he chose to draw back
ell and good. should have to face ,
e situation alone. .
"Charles," said l as soon as could
'rfectly control my speech, you are
lite just in your remark. I am not
I'd cannot be perfectly open with q
u. l shall tell you no lies, but be- =
nd that cannot promise. am +,
ught in a net not altogether Of my o
IN weaving. So far will be frank !,
th you. A common question may g.
p me up. Others find me free and 8,
ldy with my defense. You have
anced upon one of the former. l =
IS in turmoil Of mind from the 10
ment of my entrance into that ia n
hOnae hit I can oivo M roocoD