The Detroit times., 1911-11-10
|The Prodigal Judge
VAUGHAN KESTER
(copyright. lSil. Ths Bobbs- Merrill Company

: whisper MY God. Carrington. m
heart sick; she has been like a
/ daughter 10 me- ne fell silent,
mopping his face.
/ II think I understand your feel
/ ing. said Darlington, giving him
! level glance
Then YOU n excuse me, and the
planter cIapped spurs TO his horse.
/ once he looked back over ms
1 shoulder, he saw tha, harrington
| had not moved from the spot where
they had met
AT Belle Plain Ware found his
neighbors in possession OF the place.
They greeted him quietly and spoke
In subdued tones of their sympathy.
! The planter listened with an air OF
/ such abiect misery that those who
had neither liked nor respected him,
were reused to a sudden generous
I feeling where he WAS concerned;
! they could not question but that he
was deeply affected After all the
man might have side 10 has nature
with which they had never come in
contact
When he could. he shut himself IN
his room IL had experienced day
or maddening arNIety: he had not
slept 1T all thD previous night: in
mind and body ne was Worn ont:
and now he was plunged into the
thick of this sensation lie must
keep control 90 himself. for every,
word he said would be remembered.
In the present there was sympathy
sor him. but sooner or later people
would return 10 their sordid uaemo-
tiona! Judgments
He sought 10 forecast The happen.
ings Of the next few hours Muir.
reils friends would break Jail for
him. that was foregone conclusion:
out the instruction he had planned
was at an end, Hues Had dealt its
death blow Moreover, though the
Law might oe impoteut 10 deal with
Murrell, he could not hope 10 escape
the vengeance of the powerful class
he had plotted 10 destroy; he would
have 10 quit the country. Ware
sloated in this idea OF craven flight
Thank God he had seen the last OF
him,
But. as always. his thoughts came
Hicks place for the man Murrell had
promised him. and. failing the mes
senger, Tor the signal fire, but there
would be neither; and Slosson would
De left 10 determine his own Course
OF action. Ware felt certain that he
would wait through the night. but as |
sure as the morning broke. II no
word had reached him, he would send
one OF his men across the bayou. who
must learn Of Murrell's arrest. es-
cape, fiight-for in Wares mind these
three events were indissolubly asso-
ciated The planters teeth knocked
together. lie was having a terrible
acquaintance with fear, its very
depths had swallowed him IN: IL was
black pit in which he sank from
horror TO horror. He had lost all
faith in the Clan which had terrorized
half dozen states, which had robbed |
and murdered with apparent impun- |
ity, which had marketed its hundreds |
of stolen slaves. He had utterly col |
lapsed at the first blow dealt the or |
sanitation. but he was still seeing |
Murrel, pallid and shaken.
A step sounded in the hall and an |
instant later Hicks entered the room |
without the formality of Knocking. |
Ware recognized his presence with a !
glance of Indifference. but did not |
speak. Hicks slouched to his EN-
ployer's side and handed him a note
which proved 10 be from Fentress I
Ware read and tossed il aside.
If he wants 10 see me why don't !
he come here?" he growled.
Il reckon that old fellow they call |
Judge Price has sprung something
sudden on the colonel" said Hicks.
He was ont here me first thing this |
morning; you'd have thought he
owned Belle Plain There was
couple OF strangers with him. and
he had me in and fired questions al
me for half an hour then he hiked
OF mp TO The Oaks
"Murrell's been arrested" said
Ware in a duh level voice. Hicks
gave him a glance OF unmixed aston.
ishment
Mo-"
YES. by Cod
Who'd risk it?"
Risk IL? Man. he almost tainted
dead away--a damned coward He'll"
How do you know this?" asked
Hicks, appalled,.
Il was with him when be was taken
lit was Hues man he trusted
more than any other" Ware gave the
overseer ghastly grin and was 81
lent, b,'t In that silence he heard the
drumming on his own heart He
went on. Il tell you, TO save him.
self John Murrell will impicate the
rest OF us; we've got to get him free,