Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1911-11-03
"I WILL TAKE YOUR CASE"

>N1CN~'
ings. forgot the claims of my dear.
dead mother and even those of my
own future. Such passion and such
devotion merited consideration from
the man who had called them forth
| would not slight the claims of my
dead mother, but l would give this
young girl chance for her life. Let
others ferret out the fact that she had
visited the clubhouse with her sister;
| would not proclaim it, 1t was enough
for me to proclaim my innocence.
| was in this frame of mind when
Charles Clifton called and was allowed
to see me- | had sent for him In one
of my discouraged moods. He was my
friend, but he was also my legal advis-
err and it was as such | had summon
ed him. and it was as such he had now
come. Cordial as our relations had
been, noted no instructive outstretch-
ing of his hand and so did not reach
out mine | was the first to speak.
II am an innocent man so far as the
attack made upon Miss Cumberland
goes. had no hand in her murder, If
murder 1t is found out to be. My story
which you have read in the papers and
which l felt forced to give out. possi-
bly to my own shame and that of an
other whom l would fain have saved,
Is an absolutely true one. did not
arrive at the Whispering Pines until
after Miss Cumberland was dead. To
this I am ready to swear. and 1t is
upon this fact you must rely in any
defense you may hereafter be called
upon to make In my regard"
| But l saw that had made no i'm
preston on his convictions. He re-
garded me as 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
nv hands on her throat. But, Charles,
to YOU | will confess that | did this
out of a wild desire to see If those
marks were really the marks of stran-
Cling fingers. You shall believe me-
you must" insisted as l perceived
his hard gaze remain unsoftened. II
don't ask it of the rest of the world
But YOU, If you are to act as my coun'
sel must take this denial from me as
gospel truth She was dead before
touched her. Had the police spy whose
testimony is likely to hang me climbed
the tree a moment sooner than he did
he would have seen that. Are you
ready to take my caseT'
Clifton is fair fellow, and I knew
If he once accepted the fact | thus
urged upon him he would work fol
me with all the skill and ability my
desperate situation demanded. was
ronscious Of great leap of heart as
the set expression Of his features re
taxed and he responded almost warm
y:
81 will take your case. Ranelagh
God help me to make 1t good against
nil odds"
was conscious of few hopes, bu
some of the oppression under which
labored lifted at those words. ] hat
assured one man of my innocence! HI
was ready to speak before | was
Then you had not been long on th'
scene of crime when the police arriv
pdY"
81 had been in the room but few
minutes. I do not know how long
was searching the house."
"The police say that fully twent!
minutes elapsed between the time the.
received Miss Cumberland's appeal TO
help and their arrival at the clubhouse
II you were there that long,
81 cannot say. Moments are hour
at such a crisis. p
My emotions were too much for me
and confusedly stopped. He wa
surveying me with the old distrust
In moment saw why.
"You are not open with me-" h'
protested. "Why should moments b.
hours to you previous to the instan
when you stripped those pillows from
the couchw
This was a poser. had laid my
self open to suspicion by one though'
less admission, and, what was worse
1t was but the beginning In all prof.
ability Of many other possible MIL