Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-06-07

Lim6s
mo one as far as I know except
Uncle Abner. Of course. my cousin.
Bruce Halliday. and myself. Uncle
Abner says he did not tell Mrs. Teb-
bets, she denies all knowledge Of II
and am inclined to believe that that
settles that"
1T would so seem. And what kind
of a man does Bruce happen to bef"
l hesitated. endeavoring to choose my
words with circumspection before an
swering a question which embraced
so many qualifying and modifying
phases.
well, that is hard question to
answer off-hand. He is a complex
proposition. you know-a sort Of q
paradox. You should know him thor.
oughly before passing judgment But
comprehensively l should say that he
is genial, generous. outspoken and In
clined to be reckless along certain
lines. But / never knew him to even
contemplate doing a dishonest thing
and I don't believe that he ever did.
The only two things that ever knew
him to do that might be criticized
from a high moral standpoint are to
occasionally take few highballs or
cocktails and to habitually speculate
on Change. He Is a broker, you
know, and plays the game himself.
like most Of the rest Of them"
"And his financial condition these
days?" pursued my companion con-
templatively. shifted uneasily. II
was plain that LeDuc was going to
dig deep and ask me questions that
would make It necessary for me to
put Bruce In an unfavorable light, and
1t is not a pleasant task for one to
be compelled to cast suspicion. even
by inference, upon a lifelong friend
especially when the friend is Of his
own blood Yet serious crime had
been committed against both society
at la &c and another of my kinsmer
in particular, and should l conceal
an essential fact that knew and
LeDuc discover that had done 30, II
would put me In the miserable pligh'
before Uncle Abner as having tried
to shield some one and thus acted
against him In the recovery of at leas
a portion of what had been pilferes
from him. / did not for an instan
believe that Bruce would even con
template such an act, even though
standing blindfold against the wall o
financial despair. yet certainly Their
were things which In justice to ever
body concerned he should explain
and while I did not doubt but that b
! could do so without dificulty, dii
liked exceedingly to speak agains
him.
: LeDuc sat quietly throughout m
mental colloquy. cycling me keenl,
( That my hesitancy in answering wa
. unnoticed did not for momer
I fiatter myself, for as well might on
expect the fox to miss movement
l the cornered hare. There seems
be something disagreeable IN yor
mind. Perhaps you had better OF
with IT," he suggested at length. "R
member that I am asking you, As
good citizen, to help me In this mats
and am taking you into my conhdenc
| / therefore expect you to assist n
to the fullest extent Of your powel
| regardless Of whom It may help
| hurt; always bearing In mind that
innocent man need be afraid. Furth<
more, you may trust me not to 81
| any information you may convey
| me any more publicity than the q
| gencies of the case demand. What
| 1t you are keeping from me nowf"
1 "You have asked me as to q
| cousins financial condition. and und
my protest and your promise l "
say this" I returned slowly. Il
| was in a miserable tx through loss
| on the exchange and came to Une
| Abner yesterday for a loan. Unt
| Abner only grinned at him, as Bru
should have had sense enough befoi
hand to know he would. When | 81
| Bruce afterward he was way down
| his luck and fairly desperate.
knew that uncle had the money In {
| house. because he was the one "
called my attention to that fact, 81
| ing to me: My God. must get hs
4 Of $4,000 some way He then J
i me. When saw him again be
4 peared to have been drinking.
him In carriage TO get him out
sight and he was driven away, WHIT
Il don't know. for !. have not Sc
| him since. That is all ] know abb
that phase of the matter" My co
panion was following my every We
and action with the intentness Of
watching lynx, and when / had
ished bounced upon my last and GU
flying words instantly.
GRO BE CONTINUED)