The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-02-02
that forgot my late antagOnistic feel
81 WILL TAKE YOUR CASE"

II WILL TAKE YOUR CASE"
ings, forgot the claims OF my dear,
dead mother and even those OF my
own future. Such passion ard such
devotion merited consideration from
the man who had called them forth.
l would not slight the claims OF my
dead mother, but / would give this
young girl a chance for her life Let
others ferret out the fact that she had
visited the clubhouse with her sister,
would not proclaim II. 1t was enough
for me 10 proclaim my innocence.
was In this frame OF mind when
, Charles Clifton called and was allowed
to see me. ] had sent for him I'm one
Of my discouraged moods. lie was my
friend, but he was also my legal advis-
err, and ii was as such | had summon
ed him, and ii was as such he had now
come. Cordial as our relations had
been, noted no instructive outstretch-
out mine. 1 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. II
murder it is found out TO be. My story
which you have read In the papers and
which i felt forced to give out. posi-
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 10 swear. and II is
upon this fact you must rely in any
defense you may hereafter be called
upon to make I'm 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
my hands on her throat. But. Charles
TO you / will confess that l did this
out of 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. IL
don't ask IL 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
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 a fair fellow. and ! knew
IL he once accepted the fact | thus
urged upon him he would work for
me with all the skill and ability my
desperate situation demanded. | was
conscious of a great leap of heart as
the set expression of his features re-
Taxed and he responded almost warm.
ly:
81 will take your case, Ranelagh
God help me TO make it good against
all odds"
1 was conscious OF few hopes. but
some OF the oppression under which
l labored lifted at those words. ! had
assured one man of my innoceDce! He
was ready To speak before | was.
"Then you had not been long on the
scene of crime when the police arriv-
ed?"
II had been In the room but few
I do not know how long !
was searching the house"
THE police say that fully twenty |
minutes elapsed between the time they |
received Miss Cumberland's appeal for |
help and their arrival at the clubhouse. |
IL you were there that long
81 cannot say. Moments are hours !
at such crisis. H.
My emotions were too much for me, |
and confusedly stopped. He was
me with the old distrust. |
In a moment l saw why.
"You are not open with me-" he /
protested. "Why should moments be |
hours to you previous TO the instant
when you stripped those pillows from
the couch?
This was poser. I had laid my 1
,elf open to suspicion by one thought
ess admission. and, what was worse.
L was but the beginning in all prob
ability of many other possible mis-
takes. ! had never taken the trouble
70 measure my words. and. the whole
ruth being impossible. l necessarily
must make slip now and then. He
had better be warned Of this. l did
not wish him 10 undertake my cause
He must understand It's