Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-10-10
Personally. I sent through your father
some sound advice to Luke de Mount

esAS" NAASS ~ AAA SOAt
bear no luminosity against Luke; why,
indeed, should you? i had no inten-
ton whatever. in coming to see you
tonight, Of making a scene of lamenta-
ton and duplication. On the con-
trary. I knew quite Well that-acting
from the best of motives-you advised
Luke to fly from Justice. since in your
opinion his condemnation is a fore
gone conclusion. Father hadn't the
chance Of passing your advice on to
Luke, because when We got to Fairfax
mansions, Edie told us that he was
catch the night boat to Calais.'
Then why the dickens did ne miss
his train?" exclaimed Sir Thomas
gruffly.
1T was not altogether his fault"
she replied. ''Our arrival delayed him
q little, but he would have had plenty
Of time even then. only the police came,
you see. and 1T was too late"
II know. It was silly, offcious blum
dering on the part OF one OF my subs.
I meant de Mountford to have plenty
OF time TO get away, and l could have
managed It somehow to leave him un-
molested II he kept some distance away
from England. The whole thing has
been most unfortunate."
II don't think 80. uncle" h said
quietly. II am glad. very gald. that
luke has been arrested"
Are you?" he retorted dryly. THE
outlook for him IL not pleasant"
Il know that. But at any rate now
there is a chance that he can prove
his innoncence."
Sir Thomas Ryder gave q quick sigh
OF Impotence.
My dear child.' he said gently, do
try and be reasonable about that. You
only lay up for yourself further stores
Of misery ond Of disappointment. De
M0Nntfnrd a o71f1fv I toll va, Ia ,Npon-
tically confessed at the inquest. and
he practically confessed to our fellows
after his arrest"
Practically" she said with strong
emphasis, but not really. Luke las
never confessed that he committed q
murder"
We'll. he admits that the stick with
which the murder was done was his
stick: that he had 1t in his hand the
night that the murder was committed;
that he went out. with 1t in his hand,
Ave minutes before the other man was
murdered"
Il know all that" she rejoined, but
let me tell you this. Uncle Ryder. Luke
has admitted all that, as you say; but
he has never admitted that he killed
Phillip de Mountford-or Paul Baker
whoever he may be. Luke, Uncle Ry-
der. Is allowing the awful accusation to
rest upon him. because he wishes to
shield the real perpetrator OF the
crime"
NONSENSE" broke in Sir Thomas
curtly.
why nonsense?"
Because: my dear Lou" he said
slowly and firmly. people don't do
that sort OF thing. The consequences
OF having another PERSONS life
otherwise q murder-are so terrible
that no n will bear them for the
sake OF any n else on EARTH"
Yet l tell you. uncle" h reiter-
ated with firmness at least equal to his
own. that Luke never killed that man,
and that he pleads guilty to the crime
in order to shield some one else"
Whom" he retorted.
That I do not know-as yet. But
that Is the reason why I came here to-
night, uncle: because you must help
me to find out"
Sir Thomas abruptly rose from his
chair, and took his stand on the hearth
rug. with legs apart, and slender hands
buried in the pockets Of his trousers,
In the attitude dear to every English
nan.
His eyes in their framework OF in
Vulnerable wrinkles looked down, not
unkindly, at the pale, serious face OF
the girl before him.
He, who was accustomed to give ev-
cry scrap of advice. every senseless
piece of title-tattle its just need OF
oSsSAlSAOHt was iOS lihoIy 10 leaNe un.
needed the calm assertions OF a woman
for whom he n great regard and
who was the daughter of q brother Of
facer and one of his best friends. OF
course. h girl was in love with de
Mountford, 80 her Judgment on him
was not likely. to be wholly unbiased;
at the same time Sir Thomas-like all
men who nave knocked about the world
a great deal. n seen much Of it's
seamy stde-had a great belief in
woman's instinct. Is apart from her
Judgment. n he was the last mar in
he world to hold the sex in contempt.
Look here. my dear" he said after
a little while. during which he had tried
to read the lines in the interesting face
turned up toward him. II honor YOU for
your sense OF loyalty to de Mountford,
Just the same as I honor your father
for h like reason. And In order to
prove to you that I. individually, would
be only to happy to see the mans inno-
enc established beyond a doubt. 1 am
going to argue that soberly and SEN
sibly with you. You hold the theory
that Luke de Mountford is shielding
sone n from the consequences of an
awful crime by taking the burden on
before, people don't do that sort Of
thing nowadays. In olden times. the
consequences OF a crime-especially
where the aristocracy was concerned
were quite picturesque: the tower, the
block, and all that sort Of thing. But
today the paraphernalia Of vengeful
justice 10 very sordid. very mean, and
anything but glorious. It means tho
lengthy inquiry before a police magis-
trate. then the trial. the past dragged
up to the light. the most private secrets
thrown to the morbid curiosity of the
million. In order to lace that sort of
thing, my dear. a man must be either
ty-th he cannot helm Il. or
wronfully accused-then he hopes for