The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1912-10-18
By GEORGE BARR M'CUTCHEON
Copyright 1910 by Dodd. Mead d Co.

membered that he was IN their world.
Come she said to her daughter.
They withdraw, leaving him to devour
his feast alone. Slowly the others, TAX
ing their cue, edged away When next
the clown approached him, fresh from
q merry whirl In the ring. the tray was
on the mattress at his side. every par
ticle OF food gone. The boys face was
In his hands, his elbows on his knees.
Suddenly 1t dawned on him that the
clown was staring intently at his face.
With quick understanding he shrank
back, but did not withdraw his gaze
from the eyes Of the other.
by iingo!' muttered the motley
one. "You-you are the one they're
uniting for-all over the state. The re-
ward bills. I remember now!"
The lad had risen. A look Of AFFECT
misery and dread leaped In his eyes.
Let me CO." he said almost in a
whisper, fercely intense. "Tll get out.
l haven't done any harm to you. Don't
keep me here a minute
Then you are the Jenison boy." in
open mouthed wonder. "Well, I'll be
jiggered. Here! Don't bolt like that.,'
LET go Of me.'' cried the boy, str1k-
ing at the hand that clutched his arm.
II won't let them catch me. Let me
go"'
"Nobody's going to 'urt You ere"
said the clown coollv. "Just you re
member that. I am not going to give
n yr Loo ,%yicn NOT i,,CS rnt CO
you murdered your grandfather, did
your Well. 1 wouldn't ave took you
to be that kind
II didn't do 1t! l didn't do it-'
There was piteous appeal in his wide
eyes. II swear l didn't. They're try
ing TO put 1t on me to save some one
else. Oh, please. don't keep me here!
~They-they are-they must be here by
this time looking for me. Oh, If you
knew how I've tried to dodge them!
They had b~loodhounds last Saturday.
OH" He covered his face with his
hands and %shuddered as with a mighty
chill.
And you didn't do it," the clown
asked, something like awe in his
voice.
Before God, 1 did not II loved
my grandfather. ! couldn't have lone
It Why, he was the only father I had
the only mother. He was everything
to me. It vas He caught himself
up quickly In his wild declaration. II
know the man who did 1t. l heard
them talking It owe before 1t happen
ed, but l didn't know what they were
talking about"
Then why don't you tell your sto-
ryt I" demanded the clown.
They've got the evidence against
me. Oh. you don't know! You can't
know how It looked to the world.
There's a man who says he saw me
with a gun at my grandfather's win
dow. He did see me there and I had
a gun, but not to kill poor old grand
| daddy. No, no! l heard some ono
walking on the gallery-a thief. I
thought I crawled out Of my win
dow with my shotgun. but l
oughtn't to tell you this. You must
swear
"Wait a minute" interrupted tho
clown, laying his arm over the boys
shoulder. Mrs. Braddock can tell by
look1n' in your eyes whether you're
| good or bad. AS far as I'm concerned,
I don't believe you did It" Mrs. Brad
dock crossed over to them, smiling.
This ere chap, ma'am," said Grin
adj, rs David J~enison, tho boy want
ed for that murder hear Richmond last
week. You've seen the reward bills.
His grandfather, you remember
You are the Jenison boy?' she said
slowly, even unbelieyingly. 1.-THE one
who killed his grandpa
But I didn't do It," he almost
walled. "You-you must believe me,
ma'am. I didn't do it.!' He stood
before her, looking straight into her
eyes.
mo, Mrs. Braddock," said Grinaldi,
che didn't do It."
How do you know, Grinaldi! How
can you
Because he say another person did
it," said Grinaldi calmly.