The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1912-10-17
The Rose
In the Ring
By GEORGE BARR MCUTCHEON
Copyright 1910 by Dodd Mead q c..
By GEORGE BARR M'CUTcHEON
Copyright 1910 by Dodd. Mead q CO.

membered tnat he Was in their worlH.
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
IL merry whirl in the ring the tray was
on the mattress at his side. every par-
tirlc OF food gone. The boys face was
in bis hands. his elbows On his knees.
Suddenly il tiawncd on him that the
clown WIS staring intcntly at his face.
With quick understanding he shrank
back. hut did not Withdraw his gaze
from the eyes of the other.
by .iingo.'' muttcre4l the motley
one, "Y"u-you are the one they're
uniting for all over the state. The re-
ward bills. remember now!"
The lad had risen. 4 look Of abject
misery aud dread leaped In his eyes.
Let me 60" he said almost In n
whisper. fier'ely intense. 'I'll get out.
I haven't done any harm to you. Don't
keep nc here minute"--
"Theu yon are the Jenison boy!" IN
open mouthed wonder. "Weil, I'll be
jiggcred. Here. Don't bolt like that.'
Let go Of me- cried the boy. strik-
ing at the hand that clutched his arm.
Il won't let them catch me. Let me
go!''
."Nobody's going TO 'urt you ere"
said the clown coolly. Just you re-
member that. I am not going to give
you np-leastwise not just yet. 30
you murdered your grandfather. did
you? Well. wouldn't ave took you
to be that kind
Il didn't do it. didn't do it,
There was piteous appeal in his wide
eyes. II swear didn't. They're try
ing to put it on me to save some one
else. Oh, please. don't keep Inc here!
[ They-they arc-they must be here by
/ this time looking for me. Oh. II you
knew how I've tried to dodge them!
They had bloodhounds last Saturday.
OH He covered his face with his
hands and shuddered as with mighty
chill
"And you didn't do it," the clown
-, asked. something like awe in his
voice.
Before God. l did not. IL loved
| my grandfather. | couldn't have done
it. Why. he was the only father had
+ the only mother. He was everything
! TO me. 1t was He caught himself
up quickly in his wild declaration. Il
know the man who did it. heard
them talking it over before ii happen
ed. but I didn't know what they were
talking about"
Then why don't you tell your sto-
ry :" demanded the clown.
| They've got the evidence against
me. Oh. YOU don't know. You cant
know how it looked to the world.
There's man who says he saw me
with gun at my grandfather's win
dow. He did see me there and had
gun, but not to kill poor old grand
daddy. No. no! heard some one
walking on the gallery-a thief.
thought. crawled out Of my win
dow with my shotgun. but |
oughtn't to tell you this You must
let me go. I'll never tell on you. |
swear
"Wait minute" interrupted the
clown. laying his arm over the boys
shoulder. Mrs. Braddock can tell by
lookin' in your eyes whether you're
good or bad. AS far as I'm concerned.
I don't believe yom did IT." Mrs. Brad
dock crossed over to them. smiling
This ere chap. ma am" said Grin
aldi. ''is David Jenison. the boy want
ed for that murder near Richmond last
week You've seen the reward bills.
| His grandfather. you rcmcmbcr"-
''You are the Ienison boy" she said
slowly. even umbelievincly. "Thc one
who killed his grandfa''--
Put l didn't do it, he almost
| walled. "You--you must believe me.
F; n.a'am. didn't do It," He stood
before her. looking straight into her
eyes
NO. Mrs. Rrnddock" said Grinald.
| ''he didn't do it.
How do You know. Grinal1i: How
can yon'-
! because he says another person did
/ it," said Grinaldi calmly.