Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1912-10-17

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
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 it 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 jingow muttered the motley
one. "You-you are the one they're
uniting for-all over the state The re-
ward bills! remember now!"
The lad had risen. A look Of abject
misery and dread leaped in his eyes.
LET me co." he said almost in a
whisper. fiercely intense. "I'll get out.
haven't done any harm to you. Don't
keep me here minute
"Then you are the Jenison boy!" In
open mouthed wonder "Well, I'll be
jiggered! Here! Don't bolt like thatv'
LET go Of mel" cried the boy. strik-
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 coolly. "Just you re-
member that. am not going to give
you up-leastwise not just yet So
you murdered your grandfather. did
you? Well. wouldn't ave took you
to be that kind
II didn't do 1t! didn't do ftp
There was piteous appeal in his wide
eyes. II swear I 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 bloodhounds last Saturday
Obi" He covered his face with his
hands and shuddered as.with mighty
chill.
"And you didn't do itr' the clown
asked, something like awe in his
voice.
Before God. did not. IL loved
my grandfather. couldn't have done
it. Why, he was the only father I had
the only mother He was everything
to me- 1t was He caught himself
up quickly in his wild declaration. II
know the man who did 1t. heard
them talking 1t over before 1t 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 can't
know how 1t 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 thief,
thought crawled out Of my win
dow with my shotgun. I-but 1
oughtn't to tell you this. You must
let me go. I'll never tell on you, l
swear
"Wait a minute" interrupted the
clown, laying his arm over the boys
shoulder. "drs. Braddock can tell by
lookin' 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
aldi, ''is David Jenison, the boy want
ed for that murder near Richmond last
week. You've seen the reward bills.
His grandfather, you remember
"You are the Jenison boy?' she said
slowly, even unbelievingly. "The one
who killed his grandfa'-
"But I didn't do It." he almost
walled. "You-you must believe me,
ma'am. didn't do it!' He stood
before her, looking straight into her
eyes.
mo. Mrs. Braddock," said Grinaldi,
che didn't do It,"
Glow do you know. Grinaldi? How
can you
Because he says another person did
it," said Grinaidi calmly.