Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1912-03-29

due physical adornment In an IN
| credibly short space of time he came
| out sufficiently clad for decency, and
| grabbing the young man by the arm
| he fairly ran down the corridor to-
ward the elevator. The late diners
| were astonished as Colonel Bill and
| the young cub forced their way
| through the crowded hall to the auto
mobile outside. The colonel had not
| forgotten the munitions Of war, and
he carried tin box in his hand which
he had snatched from his table as he
left his bed room.
Get us down to the Office in double
| quick time" said the cub reporter to
the chauffeur Never mind about
| fines. Bust UP the machine, if neces.
sary; but get us there. That's the
old mans orders. We haven't got any
| time to spare" he yelled, as the big
car started
This way, sir" said the cub re.
| porter, plotting him into the elevator
at once. Here you are." he ex-
claimed after a wild sweep upward
He led him through a couple Of
| doors and ushered him into a big
brightly lighted room where two men
| sat
Col Bill Hamilton, SIR" said Alb
| bolt breathlessly. He almost felt like
saluting and saying, Come aboard,
sir!'
"TEirtytwo minutes said the night
editor, looking at his watch. Very
we'll done"
Mr.. Abbott, you may remain here.
| if you WISH" said the editor to the
! cub. 1T will be interesting for you
| to hear
Thank you, SIR said the delighted
young reporter, making himself small
and inconsiderable in a corner whence
| he could hear and see everything.
You must excuse me-. said the ed
| itor, for having brought you down
here so summarily at this hour of the
| night, but affairs of great moment"
You want to know about Gormly?"
eve do
We'll, what is it?"
Read this" said the editor.
Colonel Bill fished a pair of spec
| tacles out of his side pocket and de
liberately perched them astride of his
| nose He read the letter through very
slowly. The night editor was in a
| fever of impotence. Even the imper
turbable editor-in-chief was consider
ably more agitated than usual.
The night editor groaned over the
long windedness of the frontiersman
Whats the matter, sonny?" asked
Colonel Bill solicitously. Amt sick
are you?"
mo no." was the answer
'But go on, please, Colonel Hamil
ton," said the editor; land will you be
as explicit as possible. We are hold
ing up the paper in the hope that you
may be able to throw some light on
this matter, and time is of the great
est Importance"
81 see," was the reply well, then
all that's written in that papers true
enough; but he amt told all the
truth"
'Would you mind telling US what
has been suppressed or left out?"
"The mans wife was run away with
as Gormly, or Fordyce as l knowed
him, says on that night he indicates.
that the woman's husband was LET
dyin' on the cabin floor"
Eyes"
Mex mornin', some of us, suspt
cionin' that there might've been some
trouble, after the storm died out, got
up a crowd and went over to the
mans shack. We found him there
"Dead?" asked the editor.
Not yet, but mighty nigh gone"
Colonel Bill drew from his pocket
key and unlocked the tin box. From
a worn envelope he drew forth a worn
piece of paper on which was written
in pencil that was very much faded,
but still sufficiently legible, a brief
message. Colonel Bill unfolded the
paper, yellow with age, and handed 1t
to the editor, who seized it, turned to
the light, and read:
Il killed him, but 1t was in self de-
fense-Fordyce'
That's the first bit of evidence"
he said.
The editor nodded. THAT settles
it."
mo, it don't" was the reply. 'FoI
when we got there as l said, he warn't
dead, and we managed to revive him
with a good drink of liquor, which
Pete Breeden--that was his name--
always would respond to-" he inter
polated. And he managed to say .
few words
what were they?"
He said that his wife shot him am
run off with Fordyce."
Anything more?"
"Then he died"
81 see," said the editor. "Gorml3
took the blame upon himself to shield
the woman"
"It will be Colonel Hamilton's un.
supported statement against this writ
ten confession, though" interposed the
night editor.
well, as it happens was the re
ply, "the statement amt unsupport
ed"