The Detroit times., 1913-02-06

IN his cell; and the longer nights,
restless and disturbed. The strain
told fearfully on his vigor OF body
and mind. his face under imprison-
ment's pallid mask became gaunt
and heavily lined, while his eyes sunk
deep in their sockets,
AT hrst he had not believed that
az innocent man could hey punished
for crime OF which hd had no
knowledge: he was not Sd sure OF
this now. for the days Slipped past
and the prosecution -rema/ed firmly
rr++sRched behind cTain facts
which were-fH--their-H conclusive
lie tcld himself with grim humor That
the single weak strand in the rope
Moxlow was seeking 10 III about ms
mock was this, that after all was said
and proved. the fact. remained. ne
bad not killed Archibald McBridet
When the last witness for the state
had been examined North took the
stand i'm his own behalf His cross
examination was concluded one dun
February day. and there came orief
halt i'm The rapid progress or the trial;
10 Jury was sent from the room
While NloNlow and Belknap prepared
instructions and submitted them TO
the court. The Judge listened wear
ny his sunken cheek resting against
ire palm OF his thin hand, and his
gaze fixed on vacancy; when he
smoke his voice was scarcely audible.
Once he paused In the middle OF a
sentence as his glance fell on the
heavy upturned face OF his son, for
he saw fear and cntreaty written on
the close drawn lips and In the blood.
shot eyes.
A. little later In the twilight North,
With the sheriff al his elbow. walked
down the long corridor on his way TO
the Jail The end was close at hand.
a day or two more and his fate would
he decided The hopelessness OF the
situation appalled, him, supplied him,
The evidence of his guilt seemed
overwhelming: he wondered how
FL zabeth retained her faith in him.
He always came back 10 his thought
Of her, and that which had once been
his greatest Joy now only filed him
with despair. Why had he ever
spoken OF his love--what il this grim
farce in which he was a hapless actor
blundered on 10 a tragic close! He
would have made any sacrifice had II
been possible for him TO face the
situation alone. but another life was
bound up with him; he would drag
her down In the ruin that had over
taken him. and when IL was all past
and forgotten, she would remember
the horror Of II would FIJI her days
ON that night. as on many an
other. North retraced step by step
the ugly path that wound its tor
tuous way from McBrides back Office
10 the cell in which he-Jack North
faced the gallows But the oftener
HE trod this path the more maze-like
< II became, until now he was hope
llessiy lost in its intricacies; discour'
aged. dared. confused almost con
vinced that in some blank moment OF
lost identity il was his hand that had
sent the old man on his long last
tourney. AS Evelyn Langham had
questioned, so now did John North:
''If not |. then who did murder Arch
bald McBride?"
IN a vain search for the missing
handy-man. General Herbert hat
opened his purse wider than Norti
OF even Evelyn realized. There
seemed three possibilities in the In
stance OF Montgomery. Either HI
knew McBrides murderer and test
fed falsely TO shield him; or else h
knew nothing and had been hired b.
, some unknown enemy 10 swear Nortl
lrtc the penitentiary; or-and tn
third possibility seemed not unlikel!
1T was he himself that had clam
berad over the shed roof after killini
and robbing the old merchant.
North turned on his cot and his
thoughts turned with him from Mont
gomery 70 Gilmore. who also. with
uncharacteristic cowardliness had fec
the scene OF his illegal activities and
the indictment that threatened hin
anew. What was the gamblers par
4 in The tragedy" He hated North
he loved Marshall Langham's wife
! But neither OF these passions shaped
themselves into murderous motives
\ .Langham himself furnished food TO
reflection and speculation. Evidently