Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-09-06

why! she said. jerking her words
from a choking throat lie knows
who did it, told him. It was me"
The door latch clicked behind her
She turned in the direction whence
came the sound. and repeated. as il
the interrurter contradicted her:
Yes. did IT, killed BIokosH."
Her strength failed her. She sobbed
cOnvulsively.
"Yes-I--did-it" she repeated 81
did it"
Gilman stared in wonder. Here.
then, was the person who had stood
in the alley beneath the window that
night, whose footprints would have led
him TO the solution of his mystery. to
the end of his clever chain. The prob
lem OF her motive for Staying BrokosN
alone remained He longed to ask her.
but she had collapsed unconscious in
her chair. Turning to the governor he
implored light. word informed him
of the accidental killing of BrokosN
by jealous woman who was trying
to shoot his vis-a-vis. Then he de
manded in tones reproachful:
why did you not tell me this?"
Because the man quietly respond
ed. Il do not war on women"
The door whose latch had clicked
had opened wide. and William Handy
entered, smiling
Governor Chatham was asserting pa
pers on his desk, as a man would
whose routine work had received a
trifiing interruption. Handy remained
on his feet.
John" he said, John. / take off
my hat to you. l admire your nerve
| recognized it years ago, that day
you presided over our convention in
the old seventh NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
the day you turned me down 80 hard
Remember"
The governor smiled.
This amt fiattery," said Handy,
. seating himself in a leather chair
You're not only all I've said. you're
devil of good fellow to boot"
Handy spoke seldom. He never
wrote letters, but sent word, accord.
ing to an ancient maxim uttered by
one of the political fathers. But when
he did speak. he spoke bluntly, in the
same tone in which he would have
called a man a liar. The governor
raised his hand to stay Handy's com.
pliments.
Yes, john" he persisted You're
hell Of a good fellow, but" he added
you're a damn poor politician"
There was the faintest shadow of
smile on the governors face. Handy
closed his eyes until they were the
merest Sits. He puffed his cigar back
to life
His head was wrapped in scarfs of
smoke.
When does the grand jury sit?"
he inquired, after a time
Not till the December term"
I'VE can have a special one impan-
eled. III have Donnelly call it,"
The governor looked at Handy
William" he said, you might as well
understand now, that that would be
wholly useless. l am convinced of
Whalen's innocence absolutely, beyond
| all doubt but it will be impossible to
| get jury to convict the one who did
kill Brokoski on such evidence as
convinced me-"
But she confesses," urged Handy.
ITO whom?"
"To you"
! Exactly. But what II that confess
sion be a privileged communication"
Handy looked up in amazement
| You don't mean you wouldn't testi-
fy?"
The governors countenance lost it's
legal expression, and became suddenly
| human. If Handy had been a thinner
man he would have jumped when the
/ governor said:
DO you think l would send a wom-
an to the penitentiary to elect myself
governor"
Are you sure confessions TO a gov.
ernor are privileges?" inquired Handy,
who was adhering to practical things.
The governors face put on its legal
mask again. and he replied:
We'll. the question is unsettled"
who presides in the criminal court
this winter?" inquired Handy. ANY of
our fellows?" Handy's whole philoso-
ply of life was pull. The governor
resumed, without answering:
"The question has never been decid-
ed. Mr.. Chief Justice Marshall, upon
the trial of Aaron Burr, ruled If | re-
member, that a subpoena duces tecum
might be issued to the president for a
letter addressed to him, leaving the
question Of the production of the let
ter"
"Oh. say. John" broke in Handy.
"Burr's dead, isn't he? And he wasn't
good fellow, anyway. or he'd never
got in that far. Go on with your legal
ities-I myself do not propose to go to
| Jail for contempt for refusing to testi
fy."
Your"
Yes, me-"
What have you to do with IT."
"Oh, nothing much" said Handy,
"only l happened to be inside that
door Just now when she confessed
and there's Gilman besides" Handy,
his cigar tilted upward, smoked on
| voIuminously and smiled through the