Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-05-06

missed several things. and-and-well.
he as much as said I'd taken things
that idn't belong to me-"
Horace smiled with grim d~erisiveness.
1T Is possible he had as much right to
accuse you as you have to accuse nm.
1t seems to me his case is as good as
yours"
Il am not a thief"
III might say the same. Did he find
the scarf pin?"
Eric flushed. II told her he founG
it. But he He'd"
Eric"
He lied!'
white and then turned purple. He
sprang to his feet and advanced upon
the boy, a furious glare in his eyes.
You scoundrel! You vilifier. You
uhhung rascal! How dare o come to
me with such a story as this?" He
choked. he appeared to be ~strangling.
Eric shrank back aghast. No one had
ever heard Il blasphemous word on the
lips of Horace Blagden. but now Eric
was to listen to a torrent of wild pro-
family that would have shocked ever
the walls of a ships forecastle. He was
seized with the fear that his uncle had
gone mad. utterly mad.
"unclel" he cried, putting up his
hands as If to shield himself from a
blow.
Il could kill you where you
stand, curse you" Missed the man.
A great light broke In upon
him. All! Now ] understand
Now | can see how a mar iustifies
himself for taking another's life. BY
heavens, know how sweet it would
be to kill" In his frenzy, he looked
o for a deadly weapon.
Then, as suddenly, his whole man
ner changed. He fell back against the
table, his jaw dropping, an expression
OF great horror crossing his face.
Good God. help me- he groaned,
have said? What is it that is in my
heart? Murder? oh, my God"
He would AVE fallen had not the
boy leaped forward to catch him by
the arm. Mr.. Blagden shook him off.
Eric fell away, moving toward the door,
ready to flee from this amazing figure
this unknown being.
His uncle turned his sodden eyes
upon him, and motioned with a trem-
bling hand for him to stay.
Stop! Don't run away. Wait, Eric.
Ii ask you to wait here until-until
/" Whatever 1t was that he meant
Somehow Eric understood. He stood
In the middle Of the floor and watched
his uncle stagger to the couch over
near he wall, upon which he
dropped as If every vestige of strength
had deserted him.
The minutes passed slowly. The pic
ture remained the same. The wondering
half stupefed boy in the middle of the
room; the motionless figure on the
couch, from whose lips ever and amor
came two hoarsely whispered words:
My God!"
The shadows of dusk crept into the
room through the high windows; the
yIyn n I N ~ III Crf rf th~ 49,
In upon the strange tableau. and vague
ounds from the street. came, but with
out the power to disturb. Somewhere,
off in the deserted banking room, a
Waterman was shutting and whistling.
Eric waited for him to open the door
n break HI spell that had fallen
over the presidents office. Nothing
else, it seemed, could shake the fet-
tiers from his feet, or drive the warm
blood back into his empty veins. Would
the heavy breathing figure on the
couch never change, its limp position?
Would the hand never be drawn away
from the eyes 1T covered?
AT last, when the room had grown
quite dark, Horace Blagden moved.
The boys tense figure relaxed so sud-
denly that his legs almost gave way.
Answer the telephone, please said
Mr.. Blagden, his voice clam once more
but weak.
The telephone had beer buzzing for
a minute or longer. Eric grabbed up
the receiver.
'It is Aunt Rena," he said lazily.
She wants to know if you are ill
why you are so late coming home,
uncle"
Tell her I am all right and will be
there at once"
He arose from the couch. taller,
more gaunt than ever 1t seemed to
Eric as ne saw him through the gath
ering darkness.
Eric" he said from his position near
the couch, we will go home at once.
VIII you get my hat and can from
the closet?"
h boy hesitated. 81 can't go home
with you now, Uncle Horace. Not after
what I've said to you"
There was another long period of
silence. The mans eyes were half
closed.
Continued next week.)