Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-09-23

nothing Whatever about the affair on
ward"
You mean that you are going to let
me get out OF it as best l cam" cried
Eric, amazed.
Let US cross the street. Too crowd
ed on this side. Fine preacher, that.
He's making Christians just as they
make s~ardines-I mean, he's packing
EN- in the same way"
Once across the street, he resumed
the original theme. My boy, Ive come
to the conclusion that you killed Chef
wynd. No court of justice can con-
vlct you of the crime, however. The
corpus deficit must be established. In
other words, the state is obliged to pro-
dnce the body of the victim in order
to prove that he is truly and legally
deceased. There must be something
beside verbal testimony to show that
the man is dead. Technicalities are
great life savers. | once knew OF a
case in Chicago where a man was sent
up Tor life for numbering his wife. The
state was required to prove the corpus
deficit. 1T produced one of the meta
tarsal bones and said it was a part of
the dead Woman's corporal body. al
though some of the experts declared 1t
TO be from the person of n pig. But
the jury decided 1T was a part OF the
woman and convicted the prisoner. II
1T hadn't been for that tiny bone he
would have gone scot free. So. in your
case. there's got to be something to
show that Chetwynd is really dead"
But ! will swear that i killed him."
said Eric sharply.
You wouldn't nave anything to say
about it," said Adam Carr cheerfully.
Your lawyer would see to that. He
would demand the exhibits, from a to 2.
among them Chetwynd or a part of
him. What's a lawyer for If not to at
tend to such things as that?"
is that what You came here to tell
me?" demanded Eric.
THAT, and this: l can't afford to be
dragged into this thing. 1t means ruin,
degradation. l merely ask you to as
sumo the entire responsibility. Leave
me cut of it altogether. No one need
be the wiser"
walked along for some distance in
silence. Adam was watching his friend
out of the corner Of his eye.
AT the corner below, Eric drew up
sharply.
You're justified In asking this Of
me, Mr.. ADAM he said, knitting his
brows. you have stood by me, right
or wrong. l am not so ungrateful that
l will drag YOU downturn you, as
you say. / won say that l condone
or approve the uses to which o have
put this unhappy business but that is
neither here nor there. If you ask 1t
of me I will tell my story without con-
Meeting you with 1t in any way whatso-
ever. Here's my hand on it. I've tried
to dislike you. but I find that I can't"
Adam Cars face glowed. He ut
tered a little cry Of relief as he clasped
the young mans hand.
That's all I wanted, my lad" he
said briskly. Il wanted to see If you
were true blue. so far as your friends
are concerned. I didn't believe you
could go back on me, after you saw
what 1t meant to me. You would have
told long g but for me. Perhaps you
don't realize it, but you would have
told everything the other day If you
hadn't felt that it would be doing me
a grave injustice. Well, l know it II
you don't. We've stood together all
these years, my boy, and we'll stand
together now. You've ~ot something to
confess to Horace, n so lave I. MY
crime is 10000 times darker than yours.
1t isn't conscience that's working on
me, Just plain fatigue. I'm sick and
tired of playing with Horace. 1 don't
sleep nights. It's got on my nerves.
So. If you don't mind. Wen face him
together-this afternoon"
Eric was trembling all over. DO
YOU really mean it. Mr.. Adam?" he
Il do. And We'll not put off until
tomorrow what we can do oday."
In a maze Of wonder, Eric walked
on beside this strange, amazing man.
The thought never entered his head
that Adam Carr, the must astute and
calculating Of men, might have con-
ceived the idea that his own safety
lay in the powerful effect Eric's IAN
dour would have or Horace Blagden.
This Is not saying that Carr secretly
cherished a conviction of that sort, but
that he was cleve enough to profit by
fho nnrfanf1y nhviN,,o. onrn1,r;n,o
And by the way" said Adam, with
a speculative chuckle, III I'm any
judge of human nature-and 1 profess
to bel think We'll find Miss Bright
on the right side Of the fence when
she sees you are in trouble. It's q
way women have.'
CHAPTER XIX.