Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-05-13
MI I'M MI
I'LL III I'LL
CHAPTER vIl-(Continued),

mess in his voice, Il am about to ask
a great favor of you. Win you let
this matter rest for awhile? Ii ont
know what came over me. 1t was
not like anything that ever has hap
pened to me before, not in all my life.
! seem to have gone utterly out of my
head. Wait! Please do not speak. Lis
ten to me. | am about to confess
something to you. When YOU first came
into this room and said that-that
ChetwYnd had taken your drawing, l
felt that you spoke the truth. | do
not know why l should believe this
of my W SON., but-but | was no more
able to Aelp it than it was in my pow
er to check the working OF my mind.
The horrible fit of anser-the dread
ful language, l annot explain. ] do
not understand it myself. Wait. Yes, |
DO understand. 1t was because i knew
that you knew. 1t was because there
was no n else on whom | could vent
my rage III shame. | hated you. Eric,
In those few moments. those awful mo-
ments. You Will never know how !
mated you. Perhaps you can under
STAND why. / wanted To be proud of
ChetWynd. You struck hat pride a
deadly blow. You were responsible for
my awakening. L cried out as the
sleeper does when he is rudely dis
turbed from serenity of peaceful uln
ber--l cried out in anger against The
awakening. / wanted to kill YOU. 1t
was in my heart to do so. I owe Chet-
wynd. He is all that life holds for me,
Do you follow me-
Yes, sir" said Eric still in a maze.
1t is not too late for me 10 save
him. He shall not go down. BY God,
he shall be a man. l will lift him up,
| will force him up. He shall not falter
dertaking. ! Will not fail in this, He
must be absolved. There is no al
tentative. He must stand right with
The world, with me, and with him
self. Now, listen to me. Don't let a
word escape you. | thought it all ont
AS l lay there on the couch. You can
ruin him, perhaps-or at least cast dis
credit on him. 1t is my duty to pre-
vent that very thing happening. You
nave got to let this matter rest"
But, uncle began Eric.
Mr.. Blagden came a few steps
nearer. Even in the dim light Eric
could see the exalted light in his eyes.
There is no alternative. He must
be spared, so hat / ma help him
while my han is strong, while my
love is great and capable of generos-
ity, / shall have to ask you to say
nothing o this until | have talked
1t over with him. There may be some
mistake, / may be wrong In my con-
clusions. God knows that I hope l am.
| would give all that / possess if l
could be sure that you AVE lied to
me, if I could drive out of my mind
that first revolving doubt. But 1t has
taken root, the seed of diStruSt is we'll
hope that his side of the story may
not be SO lark as l fear it. There may
be extenuating circumstances" A
great hope took root in his soul and
he voiced it. 1T is not improbable
that you tried to profit by his ideas.
You may be as %culpable as he is, in an
indirect way. Stop, DO not defend
yourself. 1t isn't necessary. l am
merely theorizing. / recall that the
Two designs. as presented, are along
HE same general lines, the same
thought is expressed. l noted a sim
i]arity. He a have been justified
IN keeping you from realizing on his
ideas and his experience. If he discov-
cred in any way that you, being a bet
ter draughtsman thar he, concluded to
benefit by his ideas after coming into
possession of them. either innocently
or maliciously-"
Eric's indignation burst its bound
You know that isn't true, Uncle
Horace he cried out. I never saw his
design, | never talked with him about
It,"
What are you going to say if he
declares that you did take began
Mr.. Blagden harshlS.
oul IC Could IOl LGCSiNe llilllStjl. re
bit his lip and turned his face away for
an instant.
mo, Eric" he went on. in an altered
tone, Il won't put it that way. ] am
about to bare myself to you. and it is
best that We should understand each
other"
He paced back and forth across the
room several times. his brow knitted,
his hands clasped tightly behind his
back.
Eric felt a sudden. keen sense of
~jubiliation. Are o going to have Mr..
Presbrey talk 1t over with him. he
asked.
Mr.. Blagden stopped In his tracks,
and starred at the questioner.
No" he said, bringing his lips to-
gether in a thin line. This is not a
matter for Presbrey--at least, not at
present, My boy. l am desperate, quite
desperate. / don't know why 1 should
believe this thing you have told me, as
I said before. but / do believe it. 1
am convinced that your drawing has
won the prize that goes to Chetwynd.
I don't know how it all came about. He
may not have been wholly responsible,
but the fact ramains that the drawing
is ours | am a fair a I grant
that 1t Is your design. But. above all
things, / am a Blagden. The name has
been dragged in the dust by one mem
Der of the fanily-your mother. That.
of course, is something you could not
have helped. But o can help me now
in the effort to keep it from being fur
Their dishonored. 1 shall expect you to
do so. 1t ia hard, l appreciate. for you
to sit calmly and see the prize 60 to an
other under the conditions. Blu that my
boy, is just what you will have to do
He spoke slowly, emphasizing each
word with a sort of swapping OF his
tongue as the breath escaped from the
confinement Of his throat.
What do you mean?' asked Eric,
perplexed.
Just this: the situation must remain
as it is. You have nothing to lose,
while 1, 0 u aunt, wen Chetwynd-ah.
we have SO much to lose. But three
people know of this, l fancy-we three.
Unless-ah, but l am sure you could
not have been such a fool as to say
anything to Mr.. Porter before consult
ing me. l can see by your face that
you did go so far as that"
You mean" said Eric, in low, un-
even tones, that / am to let Chetwynd
have the prize without a word for my
self"
Yes. That, and nothing else"
But l will not submit to-
You will do just as l say, sir said
his uncle calmly. LAS ] have said be-