The Washington times., 1916-03-26

1elt as IL che were seeing him Tor the
fore fore he had BEEN Always SH% tIiS protsctor,
always the brave and the strong. and
the thought CT him In peril. the unbe-
llevable horror OF the idea of harm
coming to him shook her with a storm
preston In the sudden flame Of tender
don's.
The protective maternal instinct that
Is always tho real keystone Of a woTn-
ans deeper love came TO the fore for
y, tho fret time and was followed by a
swift fierce gladncss that David Pol
lock was dead Whatever the. tragedy
and the suffering that enmeshed her.
a. least Philip was safe, and at the
thought all the fear and the horror OF
the law left her, and she drew long.
happy breath that was almost q mute
| could pay for his safety.
| Langdon himself was equally shaken
by the wonderful little interluds that
had come like n streak OF sunshine
through the dreery Eloom OF the court
the unstsadmtss of his voice to excite
ment, end only Mary guessed the real
reason and flushed rosily under her
| own thoughts.
Mr.. Daniels, Langdon was asking
IN that strange. choked voice. will you
please tell the court the circumstances
OF theIthe attempt uron my life?'
Il didn't know II was. you know"
| protested Daniels. 81 understood II waa
just to be a fidnspnE-to-to get you
Mr.. Jangdon. ] mean-out Of the way
till after tho opening OF The Seekers
You say Just a fidnaping.' Mr.. Dan.
iels.' broke in the Judge harshiv. Did
you not know that the Law does not
consider kidnapping a light offenso?"
yes. know" Daniels voice was
j husky and uncertain. II know. but
all ] had was invested in this new play.
and n Dave Pollok had pulled out
then, I'd had lost 1t all and--rve got
a wife and daughter. I din't think
any harm would come to Mr.. Lang
don: in fact. Mr.. Pollock promised II
wouldn't. or ia never have let that
man Shale take the watchman's place"
During the rehearsals, as said.
| Dave came 10 me and said that PHILIP
I.angdon was buttIng In too much. that
he was npsetting Miss Page. and MAX
Ing trouble mfor hlm-that Is Pollock
and he wanted him out OF the way.
| Then he said he had plan to kidnap
| LanGdon and take him out TO the coun-
try TIL after the opening OF the play.
At first ! wouldn't listen. but-hnally-
did. 1t sounded simple enough.
was 10 send for LanEdon late tina;
night. supposedly 10 ask him something
about the Page contract. In the mean
time we were to drug the watchmar
and let Shnle-Pollock's jackal. they
call him. you know-take his place
Then when Mr.. LanRdon was leavlnr
the Waterman was to nab him ano
carry him out TO a waiting automobile
and cart him or"
Were these plans carried outc"
mo, That is. not the latter part. Il
was then that found out about the at
tempt at murder"
''will YOU tell the court in detail Jus
what happened on that nlght?''
We'll. IL sent for Mr.. Lsngdon.
said Daniels nervously and he came
In the meantime we had given the reg
ular Waterman Knockout drops and lef
him in a corner of the balcony. anc
Sha!e took his place. When Mr.. Lang
don was leaving called this supposed
Waterman and. acting on Dawes In
struCtions. told him to show Mr. Lang
dor. out by the stage door; But ! tel
I,you"-his voice rose suddenly TO higp.
shrill note OF hystercal emphas isis
tell you l knew nothing of that opei
trap door in the STAGE. l thought he
was going to take him right out OF the
theater. And when l heard Mr.. Lang
move for minute. Then l rushed
down and turned on the stage lights. y
"Will you tell us what YOU saw"
II saw MT. Langdon hanging to thu
edge of an open trap that led dowI
some thirty feet to the cement celia
below. and Shale standing to one side
with blackjack in his hand. though
he was going to nit Langdon. and
snatched It away from him and dragged
Langdon back upon the stage. Thu
very first words he said made IN
realize he didn't know the real reason o
that open trap. so ! hid the blackjack
behind me and took Mr.. Langdon to tn.
door myself and saw him safely away.
Did you see Mr.. Pollock again tina
night?"
Eyes. When got back to the stag
found him there denouncing Shall
/ In
when | asked him II he had mean
murder. he said, Yes! l meant 4
have him killed through an apparen
accident. What is more. tell yo'
here and now. that I'll kill Mary Pas
shall win herr That's what Dave Pol
lock said. and that's what l thought h
had done hiatt night / SWEAR
didn't 20 into that room! But ! hear
them quarrel. and I heard the scream
it-and ran away, in sheer horror
that's all! My God You must be
lieve me. It's true that l duarrele'
with Dave Pollock, not once. but man!
times. It's true that he didn't play fai
with me, but can't you see that I ha'
everything to lose and nothing to gall
by his death. It's meant ruin to me-
and ruin to my wife and little girl"
His voice broke pitifully over the las
words. Leaning forward, he buried HI
face in his baking hands, waiting TO
the next question. But 1t didn't come
That tragic outburst had carried con
viction, not merely to Langdon but 4
every one in the room, and whateve
shadows OF suspicion had hung owe
Mr.. Daniels faded before the pitiful bu
indubitable veracity OF his story. Tn,
mystery. II mystery II was, of DaviC
Pollock's death was still as impenetra
BILE, and the cords OF the law that 70