The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-09-29

mo man Is beyond my reach who
has broken the law" The detective.
voice was quietly controlled, yet eacl
word pierced the silence like a sword
thrust. II have been threatened with
ruin. with death, many times by Grim
inals Of all classes, from defaultine
financiers to petty thieves, but | still
live, and my fortunes have not beer
materially impaired. ! do not court
publicity, but l cannot shirk my duty
because it entails that. And in this
case my duty is plain. You. Bertrand
Rockamore, came here, secretly, by
night. to try to persuade Mr. Lawton
TO go in with you on crooked scheme
to force him to, by blackmail, if
necessary, on an old score. Failing in
that, you killed him, to prevent the
nefarious operations of yourself and
your companions from being brought
to light"
You're mad, tell you!" roared
Rockamore. whoever stuffed you
with such idiotic rot as that is making
CANNON of you! That conversation is
a chimera of some disordered mind, if
It isn't merely part of deliberate con-
spiracy of yours against me! You'll
suffer for this, my man! I'll break
you II It Is the last act of my life!
Such a conference never took place,
and you know it,"
"Come, Lawton, be sensible; half a
loaf Is better than no bread" Blaine
quoted slowly. "'There is no black
mail about this-it is an ordinary bust
ness proposition
Its a damnable crooked scheme,
and ! shall have nothing to do with 1t.
This is final! My hands are clean,
and I can look every man in the face
and tell him to go where you can go
now
"You remember that, don't you,
Rockamore?' Blaine interrupted him
self to ask sharply. do you also re-
call your reply? How about poor
Herbert Armstrong? His Wife"
ITS lie! A ID lie!" cried Rock
amore. ~ was not In this room that
night! Such a conversation never &C.
CURED! Who told you Of this? Who
dares accuse me-"
II dol" A clear, flute-like voice, re-
sonant in its firmness, rang out from
behind him as he spoke, and he wheel
ed abruptly, to find Anita standing
with her slender form outlined against
the dark, rich velvet Of the curtains.
Her head was thrown back, her eyes
blazing; and as she faced him. she
slowly raised her arm and pointed a
steady finger at the recoiling figure.
81 accuse you, Bertrand Rockamore,
of the murder Of my father! 1t was 4
who heard your conversation here in
this room; 1t was J who found the
vial which contained the poison you
used when your arguments and threats
failed! am not mistaken-I knew
that I could never be mistaken If l
heard that voice again, shaken, as it
was that night, with rage and defiance
and fear! knew that should hear
It again some time. and all these
weeks | have listened for it, until this
moment. Mr.. Blaine, this is the mani
Anita, you have lost your mind"
With the shock of the girls appear
ance, q steely calm had come to the
Englishman, and although a tremor
ran through his tones, he held them
well in leash. "My poor child, you
do not know what you are saying.
GAS for you,"-he turned and looked
levelly into Blaine's eyes,--I am
amazed that a man Of your perception
and experience should for a moment
entertain the idea that he could make
out a case of capital crime against a
person Of my standing, solely upon the I
hysterical pseudo-testimony of a girl