The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-08-11

have no strength left with which to
combat fate. I did kill old Whadcoat
IN a moment of unreasoning fear, just
as / killed Rags because he made too
much noise; but, by Heaven! l had
no intention to Kill the old man, and
l certainly would never have allowed
my brother to suffer seriously under
an unjust accusation. 1 firmly be-
heved that justice could not miscarry;
and while l thought that you were
sharp enough to save him, also reek-
Oned that I had been clever enough to
shield myself from every side"
He paused q moment and then
continued, just Ike a man who for
long time has been burdened with q
secret and is suddenly made almost
happy by confiding it to a stranger.
II had had many losses on the
turf, he said, land had made my
losses good by defrauding our firm
1t was long and laborioUs plan, very
carefully laid; but l was always clever
with my pen, and my brothers sigma
ture and Whadeoat's writing were easy
enough to initiate Then, one day,
l found an old uniform IN the cellar
at the offiee-my father used to keep q
commlssionaIre when he had the busI-
ness 1t was about my size and gave
me the idea for the disguise. 1t
all worked right, and I knew that l
could make my defalcations good at
the bank very soon It was a positive
thundeTboH to me when, on the Tues
day morning, I received letter from
old Whadcoat telling me that he was
coming over to Saltashe that afternoon
to see NJ. de Kerhoet and myself about
a terrible discovery which he had just
made. | knew that he would walk
through the woods, and / found him
sitting near the pond, smoking, alone
l only meant to persuade him to hold
his tongue and say nothing to M. de
Kerhoet for the present. But he was
obstinate; he guessed that l was
guilty; he threatened me with dis
closure, like the fool he was, and I
had to Kill HMM self-defense-
Somehow, although he undoubtedly
was q great criminal, could not help
sympathizing with this man. The
beautiful house we were in, all the
luxury and comfort with which he
was outwardly surrounded, seemed
such terribly mockery beside the moral
fortunes he must have endured L was
quite glad when he had finished speak
ing, and Skin O. Ny Tooth was able
presently to take his leave
Only a few hours later, the evening
papers were fun OF the sensational suicide
of Mr. Kelly In his library at Saltashe
Park. Almost at the same time that
THIS astonishing news was published
In the press, the authorities at Scotland
Yard had received q written COMES
sion, signed by Mr.. Kelly, In which he
confessed to having caused the death
Of Mr. jeremiah Whadcoat In Saltashe
Woods, by the accidental discharge Of
his gun
A little frightened at first Of any
complications that might arise he
had said nothing about the accident,
at the time; then, when his oxn brother
became implicated In the tragedy, and
he felt how terrible his own position
would be If he now made q tardy con
fesslon, the matter began to prey upon
his mind until 1t became so unhinged
that he sought N death solace from his
mental agony
THAT man was = genius" was Skin
o Ny Tooth's comment upon this
confession Strange that he should
have lost his nerve at the last, for
feel sure that the crime would never
have been brought absolutely home to
him; at any rate, could always have
got him off Whist do you think,
Nuggins2"