The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1919-06-25

~ NOAAAN
| library? And then will you see that
Vidal brings the lawyer there?"
! Pedro went about his errand, and
Stairway. dressing swiftly, went to the
: library, which he had chosen because
: it was at one end of the house, and
so a place in which to converse with
out fear OF being overheard by Tore
or the captain.
Vidal was there before him, a big
man with a beautiful body and a
SCARED, ugly face. And with him,
looking grOtesquely small. pitifully in
efficient in the presence of his guard,
was DemptOn.
"Mr. Stairway, sir" The lawyer
was upon his feet in an instant, his
face red with anger, his speech seem
ing to frOth up in stream of barely
articulated words from between his
writhing lips. "Are you one of this
damnable conspiracy, sir? 1t is brig
andage; it is Outlawry; it is sheer
defiance of every statute"
Good afternoon, Mr.. Dempton,"
said the rancher pleasantly. "There
is no conspiracy on our part. We
merely wish to ask you few Ques-
tons, even TO give you a chance to get
out of this mess skin-whole. Sit down.
The sencrita will be here in a mo-
ment"
The door opened and Teresa came
in. She nodded brightly at Stairway,
| hncfnIunH rxyhi0
plunged him into an ecstasy of delight,
and with no word to Dempton went to
Stanway's side.
"Have 1 kept you waiting?" she
asked.
mo. l came in just a second be-
fore YOU" He drew out a chair for
her and turned to Vidal. "Vidal, we
have few words to say to Mr.. Demp-
ton. Will you wait in the patio? 1
shall call you when we want you"
''Dempton," Stairway went on. what
passed between you and the Senior de
la Guerra last night?'
"He sent for me to make a change
in his WILL" said Dempton glibly. "He
gave no reasons for what he was do
ing, although he must have noted my
surprise"
did you know that he has been
engaged during several years on his
memoirs?"
Dempton, a lawyer trained to ask
just such questions as that, looked at
Stairway quickly, suspiciously. He
hesitated a moment before answering.
81 have heard him speak of it,"
Stairway smiled at the girl, which
she returned, and Dempton, plainly
puzzled, watched them closely.
"The law Is rather severe in the
punishment it metes out to kidnapers,
is it not, Mr.. Dempton?"
"Yes."
There is what you men of the law
term an accessory before the fact?"
Certainly" snapped the lawyer.
But if you care to consult me in a
legal capacity"
Il don't" lightly. eve are sending
for Mr.. Branson of Branson & How
ard to advise u.s."
Dempton's tongue ran back and
forth between his dry lips.
"NOw," went on Stanley, without
waiting for an answer, "hOw much
money did Tore pay you for your
part?"
Again Dempton had leaped to his
feet, his face flushed, his eyes ablaze.
you mean to insinuate-"
"Sit DOWN. Stairway caught him
by the shoulders and drove him back
into his chair. did you know that
after you had gone and before he was
spirited away, Senior de la Guerra
added certain notes to his memoirs?"
"What are you driving at?" fumed
Dempton.
Stairway stepped TO the door.
"Vidal," he called, "Mr. Dempton
will remain here in the library. You
will see that he does not grow lone
some? BuenO." He came back to
DemptOn's side and added quietly: 81
am driving at this: the senior made
certain observations upon the charac-
ter of Americanos He mentioned the
fact that certain man had just come
and gone whom he did not trust; he
stated why that man had come; he
mentioned flaw that that man had
pretended to find Ahr as a look
of sudden understanding and a quick
fear with it leaped Into Dempton's
small eyes. "Now you see? Shall we
leave them, senorita?"
Teresa stepped through the door,
Stairway following and closing ii
after them.
swell have him scared out of his
life in no time" he chuckled. "By to-
morrow morning he'll be ready to tell
everything he knows if Wen just
promise him twenty-four hours to dig
out in"
you are very wonderful, Senior
Billyl"
The look she flashed him was un-
mistakably full of gratitude; and his
leaping hope sought to read something
else in it.
"Teresitap he whispered
But she had slipped from him
laughing, and a lacy mantilla was in