The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-07-01

Nndt VIII you say when you are
confronted with Dempton's written
and signed confession2"
THAT will never be. / know that
he has confessed to nothing"
Stanway leaned forward and tapped
his forefinger upon the table between
them. 81 shall have Dempton's con-
fession within twenty-four hours I"
Tore shook his head, smiling his in
scrutable smile.
II have counter-offer to make"
said Tore. "Teresita Is to nay to
Captain Juarez the money which he
demands-twenty thousand dollars.
Within twenty-four hours from the
time that the money Is paid her grand
father will walk into this drawing
room unharmed."
"And II she refuses your offer?'
"Then, twenty-four hours after her
refusal, her grandfather will be dead.
Then l shall be the heir to the entire
property. You will accuse me of hav-
Ing murdered him, and shall deny.
1t will go to the courts. In the end
shall be cleared. You see, senor,
N'''NN s'' y ''' dltnS
the border. and what has happened
may so easily be laid ut the door
of the poor devils of insurrectos. You
can create suspicion. you can make
trouble. But then there Is the will,
properly drawn and witnessed, and
there is something else!"
And that?" curiously, wondering
how far Tore would go In showing
his hand.
There will be other witnesses of
whom you do not guess yet-witnesses
carefully selected, who will not be
shaken In point they make. And
they will swear that Senor de la
Guerra became very angry with his
granddaughter upon the very day of
his disappearance; that he quarreled
openly with her: that he vowed he
would dtsinlert her, and that he sent
Immediately for his lawyer to make
the new will. Do you care, senor, to
know what these witnesses will pl owe
to be the cause of the quarrel?"
"Well?" asked Stairway.
ut will be that Teresa. Needless of
her grandfather's hatred Of all Ameri-
canos, had fallen In love with one Of
and swore that she would marry
you!"
"Why!" gasped the rancher. "Its
perjury"
Certainly" The smile merely
deepened upon Torres handsome face.
"But let us think not OF the legal
morality of II but OF the effect upon
jury. Who. when this point Is made,
will seem the one who would be desir-
Gus of the disappearance of the old
gentleman?
"Who then Will appear In the light
Of the abductOr? 1 leave 1t to you,"
busy over new cigarette, eff the
poinS WI not hold"
Stanway's mouth hardened.
He saw that If Tore had made one
mistake-H Dempton were in reality
what he appeared. weak toOl-yet
takingly elsewhere.
"YOu may mark ca certain seeming
discrepancy" went on the Spaniard
II suppose the De la Guerra estate is
worth million. And l am asking
only twenty thousand dollars to re-
nounce all claim, free the old gentle
man. go away and leave you, senor
to pay your court to the heiress!
He laughed softly at Stanway's
quick, angry frown, and continued
swiftly:
1T is because I have very urgent
need Of ten thousand dollars. 1t would
save me from an embarrassing posi-.
ton, senOr. You do not guess how
embarrassing. And I am very modest.
ly asking merely twice my actual
needs.
True, there Is more to gain by slit.
ting the throat Of my esteemed kins
man and inheriting the whole. You
see. don't mind speaking frankly. be-
tween friends.
"But. on the other hand, the danger
OF which you speak would be much
greater---and I need the money now,
not after the courts can have had time
to haggle over the will for year or
two. So. senor. you have my offer.
What do you say?"
IL say" cried Stanway hotly, that
you are Scoundrel, and I believe
only so much OF what you say as /
Judge wise. If Senor de ia Guerra
dies. why then you go to the hangman
provided Gaucho and his men allow
you to go that far. You will save him
to save your own neck. Do you absO-
lutely refuse to accept my PROPOSE
tionr
Absolutely. shall make better