The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-08-20
THE RIGHT OF WAY
BY SIR GILBERT PARKER
Condensation by Helen q. Dole

Not guilty. your Honor!" Such
was the unexpected verdict in 10 Por-
tugais's murder trial at Montreal The
result was due to the remarkable
pleading of Charley Steele, popularity
called Beauty Steele" a brilliant,
handsome young lawyer, addicted to
strong drink. His success in this case
also won for him the hand of the
beautiful Kathleen Vantage. whom
he admired, although he did not love
any more than she loved him.
After the trial 10 tried to thank
Charley: Get out of my sight" he
replied, you are guilty as He'll" Five
years later found him still more bril-
liant and still more a slave to the
bottle. He had corrupted Kathleen's
brother Billy. and demoralized the
popular preacher, the Rev. John
Brown. Billy had forged Charley's
name and squandered $25, 900 of trust
money. but Charley resolved to save
him from ruin. He went that night
to the Cote Dorion" tavern where ha
drank heavily, quarreled recklessly
| with some rough river-drivers and was
kicked senseless and flung into the
river.
Just at that moment 10 Portugais,
on a raft opposite the tavern, heard
the scuffle and the splash, jumped in
to the water and rescued the insen.
sible man whom he recognized as his
former deliverer. Taking him to his
hut on Vadrome Mountain, near Chau-
diere Parish, he nursed him seven
months till he was restored to health,
but with his memory completely gone.
After tho hrnfhnr NJ Njco1
skilled surgeon, operated on him his
memory returned. He did not know
10, but his eye CHANGED to fall on a
! newspaper which told Of his own
death, of the marriage Of his wife to
former admirer, and accused him of
having embezzled the trust money.
What was he to do He could not
go back even to clear himself. He de-
cided to remain unknown, as Charles
Mallard, in Chaudiere. The village
postmistress, Roaslie Evanturel, a
charming girl Of fine family and con-
vent education, made his acquaintance
by bringing up to him a parcel post
package from the surgeon. Charley
became apprentice to the elderly,
! crochety tailor, Louis Trudel. and
went to live with him. Louis was sus-
picious of him because he was an in
fidel, and determined to show him a
sign from heaven to convert him. He
| stole from the church door the little
| iron cross blessed by the Pope, and
late one night after Charley had gone
to bed, heated it red hot and rushing
| upstairs, dropped it on Charley's bare
| chest. Resale from the postoffice OPP
posite noticed light under the tailor's
door at that unusual hour and suspect
| ing something was wrong, saw through
the shutters what the man was doing.
She fastened through the kitchen and
upstairs but too late to stay the tall
or's hand. He turned and fell head
| long and died soon after. calling Char
ley "a black infidel from He'll"
Rosalie took the cross to the post
office and afterward restored it to the
church door. Claudiere believed the
tailor's death was due to the infidel
and was ready to mob him, but the
cure took his part and urged the
people to pray that he might be
brought into the fold.
| Charley lived on in the tailor's
house. and continued his business, Civ
| ing most of his earnings to the poor
and the sick. and fighting the demon
drink which frequently assailed him.
It was st. Jean Baptiste's Day.
| Chaudiere was filled with festivity
AS the militia came noisly down the
street, Charley rescued man and his
frightened horse from death. The
man proved to be John Brown, now
become a quack doctor, and advertis-
ing his nostrums by singing comic
songs. Charley, hiding behind some
trees, heard him telling the story of
his old friend champagne Charley"
All day he had been fighting a fierce
battle with a raging thirst and ques.
tioning himself about Rosalie. Gould
he marry her while his wife was still
living? Should he tell her all and
let the law separate him from Kath-
leen? But Rosalie was a Catholic and
the Church opposed divorce,
| Just then a bottle of whisky fell
from the pocket of drunken "habi-
tant" at his very feet. With an IN
comfortable impulse he seized it and
drained it. 10 Portugais followed him
as he staggered home and Charley in
his delirium recognized him as the
murderer he had pleaded for. He took
10 by the throat, then fell to the floor.
For Ave days 10 struggled to save his
! life and then carried him back to
/ Vadome Mountain. Resale came to
warn him that he was suspected of
stealing the gold vessels from the
Cathedral in Quebec and trying to
blow up Government House. She had
hardly finished speaking when the
cure, the seigneur and the Able Ros-
signol entered with two constables.
The able charged Charley with the
theft, which he stoutly denied. 10
called the able aside and confessed
his crime in order to save his friend,
promising to give himself up at the
end of the year. Meantime Charley
took vial Of laundanum from his
] pocket. but as he was about to uncork