The Washington herald., 1919-10-14

to the lads evil character. but once
he nearly disinherited him on the
score of cowardice. A pair OF mys-
terious Italian twins settled at
Dawson's Landing. and at a public
meeting. Tom having provoked him
to action by his insolence, Luigi.
the stronger Of the two, had kicked
the scion OF the House OF Driscoll
off the stage into the audience. the
stain of which insult a real r. F.
V. would have wiped out upon the
field of honor. but for which the
cowardice of Tom found ample sat
isfaction in the police court. which
proceeding so outraged the good
judge that for the honor OF his
family he personally fought a duel
with the offending Italian. wound
ing him, and thus laying the foun-
dations for much future trouble.
Came now the supreme touches in
the career of the spurious Tom.
For the payment OF the newly ac-
Quired gambling debts. with Rox-
ana's consent, Tom sold his own
mother back into the slavery from
which at Driscolrs death she had
been freed, but in violation OF his
promises he sold her down the
his unfilial head when the resource
full Roxana escaped. and under
threat of exposure of his real status
in life. required him TO idemnify
her new master lest she be appre-
hended and returned to him. Hav-
ing no other resources Tom resolv-
upon the robbery Of his benefactor,
the Judge. in the fulfilIment of which
venture he murdered him. his wea-
pom being an Oriental knife OF un-
usual design. which he had stolen
from Luigi. the Italian. in one OF
his theft-raids.
The murder OF Judge Driscoll
brought great excitement to Daw-
sons Landing, and the Italian twins
narrowly escaped lynching for the
crime. The evidence was clearly
against them. They were confess
edly the owners of the gem-studded.
ivory-handled knife with which the
crime had been committed. What
was worse they had been found
standing beside the body when the
neighbors rushed in. having come
to the judges aid at his cry for
help. Moreover there was the clear
motive of revenge growing out OF
the duel which Luigi had fought
with the judge. The whole commu-
nifty Judged them guilty-all but
Pudd nhead Wilson. who volunteer
ed to defend them in court. a poor
reliance since they were his first
and only clients. But Pudd'nhead
was unafraid. The evidence against
them was most convincing. but
There were fnger-prints upon the
knife-handle, and they were not the
An0ar.nrirt0 ~ "A
Whose fnger-prints were theyf
Tom. secure in his sense OF safety
because Of the overwhelming evil
dence against the twins, ventured
to taunt Pudd'nhead upon his con-
f1dence in winning his case. He en-
tered his study. and sitting himself
at Pudd'nhead's side while he
studied the prints in his collection.
he picked up one of the records.
why here's old Roxy's label" he
said contemptuously. ''Nigger-paws.
eh? There's line across her
thumb-print. Now how comes that?"
Pudd'nhead taking the glass from
Toms hand held it up to the lamp.
The blood sank suddenly out of his
face. He gazed at the polished sur
face with tf1 CLASSY stale of a
corpse. The mystery was solved,
Toms thumb-print standing clear
ly outlined before him on the glass
and that on the handle OF the blood
stained knife were identified,
ITO the minutest detail" said the
foreman of the Jury. as he returned
a verdict of murder against the
unhappy lad.
The twins were acquitted. the de-
frauded heir lifted up out of slav-
cry and restored to his inheritance.
and Tom forever branded as an i'm
poster was sold down the river"
for the benefit of the creditors of
the late Percy Northumberland Dris-
coll.
Which, all things considered. was
not a strange fate, for as Pudd'n-
head Wilson himself has said in his
famous calendar. "a caulifiower sf-
ter all is nothing but a cabbage
with a college education"
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THE Boston Post). Copyright In the United
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