The Jasper news., 1920-09-23

uhOuknA uaN ILL., uhO NoACAs peN ~ my
refused 70 answer any questions, Al
though they had badgered me for near
ly two hours before they let me alone.
"Where did you live before you
came TO the Granddeckf"
where did you work.
where is Rufus GastonT
where DO your people llvei"
"Why did you kill Daisy Lutanr'
"where did you get the money you
havef'
"we'va got the goods on you why
don't you confessi"
These were the sort Of questions
that were aung at me, first by one and
then the other. Evidently at nrst
they had had hopes Of breaking me
down.
II have nothing to say" had been
my unvaryins answer to all their Ques-
tions.
Finally they gave It up and locked
me in cell for the night, leaving me
thankful that the honor of being q sus-
pected murderer relieved me from
sharing cell with some Of the frowsy
prisoners saw brought past my
barred door. -
Haven't you any friends you would
like to have notlfiedf" was the last
question they asked as they left me.
II have nothing to say" I repeated
once more.
Nor was THIS answer this time mere
stubbornness. Who was there that ]
could notify Of my plighti Birge and
Roller, my two intimates. were some
where on the high seas. The men
whom I had known In the ONCE where
I had worked, for obvious reasons.
were not to be called on. had no
idea Of the whereabouts Of my aged
relatives beyond the fact that they
were somewhere in Maine
I had no Intention whatever Of COM
municating the fact Of my arrest to
my mother. Indeed. was hoping that
she would not hear Of It until after my
innocence was established.
thought Of German. would have
been glad Of his counsel, but remain
bered that did not know where he
lived. He had told me he was giving
up his position at the hotel. It would
be useless TO try to dnd him until
morning. "a
Yet in spite Of my apparent friend
lessness,. although to all appearances
there was no one In New York to
whom could turn in this time Of
trouble, It was wonderful comfort
to feel thatoI was sure Of one stanch
friend Barbara Bradford.
Althoughsiwe had been acquainted
but few days, and although hardly a
word Of love had passed between us,
knew that her feeling for me already
was something greater than friendship.
I knew that she trusted me and that
she would remain faithful In her af-
fection for me. no matter what &C
cusatiOns were brought against me. l
had been madly In love with her from
almost the FIRST time Isaw her. What
ever happened. I must keep her ont
OF II. I must md some means Of
warning her to say nothing to any one.
! knew that her first impulse as soon
as she heard OF my arrest would be
to come to my rescue. regardless Of
the fact that In establishing an alIbI
for me she would be blasting her own
reputation. Under no circumstances,
even II / was convicted, must she be
permitted to speak. No explanation
can account for the presence OF
a young girl alone In mans rooms
at eisvsn O'Clock at night. even
though she and both knew how ut.
terly undeserving Of censure hel
presence there was and how important
had been her motive In coming there
Mention OF Barbara's name in an,
way In connection with a murder cas-,
world be certain to wreck her sister,
matrimonial plans. 1t would NEAR
the ruin of her mothers ambitions ans
the unmasking Of the parlous condi
ton of their finances. It would meal
that the reproaches of her mother an,
sister would be heaped on my Bar
bara's poor head
l was still unsatished in my owI
mind as to just what part Claire Brad
ford was playing In the web Of mys
terry about us. She was emotional ant
fighty, given to doing rash things.
felt that there was strong possibil
ity that relations with her ex-husban'
had been In some way re-established
/ felt at times that she was being use'
as tool by the conspirators in tn
Granddeck mysteries. II Claire wa
involved in any way, It behooved m
to move carefully lest she should b