Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-10-14
CHAPTER xI-continued.

nUunced.
what is lt7'' asked, wonderingly.
you've got visitor"
"Who?" l questioned eagerly. Could
Il, l wondered, be Barbara? Had my
sternly repressed longing to see her
In some way Communicated itself to
her through the ether and impelled
her to throw caution to the winds and
come to the prison to see me?
81 don't know" the keeper answer
ed. "Its a man. l don't know who
he is"
A man. Who could it be? In all
the monOtOnous time l had been be-
hind the bars, only two men had come
to see me, German and McGregOr. 1t
could not be either of them, for both
were we'll known to the prison attend
ants. AS / FASTENED down the long
corridor past the dismal row of barred
doors, l was revolving in my mind the
possibilities of my callers identity.
Who could It be? Spurred on by
my curiosity, fastened into the coun-
sci room. There sat my great-untle
Rufus.
He looked in much better physical
condition than when | had last seen
him, more vigorous and healthier. His
skin was Drowned from exposure to
the sun and wind, and his eyes were
clearer and brighter. AS studied his
face ! could trace no vestige there Of
the terrible fear that had seemed to
obsess him on the last occasion of our
meeting.
For a moment we eyed each other
without speaking. l was wondering
and we'll / think l might-whether
the suspicious had at times in regard
to him had been wholly without foun-
dation. Could 1t be possible that the
crafty, misery old chap was the mas
ter mind at the bottom of all the
mystery and plotting? AS my previous
suspicious came up in my mind de-
tertnined to be wary in what / said
to him. The fires Of anger toward
him began to kindle within me as
looked at him. felt that it was his
fault that l was locked up here.
Meanwhile he had been studying me.
His keen old eyes had surveyed me
from head to foot, returning to rest
ixedIy on my face, as though be was
trying to read my thoughts. ] won
dered what was passing in his
mind. Was he inwardly chortiing
- kha Is0h IN which hn fn1nn
me? Was he distressed to see
a bloOd-relative behind the bars? Did
he believe that l was guilty OF the
murder of Daisy Lutan? How had ne
learned of my arrest? What was his
purpose in coming to see me? But
his expression was unfathomable, so
far as was concerned. W
He was the first to speak.
"So-you didn't do it, did your"
"Of course not" retorted indig-
nunt.y. "Did you suspect that was
q murderer"
he shook his head disparagingly,
smiling an inscrutable smile.
"The evidence against you certainly
looks convincing"
II don't care" exclaimed with
heat "Tm as innocent Of the killing
Of Daisy Lutan as"-I hesitated-"as
you are"
He nodded his head approviDgly.
There, there, boy. don't get excited
Of course | know you are innocent.
You're of the CASTOR blood, and there
never was a CASTOR that was muir
derer or a lawbreaker. l never sus-
pected you for single second. / was
Off In the Maine woods twenty miles
from a railroad. didn't see a news
paper until day before yesterday eve
ming. My eye just happened to catch
a paragraph about the Granddeck. II
was about your trial for the murder
of Miss Lutan being set for next week.
That was the first | had heard about
1t. l travelled all night to get to you"
My feelings toward him underwent
sudden revulsion. There was every
evidence of sincerity in his manner.
The knowledge that he believed In me
was the most welcome news l had
heard since my Incarceration.
"Well soon have you out of here"
he went on, now that | am here to
help you. l got you into this. and
ri get you out of II II 1t takes every
cent possess. There's more than
one fight left In old Rufus yet. Now
start at the very beginning and tell
me everything that has happened
since l have been away"
What relief 1t was to talk freely
With my mind once and for all clear
ed OF all suspicion toward my old
great-uncle, began my story. Some
how the tie of blood is strong In time
OF trouble. found 1t vastly easier
to talk with my aged relative than IL
had been with either German or my
lawyer.
I began with my chance meeting
with Barbara Bradford In the park
as the blackmallers awaited her there.
[ told everything that had followed
with the utmost detail, even to such
small matters as my first meeting
With Wick and the undue curiosity
he had exhibited as to my acqualnt-