Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-09-23

Of telling any One-nOt even German
of Claire's second visit to my apart
ment. For Barbara's sake | made up
my mind would keep my lips closed
about that Incident. even If | had to
stay in prison indefinitely. At the po-
lice station when the detectives had
brought me in, had quietly but firmly
refused to answer any questions. al
though they had badgered me for near
" two hours before they let me alone.
"Where did you live before you
came TO the Granddeck?"
"Where did you work?"
"Where is Rufus GastonT'
"Where do your people live?"
"Why did you kill Daisy Lutan?"
"Where did you get the money you
have?"
"We've got the goods on you. Why
don't you confessT
These were the sort of questions
that were flung at me, first by one and
then the other. Evidently at first
they had had hopes Of breaking me
down.
81 have nothing to say" had been
nv unvarying answer to all their ques-
tons.
Finally they gave 1t up and locked
me in a cell for the night, leaving me
thankful that the honor of being a sus-
pected murderer relieved me from
sharing a cell with some Of the frowsy
prisoners l saw brought past my
| barred door.
Haven't you any friends you would
| like to have notifedY was the last
question they asked as they left me,
81 have nothing to say" repeated
once more.
Nor was this answer this time mere
stubbornness. Who was there that l
could notify of my plight? Birge and
Roller, my two intimates, were some
where on the high seas. The men
whom l had known in the office where
had worked, for obvious reasons,
were not to be called on. l had no
idea of the whereabouts of my aged
! relatives beyond the fact that they
were somewhere in Maine.
/ 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.
i I thought of German. Iwould have
been glad of his counsel, hut ] remem-
bered that / did not know where he
lived. He had told me he was giving
up his position at the hotel. 1t would
be useless to try to find him until
morning.
Yet in spite of my apparent friend
| lessness, although to all appearances
there was no one in New York to
whom l could turn in this time OF
trouble. 1t was a wonderful comfort
| to feel that l was sure of one stanch
| friend-Barbara Bradford.
Although we had been acquainted
but a few days, and although hardly
word of love had passed between u.s.
knew that her feeling for me already
was something greater than friendship.
| knew that she trusted me and that
| she would remain faithful in her at
| lection for me, no matter what ac-
|
had been madly in love with her from
almost the first time l saw her. What
ever happened, / must keep her out
of it. l must find some means OF
warning her to say nothing to any one.
I knew that her first impulse as soon
as she heard of my arrest would be
| to come to my rescue, regardless or
| the fact that in establishing an abb
for me she would be blasting her own
reputation. Under no circumstances,
] even If was convicted, must she be
permitted to speak. No explanation
can account for the presence or
young girl alone in mans rooms
at eleven o'clock at night, even
though she and both knew how ut
terly undeserving of censure her
presence there was and how important
had been her motive in coming there.
Mention of Barbara's name In any
way in connection with murder case
would be certain to wreck her sisters
matrimonial plans. 1t would mean
the ruin of her mothers ambitions and
the unmasking of the parlous conGi-
ton of their finances. 1t would mean
that the reproaches of her mother and
sister would be heaped on my Bar
bara's poor head.
| was still unsatisfied in my own
mind as to just what part Claire Brad
ford was playing in the web of mys-
terry about us. She was emotional and
Eighty, given to doing rash things. l
felt that there was a strong POSSIBLE
ity that relations with her ex-husband
had been in some way re-estabished.
I felt at times that she was being used
as q tool by the conspirators in the
Granddeck mysteries. If Claire was
involved in any way, II behooved me
TO move carefully lest she should be
betrayed in my effovts to clear my
self.
There was nothing for me to do but
to sit tight and take my plight as
phllosophically as could until could
get in touch with Goeman. AS soon
Y 4. tat NJ