The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1920-06-19
CHAPTER XIII.

Coming as il did as dire climax TO
aIi my other troubles, the shock OF OLD .
Rufus Gaston's murder sent me into .
an apathetic state from which tt
seemed impossible for me to arouse
myself. without hope and even with /
ont interest | duly awaited the APP
proach of my trial for murder.
While there never had been an OPP
portunity for any bond of affection TO
become established between my aged
relative and tmyself-in fact, l had
seen him only three or four times Ill
my whole life, and then only for hrleI
periods-still his unexpected ana
dreadful end had bereft me of practi-
cally every hope of being acquitted OF
the absurd charge against me. WICK.
If was plain, intended to disclaim all
knowledge of my relationship TO MT.
CASTOR. and now there was no one
else TO explain how | happened to be
living in the building at the time Of
Kiss Lutan's murder. Unfortunately
I had destroyed both Mr.. GastOn's let
fer to me and the note from my
motber which had first told me of the
old mans intention. My great-aunt.
learned from the newspapers, had
: been completely FRUSTRATED by the
: tragedy and had been unable to come
! IN the funeral. The shock of the news
of her husbands violent end had left
bar in n very critical condition. Ii
saamed TO have wholly deranged hel
, ,ped brain. and the physicians sum
moned to the Maine camp where sh'
!, was refused to permit her 10 De re
moved from there or to let anyon
talk with her. declaring that the leas
excitement of any sort would be ap
q TO have fatal results.
To be sure there was my mother
who could prove my relationship. bu
q I felt there was little use of dragon
n her into it. On reading OF her uncle
N dsoth She had fastened on from IN
n Vest IN attend his funeral ana ma
n been puzzled and alarmed by NOT nn'
"A inc me there. All the time | had bee
n in prison l had been writing her Ill
, usual weekly letter, affecting chee
= fuIness I was far from feeling ana si
a inc her nothing of what had happene
" Her letters to me, addressed 10 u
z Cranddeck. had been forwarded by u
r nost office. so that until after she a
! rived in the city she knew nothihg
" my plight. 1t had been my nope IN
l." 7 would be able to conceal eversthi
at from her until after I had been triul
nb.ntlv acquitted If l were not $
ror,d know the worst soon enough.
~ When she first learned. or ire
- what source. of my predcament w
- unaware. / did not even know or u
=, nresence in the city until the day All
ar INV great-uncle's funeral. when-J'
- twentv-four hours before my trial W
ro- 10 begin-a keeper brought me We
For that she was waiting downstairs
re. see me.
Too steeled myself for the intervi
:, With her Naturally ! expected Il
90 Che would be terribly horror Strics
and shocked at my plight, hut WI
o,v her attitude toward me would be
could not conjecture. fully eXpec
no,bing but rcproaches from her. :
om had been so opposed 70 my coming
ON New York that l felt certain that
his would insist that my conduct must
avs responsible for my being where
mo- was. For years, it seemed to me,
.~,yd roIations between my mother and
as self had been nothing but continu
ND misunderstanding To my 81
mig engagement and bewilderment not
a q unlxind word nor the suggestion o
and reuroachful thought came from
lips.
his. "Oh, my boy my po!' S"e ""1 =