The Rice belt journal., 1920-10-09
CHAPTER Xl-contInued.

nOunced
what is it?" l asked, wondertngly'
you've got a visitor"
"WhO?" | questioned eagerly Gould
1t, l wondered, be Barbara? Had my
sternly repreSsed longing to see her
In some way communicated itself to
her through the ether and impeIIed
her to throw caution to the winds and
come to the prison to see me?
81 don't know" the keeper answer
ed. Its man. don't know who
he is."
A man. Who could it be? In all
the monOtonOus time ! 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. was revolving in my mind the
possibilities of my callers identity.
Who could it be? Spurred on by
my cusiOsity, l hastened into the coun-
sci room. There sat my great-unCle
Rufus
He looked in much better physical
condition than when I 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 l could trace no vestige there Of
the terrible fear that had seemed to
0bsess him on the last occasion Of our
meeting.
For moment we eyed each other
without speaking. l was wondering
and we'll | think might-whether
the suspicious 1 had at times In regard
to him had been wholly without foun-
datiOn. Could it be possible that the
crafty, miserly 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-
termined 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 was locked up here.
Meanwhile he had been studying me,
His keen old eyes had surveyed me
from head to foot, returning to rest
fixedly on my face, as though he was
trying to read my thoughts. won
dered what was passing in his
mind. Was he inwardly chortling
at the plight in which he found
me2 Was he distressed to see
a blood-relative behind the barsf Die
he believe that l was guilty of the
murder of Daisy Lutan? How had he
learned of my arrest1 What was his
purpose in coming to see me? But
his expression was unfathOmable. sc
lhI us Il was SOhNSAhSNs
He was the first to speak.
"SO--yOu didn't do 1t, did your
"Of course not" l. retOrted indig
nantly. "Did you suspect that I wa
a murderer"
/ He shook his head disparaglngly
smiling an inscrutable smile.
1.-THE evidence against you certainl,
looks convincing"
81 don't care" exclaimed wit
heat. I'm as innocent Of the killin
of Daisy Lutan as'-I hesitated-"a
you are"
He nodded his head apprOvingly.
"There, there, boy, don't get excited
Of course l know you are innOcen
You're of the CASTOR blood, and ther
never was CASTOR that was mul
derer or a laWbreaker. / never su!
pected you for u single second. | wa
off in the Maine woods twenty mile
from q railroad. ] didn't see a new
paper until day before yesterday ey,
ming. My eye just happened to cato
paragraph about the Granddeck.
was about your trial for the murdt
of Miss Lutan being set for next wee
That was the first l had heard abol
it. / travelled all night to get to YOU
My feelings toward him underwel
d sudden revulsiOn There was evel
evidence Of sincerity in his manne
The knowledge that he believed in II
was the most welcome news hs
heard since my Incarceration.
"We1l soon have you out of here
he went on, "now that am here
help you. | got you into this, al
I'll get you out Of it If it takes eve
cent | possess. There's more thi
one fight left in old Rufus yet, Nc
start at the very beginning and Il
me everything that has happen
since l have been away"
What d relief it was to talk freel
With my mind once and for all clei
ed of all suspicion toward my @
great-mCle, | began my story Son
how the tie Of blood is strong in til
7 Of trouble. | found it vastly easi
to talk with my aged relative than
had been with either German or /
lawyer.
/ began with my chance meeti
with Barbara Bradford in the pa
as the blackmailers awaited her the
l told everything that had follow
i. with the utmost detail. even to su
small matters as my first meeti
with Wick and the undue curios
S he had exhibited as to my aequai
ance with the Bradfords. | recit
the story of my unaccOutabIe d
3 charge in disgrace from my positi
+ and told of GOrInan's unavailing
forts to learn the reason.
, "The day was discharged" we
i on, II had drawn ont from the savir
: hapk ali my money with the nurnf