The Washington herald., 1921-06-19

we all are-that the poor wretch known -
so,iy Lawson got his throat cut by an enemy.
He was . haKcasts employed at the Peu.
can who lived with an old, black mother In .
cabin near the ciiffa. He was q worthless,
hottempersd bessar. with a dogiike affection
for ny brother and myself: but he guarded
with his fellows and always gave himself
great airs on the strength of his white blood
soliy bad way with the ladies also. and
made good deal OF trouble In his own circle
Of society. He has fought various battles
and figured In more than one paternity case;
but though the unfortunate fellow thus
earned some reprobation, we. weakly enough.
forEaye him great many Of his sins, for he
was . mirth- provoking spirit with ready wit:
and ~ much for his old mother and his dead
fathers sake a. his own. we kept him On and
forsave him his stupid sins
He had been locked up twiee. and knew
that one more serious offense would Be the
last 50 tar ~ the Pelican was concerned: but
1t seemed Of late that he had reformed and
was becoming . responsible member Of the
community. So. At least. old Mrs. Lawson
decIe red.
well on the day that was black with
this double murder came news Of solly Law.
sons end The debonair creature, 20 witty
and full Of lifs-such . secret Joy to Us and
such q source Of endless evaporation to his
fellows-was found dead with his throat cut
from ear to ear. =
An. accident revealed the murder. for
the body lay on q shelf under the cliffs. mid
way between the summit and the deep sea
that rolled beneath II was evident that
those responsible for his destruction had
hung him over. after numbering him, and
hundred feet below, As they intended, the
unseen ledge had received him. From this,
when found. he was subsequently lowered
into . boat and brought ashore. The fall
had broken several bones. but the fatal
wound was In his throat.
his murder has appeared; and though doubt
not it was over another woman that be
finally came to grief, nothing throws light on
the subject, and no man. or men, in Bar
eados can be fairly suspected Of the business
Thus We have three capital crimes, all Of
which. on the face of It. are motiveiess: and
wilhelm the case Of soily. as / say, We may
feel very sure that he awakened some secret
malignity and brought his punishment upon
himself. while there probably are those
among US who know the secret Of his death,
% far a. my brother and Johp Dissle are
concerned no shadow Of reason for their de-
struction can Be found on the island, or In
the world
of my brother have spoken; while Dig
gle. in his humble capacity. similarly enjoyed
the respect and regard OF all men We had
not . more popular servant on the planta-
tion, or In the factories. He leaves a wife
and three youngsters. and my brother was
godfather to the eldest. while to the second I
stood In the same relation.
That Is the dreadful outline you win have
10 Ill In, young man; and now please ask me
what questions may occur to you, unless
you would rather leave them to . later oc-
casion."
shall have many questions to ask, Mr..
sianninE." answered: but at this point
perhaps you will tell me a little about Lady
warrender and her daughter"
GLADLY. The incident which connects
them with my brothers name lies outside
those have narrated In my opinion: nor can
! link 1t with Henry's death. But you will
approach this matter with an open mind,
and In any case must hear Il and regard Il
as . confidence. This was one Of those few
experiences that my dear brother kept from
me entirely: nor should I have ever known
but for the ladies themselves.
A year ago now Henry told me / ought
to marry. and / retorted that It was quite AZ
much his business as mine. He admitted II.
and we chaned one another; but regarded
him As an ineurabls bachelor and believed
myself to Be one In truth, however. Henry
desired to marry and. with what looks now
like extraordinary secrecy, cultivated little
Nay Wsrrsnder. Her mother did not know
It until Afterwards; but when Henry died the
girl revealed to her mother that he had much
desired to marry her and proposed twice.
You have no reason to doubt herr
None, for she is not the sort TO invent
any such story. Perhaps. II had heard
such thing from anybody but these people,
I might have disbelieved; but It Is impossible
to doubt them. Henry evidently loved bee
and strove hard to win her; but he wa. old
for his age and doubtless seemed older than
he was to a girl not twenty. Whether he
was deeply disappointed or no: can never b.
known He was such philosopher that do
not suppose he allowed the matter 70 trouble
him moro than was inevitable. May liked
him immensely. and when he died she was
quite Ill for a time: but when she told her
mother. she also declared that marriage with
him would have been Impossible
Probably. as say. his reverse did not