The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1921-01-20


reasons for that and Avice
looked pleadingly at the judge
Don t you turn against him
Leslie; you know him too well
to think him capable of crime. .
"Of the two | would rather it
had been Stryker,' said the
judge, but we can t ignore def
mite evidence like this. Did Mrs.
Black go out that afternoon,
Avice2"
yes" replied the girl, un-
willingly. "She went out soon
after luncheon and stayed about
an hour
"Time to 60 to the library and
back. Duane, you're drawing a
long bow, to jump at the con-
clusion that the housekeeper took
a handkerchief Of Stryker S, to
be used as a false clue that would
incriminate the butler! It's al
most too much Of a prearranged
performance.
"Of course it is!' cried Avice.
"Kane is firebranl and impul-
sIve and hotheaded, but he's not
deliberate criminal! If he
killed Uncle Rowly,-which he
never did, never he did it in
the heat of quarrel, or under
some desperate provocation. I
wish you had never come to us,
Mr.. Duane! l don't want Stryk-
er found guilty, but I'd a thou
sand times rather he did it than
Kane. l dismiss you, Mr.. Duane.
You may give up the case, and
ell no one Of these wrong and
tell no one of these wrong and
discovered
Wait, wait, Avice,' and
Judge Hoyt spoke very gently;
we can't lay aside evidence in
that way. These things must be
looked into. They must be told
to the district attorney, and in
vestigated, then if Landon is in
nocent, as he doubtless is, he can
explain all that now looks dark
against him."
Don't accuse him!' flared
Avice, ego to Eleanor Black. and
ask her what was in the parcel
she took to Kane. She is the
wrongdoer, if either Of them is,
She telephoned him that night of
Uncle's death, and she said-'
"What did she say9" asked
Hoyt, as Avice stopped short.
Compelled by the insistent
glances of the two men, Avice
went on: f'She said She d meet
him the nexs day at the same
time and place. That proves
there was nothing wrong about
ito
It didn't prove this conclusive
ly to her two listeners, and they
quizzei her further until she ad-
that she had reason to
think that Landon and Mrs
Black had known each other be.
fore Avice had introduced them.
''How do you explain that"
asked Duane, unless they were
concealing something, SONG
plan or secret Of some sort?"
and suppose they were! II
needn't have been anything con,
nected with Uncle Rowly's death,
If they knew each other in Den,
yer, all the more likely they had
business Of some sort that they
dion care TO nave known.
The girl was arguing against
her own suspicious as much as
against theirs. A terrible fear
clutched at her heart, and surg
ing emotions choked her speech.
For, as she pictured Kane as q
criminal, came the even
more heartrending thought that
he was in love with Eleanor
Black! Quickly to Avice's SEN
sitive intuitions came the con-
yiction that Landon would not
be holding secret conferences and
having secrets with Eleanor un-
less they were or had been low
ers. And yet, he had told Avice
he loved her. But, granting all
this she was hearing today, what
faith could she put in his speech
or actionsl
II can only repeat what I
said, Mr.. Duane she asserted,
with dignity, 81 hereby release
you from your engagement on
this case, and / will willingly pay
you for the time you have wasted,
worse than wasted! And /