St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1922-07-22

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~You Rotten Traitor! Get Out Of M,
Room or III Call the PoIlcel"
You took my money and threw me
down. You hired gunman to kill
me-"
Now, what would l do that for7
hadn't n thing In the world against
you, an haven't now"
THAT id rufflan shot at me. He
was still shooting when / struck him
with the chair" cried Bromfeld, his
voice shaking.
HE didn't know 1t was you-mis-
took you for Lindsay in the darkness"
my Cd, didn't mean to kill him.
| had to do something"
"You did it all right"
II told you there wasn't to be any
violence It was explicitly stated.
You promised And all the time you
were planning murder. I'll tell all I
know. By Cd, WILL"
| "Go easy, Mr.. Bromf1eld," snarled
Jerry. IF you do, where do We think
you'll get off at?''
"I'll go to the police and tell them
your hired gunman was shooting at
u.s."
"Will you now1 An I'll have plenty
Of good witnesses to swear he wasn't"
Durand barred his teeth in threat.
''That's not all, either. I'll tie you up
with the rube from the West and send
you up to Sing Sing as accessory.
How'd you like that7'
IF tell the truth"
you'll be convicted of murder in
place of him and he'll go up as Access
sorry. I don't care two Nstraws how it
Is. But you'd be id fool. I'll say
that for you"
"I'm not going to let an innocent
man suffer In my place. It wouldn't
be playing the game
Durand leaned forward and tapped
the table with his flnger-tips. His voice
rasped like file. "You can't. save
him. He's goin' to get it right But
you can hurt yourself hi Of a lot.
Get out of the country and stay out
till It's all over with. That's the best
thing yon can do Go to the Hawaiian
Islands, man. That's a good healthy
climate sn' the hotel cooking's II lot
better than it is at Sing Sing
II can't do It," moaned the clubman.
"My Cd, man, IL it ever cnme out.
that I'd peid money to-to-ruin his
reputation, and that I'd run away
when could have saved an innocent
man-I'd be done for. I'd be kicked
out Of every club Tn In" 20
ut won't ever come out If you're
not here. But II you force my hand
well, that's different" Again Jerry's
grin slit his colorless face He had
this poor devil where he wanted him,
and he was enjoying himself.
"What do you want me to do,
then?" cried Bromfield, tiny beads Of
PRECIPITATION on his forehead.
you'll do as say-beat it outa the
country till the things over WITH =
"But Lindsay will talk"
''The b1ob's padlocked his mouth.
For some fool reason he's protectin'
you. Get out, an you're safe"
Bromr1eld sweated. blood .as he
walked up and down the room looking
for q way out of his dilemma. He had
come to the parting Of the road again.
II he did this thing he would beaa yell
low cur. II was one thiDg to destroy
Lindsay's influence with Beatrice by
giving her a false impression. From
hio y,n1nt ne view thpfrz friendship WAS
pernicious anyhow and ought to be
wiped out. At most the cattleman
would have gone back unhurt to the
Arizona desert he was always talking
about. Nobody there would care
about what had happened to him IN
New York. But to leave him, ON limo
cent man, to go to his death because
he was too chivalrous to betray his
partner in an adyenture-thls was
something that even Bromield's afro
phied conscience revolted at. Clay
was standing by him, according to Du-
rand's story. The news Of It lifted q
weight from his soul. But 1t left him,
too, under a stronger moral obligation
to step out and face the music.
The clubman made the only decision
he could, and that was to procrasti-
nate, to put off making any choice for
the present.
. ..rn think it over Give me day
to make up my mind" he begged.
Jerry shrugged his heavy shoulders.