Evening journal., 1922-05-06

hoor his tongue licking suddeni,
dry lips.
"Yeh. both OF 'em. One brough
on the other. Mrs. Renaud and JohI
corbin-they called him Tom Lang.
don back East"
CHAPTER XXI
II was staggering in it's -unexpect-
edness. A gasp came from the lips
OF Barry Houston. He whirled ex.
citedly and grasped the nearest on
locker.
GO get Medaine Robinette. Hurry
Tell her that I have found the proof.
She'll understand"
Then, struggling 10 treasures him
self. he turned again to the prisoner.
Two hours later. in the last CLINT OF
day. the door opened. and a woman
came TO his side. where he was I'm
ishing the last OF many closely writ
ten sheets OF paper. He looked up
at her, boyishly happily. Without
waiting for her permission. he
grasped her hand. and then. as
though eager for her 10 hear, he
turned TO the worn faced man. now
slumped dejectedly in his chair.
You understand. Thayer. that
this is your written confession7"
The man nodded.
And you are willing TO sign it?"
"Td want TO know what I was
signing"
Certainly. I intended to read #
10 you-so that all witnesses may
hear It. It is then TO be filed with
the district attorney"
.
My name is Fred Thayer. I'm
III a year ago. I had been employed
by the Empire Lake Mill and Lun-
Der Company as superintendent. be-
ginning with It when It was first
started by Mr.. Houston Of Boston.
tried two or three times to get
him to sell out to me. but we couldn't
get together on the terms. He al
ways wanted cash. and I couldn't
furnish II. About this time-a
nephew of his named Thomas Lang
don came out here, under the name
OF John Corbin. He had been a
black sheep and was now wandering
about the country.
Then, a woman came out here
an Agnes Jierdon. a stenographer.
on her vacation. I met her and
learned that she was from Boston "
slight pressure exerted itself on
Houston's arm. He glanced down
10 see Medaine Robinette's hand.
clasped tight. She spent nearly
the whole summer here. and I made
love TO her. I asked her TO marry
me- and she told me that she would |
l wanted to use her-to get her IN
out what was going on. so that !
would know In advance. At the end |
of her vacation. she went back to |
Boston and got a Job with Houston. |
as Office clerk. Almost the first |
thing that she wrote me was that |
the old man was thinking about sell |
ing out 10 some concern back East.
Tt made me desperate. Then |
thought OF Ba'tiste Renaud."
"Ahr' The word was accompanied |
by a sharp intake of breath as the |
big French-Canadian moved closer /
to hear again the story Of a murder. |
But the sheriff motioned him back |
The emotions Of the old trapper 4
were not TO be trusted. The recital |
went on:
" Everybody around this country
had always talked about how rich
he was. There was a saying that he
didn't believe in banks and that he
kept more than a hundred thousand
dollars in his little cabin. At this
time, both he and his son were away
at war. and 1 thought could steal
this money, place It in other hands,
and then work things so that IL I
- Nka
around here would merely think 1
had borrowed the money and bought
the mill with It. BY this time, a
cousin Of Miss Jierdon s, a fellow
named Jenkins, had gotten a job
with Houston and was working with
her, and OF course, I was hearing
everything that went on. It looked
like the deal was going through, and
It forced me to action. One night 1
watched Mrs. Renaud and saw her
leave the house. I thought she was
going to town. Instead, after I'd
gotten into the cabin, she came back
surprising me. L killed her, with
revolver
"Diablel" ,
Easy. Ba'tiste. That's the way
you gave It tome. isn't It, Thayer?"
yes
Again the door Of the tiny lobby ,
opened and closed, and a form edged }
forward - Blackburn, summoned :
from his mill. !
"'When 1 found the deed box,
there was only ten thousand dollars
in It instead. of the fortune that
had supposed was there. was
about to take II out and stuff it into ,
my pocket, when heard a noise
outside the window. I pushed the
box under my coat and ran out the I
back door. The next day. Corbin- +
or Langdon-came to me and de-
manded his share OF what I had
stolen. He said that he had seen me
at the deed box after I had killed r
the woman. He threatened me again :
and then, suddenly. one day dis =
I learned that he had left .
for Boston. 1 knew what was up :,
then; he was going back to tell Old =
Man Houston and try to step into :,
my shoes when I was arrested. But :,
! beat him there by going over the =
range in an automobile, and taking
an earlier train for Boston. I picked .
him up when he arrived and trailed III
him 10 young Houston's office. After
that saw them go to a cafe. and
from there to a prize fight. l had
my gun with mel had made up
my mind to kill them both. thought
anpdon had tofd After the fight II