The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1922-06-30

No lie could save him, The onlv
/ thing he could do was to sugarcosr
the truth. He set about making out
Il case for himself as slliIlfully as he
could.
I'm man Of the world, NJ. Whit
! ford" he explained. "When / meet
an ugly fact | look II IN the face.
This man Lindsay was making a great
impression on you and Bee. Neither
of you seemed able quite to realize
hls--his deficiencies, let US say.
felt myself at a disadvantage with
him because he's such remarkably
yirile young man and he constantly
reminded you both Of the West you
love. 1t seem6d fair to all of us to
try him QUITO find out whether at
bottom he was a decent fellow or not.
SO l laid a little trap to find out"
Not the way Durand tells It," an
swered the miner bluntly. HE says
you paid him n thousand dollars to
arrange trap to catch Lindsay"
Either he misunderstood me or he's
distorting the facts" claimed the club
man with an assumption OF holiness.
THAT ought to be easy TO prove
Wen make an appointment with him.
for this afternoon and check up by the
dictagraph."
Bromfeld laughed uneasily. "Is
that necessary, Mr.. Whitford7 Surely
my word is good. have the honor
to tell you that did nothing discred-
table"
Whitford leaned back In his swivel
chair and looked steadily at the man
to whom his daughter was engaged.
I'm going to the bottom Of this, Brom-
field. That fellow Durand ought to go
to the penitentiary. We're gathering
the evidence to send him there. Now
he tells me he'll drag you down to ruin
with him II he goes. Come clean. Can
he do It'll"
well. / wouldn't say
Don't evade. Bromfield. Yes or
no."
81 suppose he can" The words
came sulkily after a long pause.
you did hire him to destroy Lind
says reputation"
Lindsay had no business here In
New York. He was disturbing Bees
peace of mind. 1 wanted to get rid
of him and send him home"
$50 you paid a crook scoundrel who
hated him to murder his reputation"
THAT'S not what call It," defended
the clubman.
1T doesn't matter what you call 1t.
The fact stands"
II told him explicitly-again and
agaln-that there was to be no vio-
lence. 1 intended only to show him
up. ! had right to do It,"
Whitford got up and walked up and
down the room. He felt like laying
hands on this well-dressed scamp and
throwing him out of the office. He tast-
ed something of his daughters sense
of degradation at ever having been
with man of so little
The experience was a Bit
terly humiIiating one 10 him. For
Bee was, In his opinion. the cleanest.
truest little thoroughbred under heav-
en-. The only questionable thing he
had ever known her to do was to en-
gage herself to this man.
Colin came to halt in front of the
other
We've got to protect you, no mat
ter how little you deserve 1t. ! can't
have Bees name dragged into all the
papers Of the country. The case
against Durand will have to be
dropped. He's lost his power anyhow
and he'll never get 1t back"
"Then 1t doesn't matter much wheth-
sr he's tried or not"
That phase Of the subject Whitford
lid not pursue. He began to feel In
lis vest pocket for something.
"Of course you understand that
we're through with you, Bromfeld.
Neither Beatrice nor / care to have
lnything more to do with you"
81 don't see why" protested Brom-
ield. "As man of the world"
"If you don't see the reason I'm
lot able to explain 1t to you" Whit
ords fingers found what they were