Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-06-16

From the man who came to the door
Mr. Bromfeld's visitor learned that ne
was not well and could receive no
callers.
"Just mention the Omnium cluD'
and say I'm here on very Important
business" said Jerry with a sour grin.
The reference served as a password.
Jerry was admitted to meet a o
quite unable to control his alarm. AT
sight of his visitor Bromtield jumped
I'M angriIy. AS soon as his man a
gone he broke out in a subdued
scream.
'eyou rotten traitor! Get out of my
room. or I'll call the police
Durand found a comfortable chair,
drew a case from his pocket and Sc
lected a cigar. He grinned with evil
mirth.
you will, Ell? Like HI you will.
You're hidin' from the cops this
blessed minute. I've just found out
myself where you live"
you took my money and threw me
down. You hired a gunman to kill
me-"
"Now, what would l do that for? l
hadn't a thing in the world against
you, an l haven't now"
"That id ruffian shot at me. He
was still shooting when l struck him
with the chair" cried Bromfield, his
voice shaking.
"He didn't know it was yOu-mis-
took you for Lindsay in the darkness"
my Cd, 1 didn't mean to kill him.
I had to do something"
"You did it all right"
81 told you there wasn't to be any
violence. 1t was explicitly stated.
You promised. And all the time you
were planning murder. I'll tell all 1
know. BY Cd, 1 will"
GO easy, Mr.. Bromfield," 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 now? An I'll have plenty
of good witnesses to e he wasn't"
Durand barred his teeth in a threat.
'That's not all, either. I'll tie you up
h the rube from the West and send
You up to Sing Sing as accessory.
you like that?"
AIf l tell the truth"
"You'll be convicted of murder in
place of him and he'll go up as acces-
sorry. 1 don't care two straws how it
is. But you'd be a id fool. I'll say
that for you"
"Im not going to let an innocent
suffer in my place. 1t wouldn't
be playing the game"
Durand leaned forward and tapped
the table with his finger-tips. His voice
like a file. you can't save
him. He's goin' to get it right. But
you can hurt yourself a HI of a lot.
Get out of the country and stay out
till it's all over with. That's the best
thing you car do. Go to the Hawaiian
man.. That's a good healthy
climate an the hotel cooking's a lot
better than it is at Sing Sing"
II can't do it." moaned the clubman.
Cd, man, if it ever came out
I'd paid money to-to-ruin his
reputation, and that I'd run away
when I could have saved an innocent
man-Td be done for. I'd be kicked
out of every club Pm in"
"It won't ever come out if you're
not here. But if you force my hand
we'll, that's different" Again Jerry's
grin slit his coIorless face. He had
this poor devil where he wanted him,
and he was enjoying himself.
"What do you want me to do,
cried Bromfeld, tiny beads Of
perspiration on his forehead.
you'll do as l say-beat it outa the
country till the things over with"
"But Lindsay will talk"
"The boob's ~padlocked his mouth.
For some fool reason he's protectin'
you. Get out, an you're SAFE"
Bromfield sweated blood as he
walked up and down the % looking
for a way out of his dilemma. He had
come to the parting of the road again.
If he did this thing he would be a yell
low cur. 1t was n thing to destroy
Lindsay's influence with Beatrice by
her a false impression. From
his point of view their 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, an inno-
cent man, to go to his death because
he was too chivalrous to betray his
partner in an adventure-this was
something that even Bromfield's afro
phied conscience revolted at. Clay
was standing by him, according to Du-
rand's story. The news Of it lifted a
weight from his soul. But it left him,
too, under a stronger moral obligation
to step out and face the music.