Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-10-13

VI COuFbes ne ISL SuhlJ
1--WE always said he isn't. But he'll
have to take his verdict from the jury
What Is there we can dor"
Kitty looked at him in consterna
ton. "The safei" she gasped. "That'i
what"
"But that has nothing to do witt
Joe's death, Mrs. Bostock."
She sprang to her feet, confronting
him with dramatic Indignation. "You
know that 1t has everythingl" she
cried You're playing with me and
torturing me. DO you suppose l don't
know what they're saying about him
that he forged Joe's name to those
checks and murdered him to prevent
discovery Do you suppose l don't
know that, when / gave you the COM
bination, just to help WIN, that you
put those checks there? Let me tell
the truth on the witness stand !" she
pleaded, standing before him with
clasped hands, and the tears raining
down her cheeks.
"Tell the truth? You must be mad p
he shouted.
eff the jury knew that they'd acquit
him. 1t could be arranged. I'd say
gave the combination to Lee Cham
bers-"
Again Bowyer began to be afraid of
Kitty; but this time it was her stupid
| ity he feared. And he saw that this
was the occasion to let loose one of
his habituated RACES. He seized her
hands In his, one in each, and twisted
them until she screamed with the pain
Lets understand each other, Kitty
Bostockw he Kissed In a furious
voice "Pll take up your proposition
and show you what 1t means. Listen
First, you'll break your solemn cove
nant with me. Dishonest, you think
. The sort that's made between people
every day. I've played fair with you.
And you'll play fair with me, or you'll
lose your fortune-every penny of 1t.
That's first.
Second, so surely as you go into
the witness-box with such a story I'll |
say you lie. I'll say he was your lover |
I'll say that he killed Joe at your In |
stigation because you wanted to be |
rid of him. I'll say that you went to ]
Big Muskeg and lived there, almost |
next door to him. I'll bring forward a
workman who saw you two together,
kissing on the swamp one evening. I'll
swear it's a concocted story made up
by you to free your paramour. What
sort of figure do you think you'll Gu;
in the witness-box then, Kitty Bos
tock?"
Bowyer had calculated rightly. Up.
on a woman like Kitty, petted and
spoiled from birth. the astounding
fact of physical violence comes as a
stunning shock that breaks down the
souls resistance 1t is only on repeti-
ton that the reaction comes.
And Bowyer calculated rightly again.
kitty Bostock," he said gently, 81
promise you that he shall be freed
1 have the means, the influence, the
power. / know he didn't murder Joe.
Keep your head, and all shall be well.
| swear 1t. Do you believe meT
She looked at him as if he had
her. "Yes, believe you"
she answered.
$50 surely as you speak one word,
he'll hang. Keep quiet, and he shall
be saved. Promise me you'll say moth
Ingp
"Oh, I'll say nothing" walled Kitty,
her hands. II promise you.
see. Yes, understand now"
And she went out of the house with
Ter head low, dubious, and yet with I
he sure conviction that Bowyer could 7
ave Wilton. Bowyer could save him, /
'ut nobody else could do, so. She would Q
rust him, because there was nobody r
Use to trust.
Between the house and the station, =
Kitty grew conscious of an old man q
Walking beside her, trying to speak to n
er. Absorbed In her thoughts, she 9
Id not know how long he had been :
here. Suddenly she realized that this i
,as Jim Belts.
She shrank back aghast, looking at
i'm with eyes wide with fear Jim =
odded and smiled. :,
Its all right; don't be afeared Of !"
e, Mrs. Bostock," he said. you're =
lightly worried about win, amt you = =
Dw. l guess we all are. Won't you
} to Mr.. Payne and tell him what you hi
1ow?"
They had reached the station. The kr
ain for Clayton was waiting Jim er
flowed Kitty into the compartment fir
Id took his seat beside her.
"Tom Bowyer swore he'd save him -
if"
If" questioned Jim. X
"If l kept silent. But I'll speak. {
III. l never trusted him. Mr.. Bow x
r told me couldn't hold the line, {
d l wanted to save the money to X
Up VIII. He promised that when {
e smash came he'd take the shares X
my hands at par If I'd give him z
e combination of the safe, so that 4
could find out about the plans. Z
We 1t to him. The safe was mine X
d was trying to help VIII. And G
-old Tom Bowyer the secret of the <
eat lands, so that he'd know he z
sn't losing anything by buying my +
res" x