Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-03-29

<ET%HEN Clifton learned, somehow or
other, of Clarks legacy to Henry, and
he put two and two together. There
was a bad time, but Henry denied it and they
went upstairs to bed. That night Clifton
broke into Henry's desk and found some let
ters from Elihu Clark and told the story.
HE almost went crazy. He took the pa
pers to Henrys bedroom and awakened him.
standing over him with them in his hand and
shaking all over. All Henry told me was that
he took the papers from him and threw them
into the fire.
THAT was a year before Henry died and
at the time, young Jud Clark's name was in
all the papers. He had left college after a
wild career there and, although Elihu had
tied up the property till Jud was 81, Jud had
his mothers estate and big allowance. Then
too, he borrowed on his prospects and he lost
hundred thousand dollars at Monte Carlo
within six weeks after he had graduated.
Zone way and another, he was always in
the newspapers and when he saw how Jud
was throwing money away, Clifton went wild
las Henry had burned the letters, he had
no proof. He did not know who his mother
was but he set out to find out. He ferreted
into Elihu's past life and he learned
something about Hattie Burgess or Thorwald.
She was married at that time and lived on
little ranch near Norado. He went to see
her and accused her outright of being his
mother. 1t must have been bad time for
her. for after all, he was her son, and she
had to disclaim him. She had a husband and
boy by that husband by that time, and she
was desperate.
"She threw him off the track some how,
lied to him, talked him down and then went
to bed in collapse. She sent for Henry,
later, and told him.
"The queer thing was that as soon as she
saw him she wanted him. He was her son.
She went to Henry one night and said that
she had perjured her soul and wanted him
back. She wasn't in love with Thorwald 1
think that she'd always cared for Clark She
went away, finally, after promising Henry
that she would keep Clarks secret. But 1
have a suspicion that later on she acknowl-
edged the truth to the boy.
What he wanted, of course, was share of
the Clark estate. He hadn't a chance in law
but he saw chance to blackmail young Jud
Clark and tried it. Not personally, of course,
for he hadn't any real courage, but by mail.
Clark's attorneys wrote back saying that they
would Jail him If he tried again and he went
back to Dry River and after Henry again.
"That was in the spring of 1911. Henry
was uneasy, for Clifton was not like himself.
He had spells of brooding, and took to MAX
ing long trips on his horse into the mountains,
and coming in with the animal run to death.
| Henry thought, too, that he was seeing the
Thorwald woman, the mother Thorwald had
| died, and she was living with the son on their
ranch and trying to sell it. He thought Hines
was trying to have her make confession
which would give him a hold on Jud Clark.
"Henry was not well, and in the early fall
he knew he hadn't long to live. He wrote out
the story and left it in his desk for me to read
after he had gone, and as he added to it from
time to time, when I got it it was almost up to
| date.
Judson Back
| "Judson came back to the Clark ranch in
| September, bringing along actress named
/ Beverly Carlysle, and her husband, Howard
Lucas. There was considerable talk, because
! it was known Jud had been infatuated with
! the woman. But one saw much of the
party, outside of the ranch The Carlysle
woman seemed to be lady, but the story
was that both men were drinking good bit
| especially Jud.
| Henry wrote that Hines had been in the
| East for some months at that time, and that
! he had not heard from him. But he felt that
| it was only a truce, and that he would turn
up again, hell bent for trouble. He made a
will and left the money to me, with instruc-
| lions to turn it over to Hines. 1t is still in
the bank, and amounts to about thirty five
thousand dollars. 1t is not mine, and [ will
not touch it. But have never located Cliff
| ton Hines.
Gin the last entry in his record call atten-
| ton to my brothers statement that he did not
regard Clifton Hines entirely sane on this
one matter, and to his conviction that the
hatred Hines then bore for him, amounting
| to a delusion of persecution might on his