Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-03-10
THE BREAKING POINT
BY MARY ROBERTS RINEHART

to believe that he spent part of his time
with Henry Livingstone at Dry River
Il went to the Livingstone ranch yester-
day. 1 remember my early home That
wasn't it. Which one of these two men
will be arrested if he is recognized"
CLARK"
EEFor what?" -,
Pm coming to that I suppose you'll
have to know Another drink? No? All
right. About ten years ago, or little less.
a young chap called Judson clark got nlSo
trouble here, and headed INTO the Anoun
tains in a blizzard. l..
death. But recently woman named Ion
aldson made a confession on her oeatnDeG.
She said that she had helped to nurse ClaiA
in mountain cabin, ana thae az VIII nnt NV awav"
of some one unnamed he mad got a"o!',
Then I'm Clark. 1 remember her ana
the cabin" - eo,,o,x;oo that
admission. To Dick, it was niieu VII
thnnobt If Elizabeth and of her relation
- what he was about to hear. Mentaly'
he braced himself for what was coAnitier
81 sunDose" he said at last, that II L
ran away I was in pretty serious 'iou'1o'
What was it?' ue +b.+ Won
ora Clark remember. You don't KNOW,
and Maggie Donaldson was consluei a. nU
quite sane before she died. I've tolu W.;
there's a chance you are e, t t d 4one them"
"Ail right. What had CLARK oon0'
"He had shot a man." r.
The reporter was instantly alarmed. IL
Dick had been haggard before ne was sna ~
ly now. He got up slowly and helo 10 N"S
back OF his chair. re. H..
"Not-murder?" he asked, with stiff lips.
mo" Bassett said quickly. Not at all
See here, you've had all you can stano. ne
member, we don't even know you are Clarh'
All I said was ,,.
Il understand that. 1t was MURDER WASH
it?"
well, there had been quarrel. The law
allows for that, think"
Dick went slowly to the window, and STOOD
with his back to the ROOM For long time
the room was quiet $50
What sort Of MURDER! ne sa4u DIT 1aS''
without turning. -,
"The man was shot. I knew him. He
wasn't any great loss. 1t was at the CLARK
ranch. I don't believe a conviction would pc
possible although they would try lor one
It was circumstantlal eVldence'
"And l ran away?"
CLARK ran away" Bassett corrected him.
Whether he lived or died, he is dead TO the
authorities here"
After an even longer silence DICK turneus
81 told you there was girl. I'd ike to
think out some way to keep the thing from
her. before 1 surrender myself. If can pro-
tect her, and David"
81 tell you, you don't even know you airs
Clark"
"Al1 right. If I'm not, they'll know. If
ami tell you I'm not going through the
rest of my life with a thing like that hang
ing over me- Maggie Donaldson was sane
enough. Why, when l look back, know our
leaving the cabin was flight. I'm not Henry
Livingstone's son, because he never mad
son. l can tell you what the Clark ranch
house looks like" And after pause.
"Can you imagine the reverse of dream
when you've dreamed you are guilty OF some
thing and wake up to find you are innocent?
Who was it?"
Bassett watched him narrowly.
His name was Lucas. Howard Lucas
"All right. Now we have that, where does
Beverly Carysle come in?"
CLARK was infatuated with her. The man
he shot was the man she had married"
Shortly after that Dick said he would go to
his room. He was still pale, but his eyes
looked bright and feverish, and Bassett went
with him, uneasily conscious that something
was not quite right. Dick spoke only once
on the way.
my head aches like the mischief" he said,
and his voice dull and lifeless.
He did not want Bassett to go in with him,
but he went, nevertheless. Dicks statement
that he meant to surrender himself, had filled
him with uneasiness. He determined, follow
ing him along the hall, to keep close guard
on him for the next few hours, but beyond
that just then, he did not try to go. If it
were humanity possible he meant to smuggle
him out of the town and take him east But
he had an uneasy conviction that Dick was
going to be ILL., The mind did strange things
with the body.
To be continued. Renew your subscription
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