The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-04


worse, a thousand times worse! I"
STODD-Why didn't he get his
friend to promise to look after
them?
PELLAGER He didn't tell me, but
cap guess. Take my own case.
I'm not rich man. I'm next to
. pauper. as you know. I've told
you what l lost the past two
years in worthless investments.
II / should die tomorrow I'd
leave my wife and daughter-my
Magale, God help her! little
more than beggars. Do you think
I'd ask you, Judson, to provide
for them? Could / make them
your care for the rest of your
life, and after? Would any man
do that?
STODD-Yes. Rather than murder.
PEI4EAGER This pipe dropping to
the hearth and breaking from
fingers suddenly Or0aOn nerUeless.
Recovering himself, he stdHmeYsI
-I-I-I don't agree with you,
Judson. What Is murder, after
all? Would 1t have been murder
had given Timmins something
tonight with which to cheat the
gallows? He's to die tomorrow,
anyhow. And, my God. how he
begged me to take that stain on
his baby! Hanged" he cried.
To die In prison is bad enough.
But to go through life knowing
that her father was hanged BY
the neck until he was dead!"
Takes UiGI from his pocket and
holds it Hp.) Two drops Of that
would have done it. I can tell
you, Judson, was tempted.
Killing isn't always reprehensi-
ble Sometimes it's praiseworthy.
Everything depends on. the mo-
tive.
STODD-You don't mean that,
Joseph. You're just talking to
make me argue. Now, If he'd got
his friend to promise
PELLAGER (tnterTppttnO)- Prom
Use! What good are promises,
anyhow? Only made to be
broken, most Of 'em. All very
well for the moment. Well
meant, | don't doubt. But in such
a case, could a man, rely on the
best? Could rely on yours, judi
son? know you. / know you
love money. The greatest pleas
ure you have is seeing your for
tune grow. You've told me so a
hundred times. Your greatest
fear is that you may lose it. You
don't trust the banks, lest they
-. should fail. You keep 1t hidden
away here in this old house, and
you bolt your doors and bar your
windows like a prison against
thieves that break through and
steal. Oh, yes. You'd promise
me. / don't question that. But
you've never had a wife, my
friend. Nor a daughter that's a
young woman. You can't imagine
the cost of what they call mere
necessities. YOU ..f =.
STOOD fsharply tnterrupting)-
Stops Stop, l say. You are
questioning my honor.
PELLAGER Il am telling you
frankly how ! should feel.
don't say that you-sInd there are
few so honorable, JudsOn-
wouldn't hold to the letter of the
compact. You wouldn't see them
want for food or shelter, or
wherewith to cover their naked.
NJ I oh L.
fed to leave them so poor as that
would mean. It's the spirit of the
compact that would be too much
for you. 1t would be too much
for any man that was not more
god than mortal. And poor Tim
minis knew that. And so he said:
What Is one mans life and an
others salvation, compared with
the happiness and comfort Of
those | love"
might have known he
couldn't commit such a crime and,
escape. He killed-what was his
name? Wyeth, wasn't it? He
killed Wyeth in his own home on
a night when he was known to
have ten thousand dollars there
in cash. People knew that Tim
Minis had spent that evening with
him. He was arrested at once,
wasn't he? | forget the details.
- Yes. Because his
plans miscarried. Even he didn't
know that when, after the first
blow, Wyeth gripped him to save
himself from falling, his fingers
had torn a button from his coat,
and that that button was in the
dead mans hand when they
found him. 1t was that and the
tiny bit of cloth hanging to it