The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-08-08
Circu1nstantial
Evidence
By w. IRVING KING
% BY Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.)

~ and only child or Squire CraWIoru,
president of the local bank at Mason
Vile She was pretty enough to be
tho heroine Of any story and just as
sweet and good as she was pretty
Moreover she was in love with Add
son Douglas, although she had known
him only six months. 1t seemed to
her, and 1t seemed to Addison, as II
they had always known each other.
Addison" said Charlotte one night,
Il do wish you would trust me little
more. II you love me as you say you
%, why will you not tell me why you
came to Masonville. OF course,
know that you are not my cousin
father admitted that-but what Is 1t
that you are concealIng from me7"
charlotte, DEAR" replied Addison,
for Just little while longer / must
ask you to trust me. can't tell you
all just now"
But you don't trust me-" said
Charlotte.
Addison sighed. II can't explain"
he said, but will you trust me just
Q little longer?"
Yes, dear" said Charlotte. How
can 1 help it?" And that little mat
Ter was settled for the time being.
We change the scene: 1t was
dark, rainy night as the enforcement
snicers" waited impatiently for the
boat which was to attempt to land
cargo of Illicit booze" at the end Of
the old road which led down to the
hong deserted wharf.
''There she comes" said one OF the
officers and the sound Of motorboat
was heard out on the black rain-swept
water, approaching with all her lights
out.
"we've got EN-" chuckled one of
the watchers. But even as he spoke
from nelghboring headland a rocket
shot up into the black sky and the
sounds of the motorboat began to
recede
"They're on" cried the chief of the
party: we've been double-crossed.
Into the launch, be lively" Into a
launch which had lain hidden in a
neighborlng creek for just such an
emergency, the men tumbled and the
chase was on. Out into the bay and
then up a long, narrow arm which
penetrated far into the land they fol-
lowed the rum-runner, steering by the
sound of her engine-in the dense
darkness and rain 1t was impossible
to see the object of their pursuit.
Soon after entering the arm of the
bay they lost the sound Of the motor
Aoat's engines. They stopped and lis
Sened intently. Several little creeks
branched of between heavily wooded
banks.
VI hear 'em !" cried the chief at last.
Here, give me that Wheel" And up
one of the dark. narrow waterways
they sped. Presently close aboard,
they made out the bulk Of the rum
running boat. Hands up, we've got
you," cried the chief. as he and his
men leaped ashore But the only re-
ply was the sound of motor truck
being madly driven away into the
night. The rum runners had worked
quickly in transferring their cargo
and themselves. The motorboat was
practically empty. SO the rum-run-
ners escaped and Addison Douglas was
seen entering the house of the Widow |
Leeds. where he boarded, at five |
o'clock that morning with heavy and |
suspicious-looking bundle under his |
arm.
IL hn uh N
nursing and was returning from an |
all-night vigil, saw him.
When later In the day all Mason |
Vile was talking Of the rum-runnlng |
how quickly such |
matters get abroad in seaside towns
GeorKiana contributed to the general |
gossip her early morning discovery. |
Within an hour Addison had been con-
vfcted at the bar of public opinion as
Z rum-runner and a bootlegger.
He was bright, handsome young
man, but that did not help him. He
lad appeared in Masonville just after
the counterfeiting gang had been
up, at the old Philips place,
three miles away In the woods, and
been introduced by Squire Crawford
~ his nephew come to quiet place
to recover his health. Though old
Exikel Hoffman, who knew everybody
and everything, declared that 1t was
The ''fust'' time he ever heard of the
squire having a nephew, and as to
health Addison did not look as If
he needed much doctoring."
Now all was explained. The only
question WAS whether Squire Craw-
ford had been imposed upon or had
succumbed to the lure of the rum
runners tremendous profits. Every
body knew that the Squire "did love
The Widow Leeds was "all Of
cutter" The day before she had
seen a telegram lying on Addlson's
tnble. and had, Of course, read it. 1t
was from New York and had said, ut
VIII be tonight" Addison was still |
asleep upstairs when the widow heard
the news. Out she went bursting with