The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-04-25
By
GEORGE KIBBE TURNER
Copyright. Metropolitan Newspaper Service
CHAPTER xI-Continued.

his prominent. bloodshot eyes fixed o
the speaker.
~And suppose, them" said the law
yer, "as would seem natural In tn
circumstances the servants in tn
house. after breaking into the room
should telephone for advice and In
structions, where-to whom would the.
naturally turn frstT
The great figure opposite him sa
staring, scarcely breathing, his promi
nent eyes now almost bullying from hi
face, with the sincerity of his atten
ton.
And then suppose" he went on
upon his arrival, this guardian Of the
woman, who we will say had been first
notified by the servants, should hear
an improbable and highly irrational
story of the presence of third person
in the room. man whom she incoher-
emily claimed TO be the actual muir
derer; a man whom the woman claims
she thinks, but Is not sure may be her
husband, or the husband of a dead
woman whom in her insanity she be-
lIeves she represents-an individual
who has in some way, by some secret
passageway, escaped.
"What would be the natural conclu-
sion Of such an episode-from the pres
ence of the Young clubman in the house
AT night, alone with a beautiful woman
whose mind is hopelessly gone and
whom he had been forbidden TO see?
What would be the natural attitude
toward the woman's incoherent state
ments, especially If II could be proven
that the man who, in her confused
mind, she believes, but Is not sure may
be her husband, is at the very time of
the crime found to be elsewhere-in
conference in fact, with the woman's
guardian, by the testimony of the
guardian himself. when and before the
telephoned information of the tragedy
reaches him p
MY Godl" cried Hasbrouck Ruther-
ford suddenly standing up, the great
veins beating vislbly faster in his
neck.
But of course the lawyer went on.
"such things as she suggested-as you
yourself suggested just now-do not
occur in real life Murder of this kind
would scarcely be conceivable, for in
real life the husband-in case the
woman's fantastic story of her substi- |
tuition for another woman, and the
dead mans discovery Of this were true
would not have killed this man. He |
would not have dared toll"
The great bulk opposite him stiffened |
again with red-faced anger; the hoarse !
voice raised Itself into roar of dis
gust.
dared I" he called hoarsely. 1t was
too simple. The strings of his emotion
lay in too plain sight-easy to play
upon as a harp.
But If he dared, If 1t happened" the
speaker went on then. continuing his
exposition of his theory. there would
be a curious situation" And then he
went on TO outline 1t in its various
"a very, very unpleasant situation"
be pointed out. "You would scarcely ex-
pect, In fact, to see case like that
all within one influential
go further than the most
formal preliminary legal processes"
And he showed still more at length
the logic of his case-the interest of
all sides concerned in this distressing
friends and family of the
man as well as of the woman-to pull
together and to focus all Of their not
influence to hush and
keep from general publicity such dis
tressing and ueplorable scandal as the
death Of this young man, whose body
might be found at night, In the room
where he had been in secret associa-
ion with this lovely madwoman, his
,ear relative.
The lawyer worked out In great de
all this interesting legal superstition
he had conjured up-talking far into
he early morn.
But there must be no accidentsl" '
aid Jasper Haig in final warning. '
Not too much drinking nowi" !
You'll be safe,' replied Hask Ruth s
rford with a heavy laugh. Il know '
hat-in any case "a statement that |
vas probably true. though ordinarily he I
you'd not have said IT, He had never I
efore In the history Of their relations $
cen quite so independent. But don't
'orry," he asserted. "I'll do my side +
f ii. I'd do it anyhow" he asserted 5
or the third time, ION general princi- f
les" 4
The other man, II seems. was at h
cart not quite so confident-of him
r Of circumstances. He always saw |,
10 far and too clearly for his own b
omfort But II was a choice be- c
ween two dangers, either one bad. b
mi this was clearly the less extreme. r.
"No accidents this time !" said JAS Il
er HStg TO himself. after he had per a
onally dismissed his visitor from his
ront room In the early morning. He s.
TODD thinking, shook his smooth gray J.
cad ever so slightly, turned the last Il
ghts out and went to bed. However, Il
Q was too restless for sleep. II
But IS there, after all. such an illogi- i
atty as an accident In this scheme of II
ie power, whatever we may choose 81
, call IT, which directs the progress N