Gunnison news-champion., 1924-02-08


had anticipated He cam. face 10
face with his most Intimate friend.
Andrew wilm0re. The latter. VITO has,
iGsI hung up his coat and hat. greet
ed him with \ growI o, welcome.
so you've brought IL OF again.
FrsncIs,-
''Toach and go the barristsr re-
marked i managed TO squeak home.
This case has upset ne
Upset youl But why the dickens
should itT' the other demanded. IN Q
puzzled tone I; was quite an or
dlnary case. In Its way. and you won
1T
Il won It, Francis admitted.
Your defense va. the mos, IIsen,-
Gus hing ever heard
Mostly suggested. now l come to
think Of it
Francis rose 10 his feet. shook him
self. and with his elbow resting upon
the man'eIpIece leaned down toward
his friend
"i'N tell you. Andrew. You're abou;
the only man In the world could tell.
I've gone crazy"
Il thought you looked as though
you'd been seeing spooks.- wIlmore
murmursd syiHpHtheiicaIIy.
i have seen spook." Francis re-
Joined. with almost passionate s-ri-
ousurss. - spook who lifted an in
visible curtain with invisible fingers.
and pointed 10 such = drama Of hor-
7ors a. DE Quincy, Poe and sue
eumhiari could never have Imagined.
Oliver iildlich Wus guilty. Andrew.
He murdered tie man Jordau-mur-
dsrsd him IN cold blood"
I'm not surprised To hear that"
was the somewhat puzzled reply.
He was guilty, Andrew. not only OF
the murder of this man. his partner,
but OF innumerable other crimes and
hru'alitiss." Francis went on. He is
a t.nd Ia human form, II ever there
was one. and | have set him loose
once more to prey upon society. | am
morally responsible for hLs next rob
berry, his n.It murder. the continued
purgarory Of those forced to associ.
ate with him"
You're dotty. Francis" his friend
declared shortly.
i told you ] was crazy" was the
desperate. reply. so would you be IL
you'd sat opposite that woman for
half an hour. and heard her story"
What Womanf" wIlmore demand
ed. leaning forward In his chair and
gazing at his friend with Increasing
unsasiness.
a woman who met me outside the
court and told me the story Of oliver
Hilditch's life"
"A stranger1'
a complete stranger to me. II
transpired that she WAS his wife"
wilmore II, a cigarette
Believe herr'
There are times when one doesn't
believe or disbelIeve," Francis an
swered. "One knows"
Wllmore nodded.
"Ail the same. you're crazy" he de
clared. Even II you did save tn. fei-
low from the gallows. you we're only
doing your Job. doing your duty TO
the best Of your ability. You had no
reason TO believe him guilty"
That's just us II happened" Fran
els pointed out. II really didn't cnre
at the time whether he was or not. /
had TO proceed on the assumption that
he was not, OF course. but on the other
hand | should have fought just MS
hard for him II had known him to
be guilty
And you wouldn't now-tomorrow,
say?"
Never again"
Because OF that woman's storyr
Because OF the woman"
There was n short silence. Then
Wilmore asked a very obvious ques.
ton.
"Wha; sort OF person was sheT'
Francis Ledsam wax silent several
moments before he replied. The ques-
tlon was one which he had been ex-
pecting. one which he had already
asked himself many times. yet he was
unprepared with any dernite reply.
Il wish | could answer you, An.
drew" his friend confessed. "As a
"aAiNi VI iuCt, ! can I. ! can only
speak OF the impression she left upon
me, and you are about the only per
son breathing to whom l could speak
Of that"
Wilmore nodded xympstheticslly.
He knew that. man of the world
though Francis Ledsam appeared. he
was nevertheless a highly imaginative
person. something of an Ideaiist rs re-
CARDS women. unwilling as a rule TO
discuss them, keeping them. in a gen
erai way. outside his daily life.
go ahead. old fellow he invited.
You know I understand
"She left the Impression upon me-"
Francis continued quietly. -of q WON.
an who had ceased to live. She was
young, she WAS beautiful. she had all
the gifts-culture. polse and breeding
but she had ceased to live. We sat
with a marble table between us. and
few feet Of oil-covered floor. Those
few feet, Andrew were like an ftnpass a.