Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1924-08-15


II know that you killed Oliver Hill
WITCH" Francis repeated. IF l had
been Margaret's father, l think that
l should have done the same"
I Sir Timothy seemed suddenly very
much younger The droop of his lips
was no longer pathetic. There was a
little humorous twitch there.
'You, the great upholder of the
! laww he murmured.
II have heard the story of Oliver
Hilditchs life," Francis replied II
was partially responsible for saving
him from the gallows. l repeat what
have said. And if you will"
He held out his hand. Sir Timothy
hesitated for one moment. Instead Of
taking it, he laid his hand upon Fran
| cis' shoulder
"Tedsam," he said, 1--WE have thought
you a prig, moral to your finger-tips
with the morality of the law and the
small places. Perhaps l was tempted
for that reason to give you a wrong
impression of myself. But you must
understand this: Though l have had
my standard and lived up to it all my
life, am something of black sheep.
A man stole my wife. did not trouble
the law courts. I killed him."
II have the blood of generations of
lawyers In my VEINS" Francis de-
clared, but l have read many a d.
TO- oh tnlr unt116
have been better and finer If the two
MEN had met as you and that man
met"
II was born with the love of fight
ing in my bones," Sir Timothy went
On. "In my younger days, fought
In every small war In the southern
hemisphere. l fought, as you know,
in our own war l have loved to see
men fight honestly and fairly"
"It is a mans hobby" Francis pro-
nounced
Il encouraged you deliberately to
think" Sir Timothy went on, what
half the world thinks-that my parties
at the Walled House were mysteri-
Gus orgies of vice. They have, as a
matter of fact, never been anything Of
the sort. The tragedies which are
supposed to have taken place on my
launch have been just as much mock
tragedies as last nights, only / have
not previously chosen to take the au-
diences into my confidence. The great
est pugilists in the world have fought
in my gymnasium, often, If you will,
under illegal conditions, but there has
never been a fight that was not fair"
II believe that" Francis said.
"And there is another matter for
which l take some blame" Sir Tim
othy went on, "the matter of Fairfax
and Victor Bidlake. They were nei-
ther of them young men for whose
loss the world is any the worse. Fair
fax to some extent imposed upon me.
He was brought to the Walled House
by a friend who should have known
better. He sought my confidence. The
story he told was exactly that of the
mock drama upon the launch. Bidlake
had taken his wife. He had no wish
to appeal to the courts. He wished to
fight, q point Of view with which
entirely sympathized. l arranged a
fight between the two. Bidlake funked
it and never turned up. My advice to
Fairfax was, whenever he met Bidlake,
to give him the soundest thrashing he
could That night at SOto's / caught
sight of Fairfax some time before
dinner He was talking to the woman
who had been his wife, and he had
evidently been drinking. He drew me
on one side. Tonight he told me, I
am going to settle accounts with Bid
lake. 'WhereT l asked. Here he
answered. He went out to the theater,
"Y bought these from John Walter
the day before yesterday" he contin-
ued. II gave him two hundred pounds
for them. The money was just in
time He caught a steamer for Aus
tralia late in the afternoon. | had
this wireless from him this morning"
Sir Timothy studied the two docu-
ments, read the wireless. There was
little change in his face. Only for
single moment his lips quivered.
"What does this mean?" he asked,
rising to his feet with the documents
in his hand.
1T means that those papers are
yours to do what you like with
drafted the second one so that you.
should be absolutely secure against
any further attempt at blackmail. AS
a matter of fact, though, Walter is on
his last legs. l doubt whether he will
live to land in Australia"
"You know that | killed oliver Hill
wonderful thing, these alfrescO
meals" he declared II hope Hedges
won't forget the maraschino with the
melons. Come into my den, Ledsam."
He led the way in courtly fashion.
He was the ideal host leading a valued
guest to his sanctum for a few mo-
ments' pleasant conversation. But
when they arrived in the little beamed
room and the door was closed, his
manner changed. He looked search
ingly, almost challengingly at Francis,
"You have news for me?' he asked.
"Yes r Francis answered.
Cir T;po0+bv chruUUod hio chOuldarS