Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1924-03-19

d conscience.
rs that your estimate of met" Fran
els asked
Why not? You practice your pro-
fession in the criminal courts, do you
not?"
THAT is well-known," was the brief
reply.
What measure of conscience can
man have" Oliver Hilditch argued
blandly, who pleads for the innocent
and guilty alike with the same simu-
lated fervor? Confess, now, Mr.. Led
sam-there is no object in being hypo-
| critical in this matter-have you not
often pleaded for the guilty as though
you believed them innocentT'
That has sometimes been my duty"
Francis acknowledged.
Hilditch laughed scornfully.
1T is all part of the great hypocrisy
of society,"" he proclaimed. "You have
an extra glass of champagne for din
ner at night and are congratulated by
your friends because you have helped
some poor devil to cheat the law, while,
all the time you know perfectly well,
and so do your high-minded friends,
that your whole attitude during those
two hours of eloquence has been lie.
That is what first attracted me to
you, Mr.. Ledsam"
II am sorry to hear It," Francis COM
mented coldly. "The ethics of my pro-
feSSion-"
His host stopped him with g little
wave of the hand.
Spare me that he begged. while
we are on the subject, though, have
q question to ask you. NV lawyer
told me, directly after he had retained
you, that, although 1t would make no
real difference to your pleading, it
would be just as we'll for me to keep
up my bluff of being innocent, even in
private conversation with you. Why
was thatY
For the very obvious reason" Fran
els told him, "that we are not all such
rogues and vagabonds as you seem tn
think. There is more satisfaction to
me, at any rate, in saving an innO-
cent mans life than guilty one's.''
Hilditch laughed as though amused.
Come" he threatened, 81 am going
to be ill-natured. You have shown
signs of smugness, q quality which
detest. | am going to rob you of
some part of your dissatisfaction OF
course l killed Jordan / killed him
in the very chair in which you are
now sitting"
There was a moments intense ST.
lence. The woman was still tanning
herself lazily. Francis leaned forward
in his place.
Il do not wish to hear this!" he
exclaimed harshly.
Don't be FOOLISH" his host replied,
rising to his feet and strolling across
the room. you know the whole trou-
bic of the prosecution. They couldn't
discover the weapon, or anything like
il, with which the deed was done.
Now I'll show you something ingeni-
ous.'
Francis followed the Others move
ments with fascinated eyes. The wom-
an scarcely turned her head. Hilditch
paused at the further end of the room,
where there were a couple of gun
cases, some fishing rods and a bag of
golf clubs. From the latter he ex-
tracted a very ordinary-looking put
ter, and with it in his hands strolled
back to them
do you play golf, Ledsam?" he
asked. What do you think of that?"
Francis took the putter into his hand.
q nd al nh 4
apparently seen a good deal of serv-
ice, so much, indeed, that the leather
wrapping at the top was commencing
to unroll. The makers name was on
the back of the blade, also the name
of the professional from whom it had
been purchased Francis swung the
implement mechanically with his
wrists.
There seems to be nothing extra
ordinary about the club" he pro-
nounced. at is very much like a cleek
1 putt with myself"
yet it contains a secret which would
most certainly have hanged me-" Oh
liver Hilditch declared pleasantly.
Seer
lie neld the smart firmly in one hand
and bent the blade away from it. In
moment or two it yielded and he
commenced to unscrew it. A little
exclamation escaped from Francis
lips. The woman looked on with tired
eyes.
"The join in the STEEL" Hilditch
pointed out, "is so fine as to be I'M
distinguishable by the naked eye. Yet
when the blade comes off, like this,
you see that although the weight is
absolutely adjusted, the inside is hol-
'low The dagger itself is encased in
this cotton wool to avoid any rafting.
| put it away in rather a hurry the
last time l used it, and as you see /
forgot to clean it."
Francis staggered back and gripped
at the mantelDipce Hia nvos yuora