The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1924-02-29

lis that your estimate Of meT Fran
els asked.
"Why not2 You practice your pro,
fession in the criminal courts, do you
notT
"That is weli-known." was the brief
reply.
what measure Of conscience can
a man have,n Oliver Hilditch argued
blandly, '.who pleads for the innocent
aAd guilty alike with the same simu-
lated fervor7 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 innocentr'
''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 a lie.
| That Is what first attracted me to
you, Mr.. Ledsam."
Il am sorry to hear It," Francis COM
mented coldly. ''The ethics Of my pro-
| feSsion-"
His host stopped him with little
wave of the hand.
Spare me that" he begged. "While
we are on the, subject, though, have
question to ask you. My lawyer
told me, directly after he had retained
you, that, although 1t would make no
real difference to your pleading, 1t
would be just as well for me to keep
up my bluff Of being innocent, even in
private conversation with you. Why
| was that?"
"For the very obvious reason" Fran
els told him, shat we are not all such
rogues and vagabonds as you seem to
think. There Is more satisfaction to
me, at any rate, in saving an limo
cent mans life than guilty ones"
Hilditch laughed as though amused.
Come" he threatened. II am going
to be ill-natured. You have shown
signs of smugness. a quality which !
| detest. am going to rob you Of
some part Of your self-satisfaction. OF
course killed Jordan. l killed him
in the very chair in which you are
| now sitting"
There was a moments intense 81
lence. The woman was still tanning
herself lazily. Francis leaned forward
in his place.
II do not wish to hear thisw he
exclaimed harshly.
Don't be foolish" his host replied,
rising to his feet and strolling across
the room. "You know the whole trou-
BILE Of the prosecution. They couldn't
discover the weapon, or anything like
it, with which the deed was done.
Now I'll show you something ingcni-,
ous."
Francis followed the others move
ments with fascinated eyes. The wom-
an scarcely turned her head. Hildltch
paused at the further end Of the room,
where there were couple Of gun
cases, some fishing rods and bag Of
golf clubs. From the latter he ex-
tracted a very ordinary-looking put
ter, and with 1t in his hands strolled
back to them. g,4a
do you play golf. LedsamT he
asked. What do you think of thatT
Francis took the putter into his hand
1t was very ordinary club, which had
apparently seen 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. "It is very much like cleek
putt with myself"
yet it contains secret which would
most certainly have hanged me" o.
liver Hilditch declared pleasantly.
"See l"
He held the shaft firmly in one hand
and bent the blade away from it. In
moment or two 1t yielded and he
commenced to unscrew 1t. 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 of, 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
1 put it away in rather a hurry the
last time / used 1t. and as you see
forgot to clean It."
Francis staggered back and gripped
at the mantelplece. His eyes were
filed with horror. Very slowly. and
with the air Of one engaged upon some
"A