The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-05-26
by you between II and / o'clock on
Monday night, February 9?'
None. Absolutely"

Monday night, February 81
None. Absolutely"
tst
Next a doctor on the coroner s
staff.
You examined the body of Ramon
Worth at 7/o'clocx on the morning
following his death? How long, APP
proximately had Worth been dead?"
Eight hours
You would say then that the
death probably occurred at or lit
tie before II oclock?"
Yes"
Gould it have occurred several
hour later. say a little after y"
mo. He died before Il, not after. "
| Judith. reading this chilled with
| horror. They were actually PROV
ing that Douglas was in his office
shoot him, at the very least he knew
who did. His silence made a suicide
theory untenable Would any man
go on trial for his life if he could
so easily clear himself? II Douglas
didn't shoot Ramon someone else in
that room did. And in his presence.
He was shielding the murderer.
Judith crumpled the papers. She
went in quietly to the big room
where she and Sandy slept She
knelt at the fireplace, held n lighted
match to a corner of the page.
The flame threw a fitful shadow
across the wall-a shadow that
darted furtively past deer horns and
guns crossed on the panels. The
flame died leaving the newspaper in
charred layers on the red Goals.
They were trying to fasten a muir
der on Douglas Keith.
Judith knelt here. She could hear
Sandy breathe7-now and then hear
short, restless cough.
They were covering him with
guilt.
She clasped her hands in an ef-
fort to control the warm, creeping
terror that went slowly upward I'M
til it sat throbbing and immense
feeding on her heart.
They would prove their case
Grotesque. Not to be imagined
Impossible! Could any one look at
Douglas Keith and believe him a
murderer? Could any one look at
that young boys face--clean and
fighting and tender. and say that
he should be hanged by the neck un-
til dead?
Judith sank against a chair. bur
led her face in her arms. They
would never ask this Of course.
Young men have been hanged. She
remembered that case Of a boy just
% whose sister went frantlcally 70
every one in the State begging them
to save her brother. How. up to the
last moment, the girl had been I'M
able to believe the brutal thing
could be done-a moose frightened
about her brothers throat.
Yet it happened. 1t happened one
Friday morning at 10 o'clock. And
all the girl and that boys mother
could do was to steal into a church
and pray while grown men took a
young boy out and killed him. Just
as butcher does a COW, only more
revoltingly. For the butcher does
it quickly and without pretense.
But these men escorted their vic
tim tremendously. They had an au-
dience. They led him slowly thir-
teen steps. Then they pulled black
cap over his face.
Judith remembered stihingly the
appalling details. Far off ner mind
saw a young figure walking up
steps. She closed her minds eye.
refusing to see the face Yet it went
under his lids and the eyes buried
on hers-dark, hazel eyes =.
Almost unable to breathe, Judith
rose. She smiled 10 herself. Absurd
letting her thoughts smother her
like this
Yet they were proving him guilty.
She went over and sat at Sandy's
bed. Sandy lying here and sleeping
she, Judith, sitting here so calmly
And he meeting THIS CHASTITY thing
No witnesses. No one to rush to
his defense. 80 one to shout: Tie
didn't do it. I know
Yes, she knew. Yet she was let
ting it happen. She leaned over,
finding herself without the strength
to sit erect.
I'm letting it happen l know,
and I'm letting it happen"
Now she went into the kitchen