Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-01-30

Valentin's voice said: II told you
he had a message for us. I told you
he wasn't bad" That was sweet,
sweeter even than the old woman's
trust.
The old man said quietly. IF I am
mistaken I apologize. sir. But
In the circumstances. I think
you will understand my attitude. Per-
haps you will give me your message"
1T is this" said Owen Sayce, as
evenly as he could. II learned some
thing-something that may. in fact,
should free you from what you SUI
fered in the past. I can give
you facts that should prove your in
nOcence, sir"
The old man took it very quietly.
He looked level at Owen for a minute,
then he said quietly:
Perhaps you will explain. /
take 1t that you refer to the murder
OF my father, Sir Arthur Halnaker,
Of Beultor Manor"
Il think l do" said Owen, "but l
don't know it by that name-or know
then, utter establishment. He went on.
1t may seem strange to you. it may
seem utter folly, but this is the truth
of it"
He told them his story plainly. They
made the fewest possible comments.
The husky voiced man, the old man
interjected, was called Jacob Dale. Ben
was Ben Beneke. both Of Halnaker viii
lage-ne'er do wells. After Owen had
spoken OF the murderer as your cOu-
SIM twice the old man said, His name
is Halnaker, as mine is-Sir Judge
! HQ1nokor nfHniol1u Ho hoe fho tnonnv
now" Slick Sam was Young Sam
Honey, the poacher," all seemed to
know him. But on the whole they
listened, listened with all their hearts,
crowded round him listening. Astonish-
ment, even incredulity. was in their
eyes. At the end, when he had faltered
to his lame ending, the old mar was
staring at him as though unable to
believe his senses, and young jim Lei
ceSter burst out. by heavens! Do you
mean you did all that on q mere
Whim?"
But the woman who had been called
Cissy understood. She stood in front
of him, her cOuntenance shining, her
eyes streaming, and her old mouth was
exquisitely tender. And she said in
a broken voice, You dear! You dear'
You brave, fine thing!"
And she lifted his hands to her old
lips and kissed them. She
understood. She believed. She was Of
his spirit and she knew what his spirit
could do.
Owen Sayce was SO glad at her ap-
probation, SO uplifted by her recog-
milton, that the embarrassment and the
uneaSe of the others lost some of it's
sting. He saw that they were
friendly now, Valentin more than
friendly, and that their unease was for
his sake. They valued what he
had done and hated hurting him. !.
!, He looked around at them and saw
, their looks, and gradually he under
stood. He said with a half break in
his voice:
Have 1 been a darn fool all the time
after all? Have Il brought stale
news?"
+ mot a fool, Sayce," said the old man
/ coming to him, putting his hands or
his shoulder. by heavens, not a fool
= my boy! I've never met a grandel
. act, but but Well
: you see, Slick Sam got religion /. >
: Il see," said Owen in a fiat voice
. And he confessed"
+ mot exactly. The poor fellows mint
was troubled, as no doubt it should be
But he feared for his past, too. HI
q communicated with the man he knew
: to be my best friend. That friend hal
n always managed to keep in touch will
me. He sent me the facts"
But l don't remembe
= reading"
Il took no action" said the other
- II am an old nan I have built up
q new life here, an honorable name. VIII,
q should l be dragged back into it? VIII,
Q should the shame be reopened? VIII,
/. should more blood be shed? Bette
4 let the pitiful murderer alone to hi
y own conscience. l consulted m
- family. They agreed with me.
What did the past matter to us VIII
= had already created a future of com
- fort and honor for ourselves? We he'll
up our heads, knowing that we wer
completely indicated. We hold a con
~ that we go on with our own life. D
you think we were wrong, Sayce?"
mo-" he said. Let the evil pas
bury the past. But why did yo
= fear blackmailers? Why did you ap
- pear down and out when the husk
\ voiced man saw you in Santa Orca?"
"One answers the other" smiled tn
= old man. Jacob Dale saw us befor
y we had heard of Slick Sans comics
=. sion. We were still under threat
!, When we went into Santa Orca fror
!, this estate we adopted what poor dis
= guises we could for fear Of such me-
as Jacob Dale. Few if any of thos
- who knew us Of old are likely to com
: to such a place as this, but there We
- always the risk. l saw Jacob Dale
= for instance, and 1 feared he Nigh
- talk, not to the authorities, but t
:. the underworld, as he did in your hear
40 40 ing. l saw it was on the boards tina
y some n might come out here to fin
" us and blackmail us, and after Sic
~ Sam confessed we intended to confror
any such with the truth and intimi
70 date them into silence. HenC
~ our churlish manner toward YOU
YES" said the old man, stay wit
~ us, Sayce. / have work for you her
~ and I'd like to make up for the tim
70 you've wasted"
Wasted" cried Owen, with brigl
Id eyes. He looked round at their smi
IN ing faces, at VALENTINES eyes that erie
at Stay! Stay! Oh, my dear, 1 wal
you to stay!" and he laughed in she'
er happiness. I'll stay" he cried, 'bl