The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-05-06


tone.
Don't" she said sharply. This Is
serious. That man isn't sincere. You
can laugh and SCOT as much as you
like. But / know I'm right II were
In your place, Oliver, l wouldn't have
him working for me for two seconds"
Perhaps, then, it's just as well,
for the good of Gresham's, apart from
the good Of poor old Macklin that am
sitting in this chair, and not you. Big
businesses aren't to be run on likes
and dislikes; on instincts and feelings,
but on reason, Lucy. A man has TO
be proved untrustworthy before I'll
believe him So"
''Proved?" she countered, "just as
IL was proved against this man
WarringtonT The words came
difficulty and she pointed to the pa
pers on the desk.
Exactly" he answered.
She laughed 1t wasn't a very
laughing sound, and said:
-All right. But / don't agree with
you. If you cut out instincts and
feelings, you are cutting out the sub
test, swiftest method of summing up
a character, there is. I'll borrow these
Warrington records, If / may, Oliver.
I'd like TO go into them carefully"
He gathered them up, snapped
rubber band around them, and handed
them to her.
She said good-by and went to the
door.
Macklin turned and sped, fleet and
silent-footed, along the corridor, and
was out in the main yard when Lucy
passed through to the taxi that was
waiting for her at the gate.
She's got some reason, beyond the
mere desire to see justice done, for
her anxiety over this Warrington
business" he thought to himself.
And I'd very much like to know just
what the reason is.
Lucy was deep in those papers all
the afternoon and evening. The evil
dence, as Oliver had said, seemed ter
ribly strong against Jim. But her be-
lief in him was stronger still, and it
did not waver, even though she could
see no clear support for it.
There was just one thing her mind
worried over and couldn't leave, and
that was the fact that Macklin's evil
dence against Jim seemed TO have had
terrific effect. She could see now, Just
how Macklin came into the scheme of
things, and his narrow face was often
before her minds eye.
1t was nearly ten o'clock before the
thought came to her
"supposing Macklin had supported
Jim in his contention that he had lost
his wallet before the robbery took
place? Supposing that, when
Macklin had been asked whether Jim
had spoken of the loss of it, he had
said yes instead of no?"
At that point, she found her head
drumming. Why, of course, it
was that point that really had de-
cided the whole case That one point.
Really, that one word: that mo-" of
Macklin's. Then the thing resolved
itself to this: Which was telling the
truth: Jim or Macklin? She knew
where her faith lay, and was in
stantly raging with Indignation that
anyone, given the opportunity for be-
lieving either in Jim or in Macklin.
should deliberately have chosen the
man who, ii seemed TO her. was so
obviously insincere in everything he
said.
There was one thing she found in
the papers that started a new trail,
and that was the name Of the cottage
where Jim had lived. "Brady's cot
tage," it was called, and it seemed TO
be situated somewhere between New
chester and Edgestone She felt that
she wanted TO see it; turned the
thought over in her mind for a while.
and at last went to bed with her mind
made up. She would go to Brady's
cottage tomorrow morning.
When maid brought up her break
fast next morning, Lucy asked her
whether she knew Brady's cottage.
"Oh, yes, madam. Quite a land
mark the place is" the girl answered
at once. Its supposed to bring bad
luck to anyone who lives in it. Old
Mrs. Brady-Mother Brady they used
to call her, she lived there for years.
and her husband died there. and one
of her boys was killed in the war, and
her girl ran away with a man who
wasn't any good. And then
there's the tree, you know, a huge elm.
and every one said it 'ud fall and
smash the cottage some time. And
on top of all, the robbery, well. it's
enough TO give a place a bad name.
isn't it, MADAME"
What robbery was that?" asked
Lucy, spreading butter on a triangle
of thin toast. with great attention.
1T was under the elm that the poor
clerk was found; all bleeding. they say
he was, and unconscious. l never saw
him, but I've been to the place often:
it's empty now and no one won't have
nothing to do with it. Can't blame
anyone really. can you? / wouldn't.
l know" As she was hurrying away.
Lucy said:
How d'you get to the cottage?
think I'll go and have a look at II
some time today.
She obtained all the directions shs
noodod and the girl left her