The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-06-17

touched 1t. He spread 1t out and by
the very small glimmer of pocket
torch, he read what was written in It.
What he read, made him go into the
copse and sit, hidden by the dark
ness, on the fallen trunk of tree.
At precisely twelve o'clock-and he
looked at his watch to be sure that
it was twelve o'clock-he returned to
the cottage and went into it, letting
himself in with the key, which he
found hanging in the ivy over the
door. He waited five minutes, and
then he was joined by another man."
Macklin suddenly started to his feet,
crying out:
Don't listen to him! Don't listen
to him! He's lying! You can't be-
lieve the word of thief. Don't
listen to him!"
'Sit down, Macklin," said Ames, in
a sudden tone of command. IF these
are lies that he is telling, you need
fear nothing. His story will not be
accepted without test. Go on,
Warrington"
Jim broke his story to say:
"Ay name is Lee, please, Ames."
For moment their eyes met. Then
Ames said:
"very well, Lee. VIII you con-
tinue?"
"This other man. said Jim, twas
very tall, very big altogether. In fact,
just the build to make it easy for any
one to mistake him, for any other
very big man. Myself, for instance.
A clerk, attacked by this man, might
very easily think that l had attacked
him. Doesn't that describe the
friend you met at Brady's cottage
last night, Macklin?" The question
came on sharp, merciless note that
made Macklin suddenly clench his
hands in an effort to keep his taut
nerves from betraying him.
But perhaps this big man is no
real friend of Macklin's," Lee went on.
Perhaps Macklin only used him, for
some purpose, and has found since
that this man is not so easy as he
seemed. Has that been it, Macklin?
And having done your dirty work for
you, does he nov hold his knowledge
over you, and make you pay for his
silence? And has he been in the
habit of leaving notes of appointment
for you in the hollow of that tree?
And have you been in the habit of
interviewing him in the cottage? And
leaving your hush-money under the
loose board in the floor, on the left
hand side of the fireplace in the
kitchen? Has that been the practice
between you and this big man, who
might so easily be mistaken for me?
For only some of the stolen notes were
found in my wallet, you know. There
have always been quite a lot unac.
counted for. And has this man
been getting more and more unrea-
sonable in his demands? And were
you very angry with him last night,
and did you threaten him? And did
he laugh at the puny size of you, and
remind you to be careful? Did he.
Macklin? Did all this happen" Jim
was close before the wretched little
man now, his face thrust threatening
ly toward him.
did all this happen, Macklin? Did
it?' There was that nerve-racking
repetition again that had maddened
Macklin yesterday. His face
worked suddenly. He raised a shak-
ing hand to still equally shaking lips;
he raised wild eyes, and in a sudden
frenzy struck out with his closed fist
and caught Lee on the point of the
chin.
The answer to that was a deriisve
laugh, and then a huge hand came
toward him, grabbed him by the coat
and lifted him out of his chair and
held him dangling. AID Lees eyes.
hot and blazing, looked into his. and
he saw in them the unmistakable sign
that his hour of reckoning was at
hand.
The scene that followed was one
that Ames never afterwards forgot.
Jim's mighty, towering figure; his
blazing eyes; that great fist of his that
held Macklin, small, weak, terrified,
helpless; dangling Silly, an ipch or
two from the floor, all made Ames feel
that he had suddenly been Jared sheer
out of life as he knew it, into a scene
that was incredible, utterly unreal.
Certainly Macklin had a look of hav-
ing suddenly shrunk to a thing of
sawdust. His small ratty eyes were
rolling wildly; his thin lips were
trembling and he was blubbering out
inarticulate sounds. His normally
sleek hair was plastered in damp
strands over his forehead, and his
hands were clawing feebly in the air
and managing to grasp nothing. It
was the wrath of a giant against a
pigmy, and Ames knew suddenly that
the wrath of the giant was justified.
All his perfectly genuine belief in
the guilt of Lee was shattered by the
behavior of Macklin. and he realized
at last that a CHASTITY injustice had
been done and that Lee had paid the
terrible price of it.. Macklin was MAX
ing the truth more and more obvious
with every passing minute His fear !:
his cringing; the fiendish malevolence
of his terror-stricken eyes, were signs
that were easy enough TO read
Shocked to the soul, by the sudden
realization of the truth. Ames sat at
his desk trying for a moment to take
things in and finding it difficult. 4.
Macklin guilty. Lee innocent.
Then Lucy had been right, after
all, in her distrust of the mana
ger. And he had been so sure
that no evidence had been overlooked