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VOLUME XXXV. LAURENS* SOUTH CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1920. Johns y tJohnM'' .n young attorney whom Gorman had employed for me. 'While Gorman ant11d I hal, I think, suc feeded In convincing him of my inno cenice. th fact that lie was continu Oily citing the dilliculties in tl'e way of our proving It made me realize that he was iery dubious as to the Outcome. The trouble wits that we were abso lutely without witnesses. Old Rufus GastonV's whereaoits still remained a mystery. If we could discover him An time, we could at least explain sat Isfactorily my presence In the Grand deck and could establish that I was not the homieless, penniless vagrant they would try to prove me. The longer old Itufus remnined in hiding, the stronger became my suspicion that he might he in some way Involved In the plot. ills action In keeping his address a secret from me seemed to have been with dellberate intent. After some discussion Gorman and I had agreed not to mention either of the Bradford girls. "If one word about either of them -l inq out ii court," said Gorman, "they'll be in for it. The papers will jutup to it and print their pictures end all that. We'd better leave then out of it." , With this I heartily concurred. I was determined that Barbara Brad ford must be in no way Involved, come what may. I knew that she her (elf wottll be apt to be restrained from attempting to communicate with me by the fact that her sister's mar rinagt. is set for the day after to morrow. Her loyalty to her family was such thirt s'he would not rIsk scan dat ;y trying to aid me, at least not until her sister was married and the future for Claire and her mother as sured. Two small rays of sunshine light ened the gloom of my cell-the fact that the newspaper mention of the tragedy seened thus far to have es caped my mother's notice and the fact that Barbara still believed t. roy innocence an:d trusted me absolutely. A day or two after my arrest Gorman had mnaged to see her and had told her 'that it was my wish that she keep entirely quiet her knowledge of the affair and that she should make no attempt whatever to communicate with me while I was in prison. He Each ime I Read Anew the Penciled LinesMy Heart Rojoiced. had broughit back wIth himi a hast ily penciled note which ofton in my cell I readi and( re-read: "Dear Mr. Nelson: "I'mi so sorry to hear of your tron) ble and the absurd charges againist you. I'll (10 whatever you wishl, of course. I trust you absolutely. If anything I can tell will aId you at any time, I am reedy to speak-cost what It may. I know you are innocent and must soon be freed. Hoping to. Se * you, "With all codftdence, Eachi time I read anew the penelted line, my heart rejoieed. Come what spay, I felt sure that Barbara's heart was mine. I joyed to know that come out of prison to her though I mlglW, she would be glad to see me. Joyfual ly would 3 have gone to the eletyle chair rather .fhan have her fair naane in the leat' hxpirched by sendat - trying to defenld me, She jone. nraw nnn~ti e a t no one The IOU hispers t o n & N r m s . - r i~ t m e iiust ever inow E. What would a scandal-loving world say if the fact became public that she had been alone with mo in my rpartment near midtight? If only by the sacrifice of her good name could I go free, then let me stay in my cell. Let me even go to the electric chair. I would not have my life at the loss of my beloved's reputation. One other thing I had kept from my lawyer-my discovery of the passage way between the walls in my gregt uncle's apartment. If I could not get Gorman to believe in this secret pass age, which I was convinced had some connection with the mysteries and the whisperings at the Granddeck, there was little likelihood that Mc(regor would believe my tale either. Qiveh one single hour in my quarters at the Granddeck and I would have discov ered whither it led and who used it, but once a man is charged with mur der, his hands are tied. It was fu tile for me to mention it again, even to the detective or to my lawyer, until such time as I could show it to them and convince themn that I knew what I was talking about. While I was debating the situation in my cell, a keepee opened the door. "You're wanted downstairs," he an nounced. "What is it?" I asked, wonderingly. "You've 'got a visitor." "Who?" I questioned eagerly. Could it, I wondereg, he Barbara? Had my sternly repressed longing to see her in some way communicated itself to her through the, ether and impelled her to throw cautloh to the winds aind come to the prison to see me? "I don't know," the keeper answer ed. "It's a nuin. I don't know wlto ho is." A man. Who could it be? In all the monotonous time I had been be hind the bars, only two men had come to see me, Gorman and McGregor. It could not be either of them, for both were well kuown to the prison attend ants. As I hastened down the long corridor past the dismal row of barred doors, I was revolving in my mind the possibilities of my caller's identity. Who could It be? Spurred on by my curiosity, I hastened into the coun sel room. There sat my great-uncle Itufus. He looked in much better physical condition than when I had last seen him, more vigorous and healthier. Ills skin was browned from exposure to the sun and wind, and his eyes were clearer and brighter. As I studied his face I could trace no vestige there of the tedfrible fear that bad se'em'ted to obsess him on the last occasion of our meeting. For a moment we eyed each other without spealling. I was wondlerng and well I think I might-whether the suspicions I had at times in regard to hunt had been wholly without foun dation. Could it be0 possible that the crafty, miserly old chal) was the mas ter mnd at the bottom of all the mystery and plotting? As my previous suspicions camne up in my mind I da termined to be wary in what I said to him. The fires of anger toward hinm began to kindle within me as I looked at himt. I felt that it was his fault that I was locked up here. Meanwhile he had been studlying moe. Ils keen old eyes had surveyed me from hiead1 to foot, retur-ning to rest fixedly on my face, as though Ite w'as trying to read my thoughts. I won (bred what was passing in his minad. Waus he inwardly chortling at the plight in which ho found me? Was hto distressedl to see a blood-relative behind the bars? Did he believe that I was guilty of the murder of Daisy Lutan? 1How had he learned of my arrest? What was his -purpose in coming to see me? But his expression was unfathomable, so far as I was concerned. w SHe was the first to speak. "So-you didn't do it, did you?' ."fcourse not," I retorted indig mantly. "Did you suspect that I was a murderer?" He shoolt his head disparagingly, *miling an inscrutable smile. "The evidence against you certainly looks convincing." "I don't care," I exclaimed with heat. "I'm as innocent of the killing of Daisy Lutana a"--I heuitated."as you are." IIe nodded his head approvingly. i'outi'se I cnow you are innocent. You're of the nston blood, and there never Was a Gaston that was a mur lerer or a lawbrenker. I never sus lPI'ted you for a single second. I was ol' in the A1aine Woods twenty ii1es fromn a railrond. I di(I't .see a inews aper until diy before yesterday eve iAng. Aiy eye just halpelned to catcll a patringraph about the Granddeck. It w11. about your trial fqr the nurder of Allss Lutan being set for next week. That was the first I had heard about It. I traveled all night to get to you." My feelings toward him underwent a sudden revulsion. There was every evidence of sincerIty In his manner. Thu knowledge that he believed in me was the most welcome news I had heard since my incarceration. "We'it soon have you out of here," he went on, "now that I ain here to help you. I got you into this, and I'll get you out of It if It takes every cent I possess. There's more than ono fight left in old Rufus yet. Now start at the very beginning and tell me everything that has happened since I have been away." 'lte June When ti not have you at 4( We have that we special ni over. The IH AT BOTH STC 'What a rollek 7f yi' talk freely I With my mind once and for all clear ed of all suspicion toward my old great-uncle, I began my story. Some how the tie of blood Is strong in time Qf trouble. I found it vastly easier to talk with my aged relative than it had been with either Gorman or my lawyer. I began with my chance meeting with Barbara Bradford in the park as the blackmallers awalled her there. I told everything that had followed with the utmost detail, even to iuch small mallers its my first meeting with Wick and the uindti curiosity he had exhibited its to iy acquaint ance with the Bradfor(ls. I recited the story of my iiaiccoutable dis charge In disgrace frotin my position and told of Gormiai's unavailing ef forts to learn the reason. "The (lily I was discharged," I went on, "I had drawn out from the savings bank all mly money with the purpose of sending it to my mother to whom I was in debt. I still had it with me when I arrived home at the apartment nand I decldeg to ,vut At ji the wvall Sale c S1 B 01 er SU Rl 01 iese suits ai any more ( per cent 11 cannot bes lention. C0i C. Bur ouse that sells same goc iiiis Laurent ra-Ke, ~to which, YOi 'reil' i~ had given ine the conbination. Out of onere curiosity"---I iade this confes sion with a blush of shaine----"I had in sp(ected the coitents of the safe the day of my ar: :val and had exalnined the two caskets. The miniute I opened the safe this second time I saw that It had been looted." "What," exclaimed my great-uncle, starting from his seat, "not the pearls I" I nodded. "IEverything. The casket with the pearls was gone. The other with the trinkets was lndisturl'bed." "Good heavens !" he exclaimed. "My wife's peals stolenl I WN'hy, boy, I paid at hundred and fifty thousand dollars for that string. Tell me everything about It-everything, at once." I could only repeat what I had told hii already. Wien I had opened the safe on Sunday the pearls were there. When I had opened It again on the fol lowing Saturday the pearls were gone. "Of course you told the police at once." I 0 14DiUQnod to him] why I had not f ClOtlt Now is your tint iits, we have each and Cool i sale at prices Lcks at once 2.50 to $16.50 Buy you a co< ijoy life durini immer months. ice and get youi re sold out, this season iore for the ood Values" in to give ne and see. ns&C da for less money all the i. S. C. AT~iB( done so, aid my reason seemed to satisfy him. "Go on with your story," he calmly directed. le seemed to have himself well In hand again. After the first shock at hearing of the loss of the pearls he showed no sign of emotion or disph:asure. He listened Intently as I told him of my second meeting with Barbara Bradford when I had learned that the lradford wall safe had been looted, too, and the papers abstracted con cerning the amnit1mlment. of.. Clire's (Continued on Page 3, this section.) "61low We Cleared Our Summner .1ome of liats,' by Mlrs. Perry. "When we opened our seaside home last May, It was alive with rats. They'd gnawed all the upholstering. We cleaned them out In a week with RAT-:SNAPI. I prefer this rat killer because it comes in eake form, no mix ing. Saves (lrtying hands and plates." Three sizes, 25c, 50c, $1.00. Sold and guaranteed by liaurens Hardware Co., Putnam's Drug Store and Kennedy Bros. Li te for Cool 97 Palm cloth Suits to clear the $8.75, 9.90 >l Suit and r these hot Come at size. we will to offer same suit. for you them all Look us 0. time. )TH STORS