The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, June 23, 1920, Image 9
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