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Show CHAPTER XIII Continued 27 "lie knows It's true," he cried. They knew 1 was armed, and they planned the whole thing. When the Joke went too far they got cold feet and framed me up. People talk about Weld and Bixel Influence 1 We'll see how much It's worth when my side of the story gets out." He looked around the room In triumph. tri-umph. None could answer him. If he had to suffer because of the complete confession he hud been tricked Into making there were others who would go down to disgrace with him. "1 admit that I took Captain Sutton Sut-ton into your room," Trent said. "And there's more than that," Grant exclaimed. "You are an accessory to the crime. Your lawyer had belter admit It He'll have to in court." "You're a little mixed in your legal terms," Fleming Dearholt remarked, "but, substantially, you are correct "What have you to say to that?" Grant said venomously, looking at Trent "I've some Interesting facts to add. Here are some of them. While you v,ere asleep I went through your pockets and took out those letters 1 had carefully planted at De-L Beach. Also, 1 substituted blanks such as are used in moving pictures for those lead pellets you had in the gun. iou shot 'em all into a favorite suit belonging be-longing to Curtis Weld. Swithin had the deuce of a time explaining matters. mat-ters. You remember I covered up the corpse at once. That wasn't respect for the dead. I did It In case you might observe Sutton's breathing. A man properly slain oughtn't to Inflate and deflate bis lungs as he was do- ln&" - "You are lying," Grant whispered; bis face was white. Trent rose, went to the door and reappeared with a strongly built man of middle age who had a keen, incisive in-cisive way with him. It was the doctor doc-tor who had examined the body in the mountain camp. "This, Grant, Is Mr. Brunton Warne, one of the best-known pursers on the transatlantic route. He has longed, for years, to see the last episode epi-sode of a serial. 1. am happy to be able to accommodate him." "You didn't appreciate my anecdotes anec-dotes on the way to Eliabethtown, did you?" the purser said. "I had my anxious moments, too. 1 was afraid at first I had slipped a little too much nepenthe in that coffee, but you would have It." Puyson Grant looked at them venomously." ven-omously." He was a trapped beast and he knew it. But he realized that none here had the right to hold him. There was yet time to make his escape. "1 want my clothes," he snapped, "I've my rights, too. You can't detain de-tain me." "I could," Trent said, "but I won't. I'll have you followed Instead." "Here's another angle," said Grant, pausing at the door. "You'v harbored har-bored a fugitive from Justice knowing him to be an escaped convict; that's a punishable offense." "1 admit," Trent said, smiling, "but that risk was considered long ago, and accepted. The governor will probably prob-ably tell me 1 did wrong and I shall S. bow my head In shame. But when lie read9 your confession and learns how you framed up your benefactor he won't be very severe. You have my address. If your lawyer wants mine. Dearholt's office Is In the Equitable building." Late that night the governor was consulting with the stale attorney general on the peculiar status of Frank Warren Sutton, address unknown, un-known, who seemed to be entitled to executive clemency. His excellency frowned when the telephone tinkled. He knew that only Important business busi-ness would cause his secretary to interrupt in-terrupt at this hour. The governor smiled when he learned it was Curtis Weld and a friend who desired to see him. i Curtis Weld was a haughty and Im perious magnate, but he knew when to unbend. Tonight was such an occasion. oc-casion. "Governor," he said cordially, and bowed to the attorney general also, "I have come to the highest authorities. author-ities. Gentlemen, what redress have I against a man who allowed himself to be murdered In a favorite tweed suit of mine? Just take a look at the damage." The governor anu his law officer saw that the breast pocket of the suit the unknown wore was a singed aud blackened area. "This is my friend, Capt. Frank Warren Sutton," said Curtis Weld, the Power. "I've come to give myself 'up. your excellency," said Sutton. "There's one thing to consider," said the attorney general later. "It " seems you committed a grievous as- I sault on one Hiram Ridgway. robbed him of his clothes nud seven dollars and six cents. 1 knew this man Itidg way, and he's a crank, but he had the I law on his side, captain. It's going to he awkward." Captain Sutton smiled. "Not as bad as you think, sir," he 4 said. "I've seen old Uidgway, and he has agreed not to Dress the charge." r "Are you a miracle-worker?" the attorney general demanded. "He's Implacable!" "The Joke Is on me," Sutton an swered a little ruefully. "I've sworn , to follow his dietary chart for six I calendar months." By WYNDHAM MARTYN Copyright by Ban & Hopkln. WNU Servlc CHAPTER XIV "The New Life Comes in the Old One's Stead." Payson Grant was brought to Jus tlce with commendable speed. ' What threatened to become the most sensn-tmnal sensn-tmnal trial of the year wns quickly finished with. Perhaps the great In fluence of some of those remotely con cerned with It was not without effect. ef-fect. The public which had heard vague rumors about the amazing way In which the confession of Grant had been brought about, was cheated of its thrills. Grant's counsel thought It better not to bring Deal Beach or the Weld camp Into the affair. With his attorney, Grant came to see that he would make a better impression If it were thought the honest desire to atone actuated him. Those employees he had paid to perjure themselves held nothing back. The man Grant had hired to put a revolver In Captain Sutton's pocket confessed fully. Sutton's excellent 1 mm Late That Night the Governor Was Consulting With the State's Attorney Attor-ney General. war record, the commendations of bis superior officers and the testimony of the old friends who now flocked, a trifle shamefacedly to his support, moved the governor to pardon him before the trial began. Again Payson Grant occupied a cell overlooking the Hudson, but this time with the certainty ihat the river view would be his for many years. Natica divorced him. The case was notable for the severe remarks made to her by the judge. Karely had a woman been so held up to public scorn as that Natica Grant who had schemed to enter en-ter high society. When the trial was over she knew that social victories were Impossible. It was not until after Grunt had been sentenced that Anthony Trent went to see Mademoiselle Dupin, who still remained with Mrs. Kinney. She asked hhn Innumerable questloos about his part In forcing the confession. confes-sion. "I see very plainly how you did the thing up to the moment you drugged him," she said, "but It seems Incredible Incredi-ble you could have persuaded him that he had been a convict so long. He must have had some suspicion that something was wrong surely?" "That was the hardest part," Trent answered, "hut attention to details brought us success." "Yon mean the fake cell and the warders in uniform?" "More than that. Grant was vain of his hands and wore his Auger nails rather lone.' I cut his nails short and scrubbed his hands In a strongly alkaline al-kaline fluid which roughened them and made the sklu seem withered. Then Brunton Wnrne rubbed them In garden dirt until they looked as though he had done manual labor for months. Also we cut his hair short. I figured thai he would look at his hands Instinctively. If they had been as he last remembered them he might $ have smelt a rat I watched him wake to consciousness through a hole drilled in his cell wall. It was bis hands that horrified him and made him believe. Then the element of good luck was there. We made a record rec-ord trip from the camp wltb no tire trouble or motor police to hold us back." "But the drug," she said, "as Mr. Warne was not a physician were you not frightened?" "We bad oxygen In reserve," he re- turned. "Of course there was danger but I had one of my hunches that everything would turn out all right." "You are always successful," she said 6lowly. "I don't think any other living man could have done what you did for your friend. It amazes me that you do not look triumphant. You have accomplished the Impossible and yet seem bored and tired." She looked at him curiously. There was a certain sense of depression about him which she could not understand. under-stand. She was satisfied that it was not a pose but the genuine emotion. "I'm neither tired nor bored." he replied. "I'm nervous. What I did for Sutton was play, but now I want to do something for myself." "Why should you fail at that?" she demanded. "Perhaps because I am so anxious to succeed." "Then you will only have to put out special effort." She smiled. "You see, Mr. Trent, I have very great confidence confi-dence In you." "I wish I dare believe that," he sighed. "You know It Is true," she said, almost al-most indignantly. There was something some-thing vaguely frightening In this abandonment aban-donment by Anthony Trent of his former for-mer supreme self-confidence. "It has something to do wltb you," he confessed. "But how can that be?" she demanded. de-manded. "I'm thinking about your future. You have no money and you cannot take any position, even a lowly one, without the danger of being recognized. recog-nized. You can wear clothes that are out of style and the severest sort of coiffure, but that won't disguise your unforgettable eyes. I recognized you. So did Redllch. Why not others? oth-ers? If some one remembers you what will happen? You will go to prison. I cannot bear to think of a woman of your upbringing herded with the people who would force themselves on you. You would come out something some-thing different from what you were when you went In and nothing could give you back your old self. You would be a broken middle-aged woman wom-an for whom nothing was left but to live hy crime." She suw that he was agitated by the Image that presented itself so vividly to him. And she knew It was true. Anthony Trent had reminded her of this constant menace of arrest and imprisonment. The police were still hunting for her. For the time she was safe, but she could not remain here much longer. "Money, if carefully applied," he said eagerly, "will do most things. You and I have a fortune between us. f we choose, we can get away easily enough. You have heard Sutton say I must have spent a fortune over him. 1 told him I could easily afford It Suppose I tell you I bave spent every cent I had?" "I can believe It," she said seriously. serious-ly. His expenditures had been on a lavish scale. There was distress In her face. "You have brought yourself your-self to ruin for a friend I" "No, not to absolute ruin. I said, If you will remember, that we had a fortune for-tune between us. Look at this Mademoiselle Made-moiselle Dupin. Have you forgotten this?" Anthony Trent drew from a little chamois-leather bag thai magnificent stone which collectors the world over knew as the "Nizam's Diamond." It was the famous Jewel which Trent had taken from Mademoiselle Dupin when she had been known as the wealthy Long Island society woman. Madame de Beaulieu. Trent knew the stone but he did not know from whom she had taken It. The only data he could gather about It was that a messenger mes-senger to whom It had been entrusted for deposit In the strong room of a bank was found murdered In the Thames, off Rotherhlthe. ten years before. At that time the conservative estimate of fifty thousand pounds was ' placed upon it. Mademoiselle Dupin gazed upon the glistening thing In silence. (TO BE CONTINUED.) |