Old Cap. Collier Library No. 379: The Lawyer Detective — page 28: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

28 -_ tempt a rescue alone, and so he resolved to| the contrary, and he was now determined to move with calmness and precision. ‘How did Aunt Julia take it, Tripp ?” ‘First she was indignant and ordered the men away, but when the handcuffs were put on she broke down and cried,” said Rena, flushing hotly at the recollection. ‘‘Did you know the men?" ‘¢Two of them.”’ ‘* Well” _ ‘*Benay Flash and Mr. Shade, a detect- ive.” ‘‘The latter had worked up the case, I sup- ose.” : ‘‘So he said; and that there was ample proof that my dear mother had committed two murders.” ‘* What is your opinion ?” ‘That it is all a villainous plot to rob mam- ma,” ‘‘Tam glad to see you so strong an advo- cate of my aunt’s innocence,” said Ragsdale, gazing admiringly into the hot, beautiful face of Rena. ‘‘Now I want you to give me all the information you possess with regard to this matter. That my aunt is innocent there can be no shadow of doubt, but if it is as you say, a plot to ruin her, it may be so well laid as to endanger her life, and we must use every honorable means to defeat the schemers.” ‘‘T am ready todo all I can,” said she quick- ly, putting both her soft brown palms in his, and looking up confidingly into his face. ‘‘Thanks. Now I shall expect you to be frank with me, Miss Tripp, and tell me all you know of this plot against Aunt Julia.” ‘‘T will do so, sir.” ‘¢T am listening.” For a moment the girl seemed to hesitate. **T hardly know where to begin,” she final- ly said. ‘“‘I know really but very little. Much of it issurmise. I know that Mrs. Tripp has a large sum of money somewhere, and that more than one has set his avaricious gaze on the pile. I am very much afraid that fa- ther is one of them, I beg you to pardon my willingness to expose his wickedness, You may think it unnatural, but when you know the whole truth, I believe you will forgive me.” *“ You are already forgiven.” ‘‘Thank you, sir. I have learned enough to satisfy me that father married your aunt for mercenary motives. I have seen him in conversation with different people, some of them questionable characters. He and Benay Flash have been much together, and that is not a good sign.” “Truly not.” ‘Flash is a villain.” ‘* T believe so.” ‘‘T am convinced that he is in the plot to secure a fortune. Do you know, the fellow had the impudence to ask me to marry him.” ‘* Indeed !” ‘He has kept his distance of late, and I think he nas given up all hope of handling a part of mamma’s money through wedding her step-daughter.” ‘‘T admire your good sense in this,” said Ragsdale, feeling really pleased. ‘‘T almost hate the man now. It’s a feel- ing I cannot help, although I know it is not a credit to me.” Thus far the girl had not given any very tangible proof of the conspiracy that Rags- dale believed existed. He questioned her further, but she could only say that her belief was in a plot to secure her step-mother’s money, and that her father and Benay Flash were among the plotters, and very likely the detective, Shade. ‘“T have one more question to ask you, Miss Tripp,” said the lawyer, after a brief silence. 4 i I am ready to answer if I can, Mr, Rags- ale.” ‘‘T am glad to hear you say that. It is about Worthland Rivers that 1 would ask.” ‘“Worthland Rivers ?” The girl started and trembled. The lawyer-detective could see that she was deeply excited. ‘‘That is the man about whom I seek in- formation, Miss Tripp.” He fixed a keen, questioning gaze on her face. ‘‘T_JI really can tell you nothing about such a person,” she faltered. Her wanner, however, convinced him to Miss push his inquiries rigidly. ‘‘Remember your promise.” “‘My proniise ?” ‘‘You agreed to tell me aJl you knew.” ‘¢ About the plot, yes—but——” ‘‘Hasn’t this man Rivers a hand in the villainy ?” He eyed her keenly. She trembled and looked away from his gaze. ‘¢ Answer truly, Miss Tripp.” ‘‘ No, he has not.” ‘* Be careful.” ‘‘T have told you the truth.” ‘* You do know Worthland Rivers then ?” ‘« Yes.” ‘‘Tell me about him. Where is he at this moment ?” ‘‘T do not know.” She started to her feet. ‘Stay, Miss Tripp,” cried Ragsdale. ‘Not to talk of him.” She would have fled had he not sprung up and caught her hand. CHAPTER XXVIII. RAGSDALE FINDS HIS MAN. ‘‘ RELEASE me, sir!’ exclaimed Rena, indig- nantly. ‘‘ Not till you tell me about this man, Riv- ers.” ‘*T will tell you nothing.” ‘‘ Miss Tripp. what am I to think from this acting? Do you mean to stand between a criminal and justice ?” He regarded her sternly. Her form trembled visibly. + He could see that she was deeply ex- cited. That she knew much about Olive’s other lover was evident, and the lawyer-detective was determined to make her divulge, if possi- ble, what she knew. ‘‘In the interest of justice I order you to speak, Miss Tripp.” ‘‘T have nothing to say.” ‘‘ But this man, Rivers—you know him, do you not?” ‘« Yes,” ‘¢ He was Olive Chester’s lover ?” ‘“T suppose so.” ‘¢He shot her in a fit of jealous rage. I have the proof! My aunt shall be saved, and the true assassin brought to justice!” ‘‘ Oh, sir, you are mistaken. My—Mr. Riv- ers did not doit. No, no, he could not—he could not!” Rena bent low over the hand that held her fast, covering her face and moaning as though her heart would break. Poor girl! How he pitied her! What was this Worthland Rivers to her that she should defend him so stubbornly ? A sweetheart, perhaps! The thonght was not a pleasant one to the young lawyer. ‘‘Calm yourself, Miss Tripp. If this man is innocent there can be no harm in his coming forward and proving it. I know he was my cousin's lever, and that they would have mar- ried but for one Evard Demming. He came between them. There may have been aquar- rel, but Iam convinced that Rivers did the shooting.” Ragsdale thought of the second letter, the one from Rena to Rivers, and realized that there was another girl in the case, as well two men. Of a sudden he remembered the conversa- tion he had overheard between Flash and Rena, in which the half-breed accused the girl of being privy to the murder of Olive Chester. Then came the thought of a conspiracy, with the beautiful Rena as one of the plot- ters. It was not a pleasant picture, yet it seemed a truthful one, and Ragsdale believed he must act upon it if he would save his aunt. No urging on his part could break Rena’s resolution to say nothing about Rivers, and Ragsdale was at length forced to to give over the attempt to make her speak. ‘‘Miss Tripp, this obstinacy on your part convinces me that you would shield a crimi- nal, and it may rebound to plague you in the future,” THE LAWYER DETECTIVE. He flung her hand from him and strode to the door. ‘* Are you going ?” she asked. ‘“* Yes.” “¢ Where to ?” ‘‘ First to Atlantic City, next to hunt down the murderer of my cousin—the immaculate Worthland Rivers!” He spoke with ill-concealed bitterness. He left the house, then, and hurried to the stable. Five minutes later he appeared, mounted on the sorrel mare once owned by his cousin Olive. Rena stood in the door looking dark and sol- emn. He drew rein and glanced toward her. He could see that she had not relented, and so he lifted the rein, and was about to urge the sorrel mare forward, when the girl sud- denly left the house and came to his side. ‘‘Mr. Ragsdale,” she said softly, ‘‘ don’t go away angry with me. The man you seek is innocent of murder. If it isnecessary, to save my step-mother, send for me, and f will do it. Please don’t forget now.” Something like a sob choked her utterance at the last. She puzzled him. ‘‘Haven’t you something to tell me, Miss Tripp ?” ‘Yes. Don’t go to Atlantic City. Your aunt was taken to Brandon, where she will be imprisoned till the trial comes off.” She then turned and entered the house. Puzzled at the girl’s strange acting, Rags-. dale finally gave his animal the rein and gal- loped away. He knew the trail to Brandon, or thought he did, but would have missed it, had not Sid Gidley overtaken him and consented to actas guide. It was midnight when the twain entered the county town of Brandon. Nothing could be done till morning. At early dawn Ragsdale was astir, and look- ing about the streets, He soon learned that his aunt had been taken to Atlantic City, so that there was yet ten miles to compass before he could see his wronged relative. He was now more suspicious of Rena Tripp than ever. She must have known that the officers had taken her step-mother to Atlantic City, and yet she had sent Ragsdale ten miles out of his way. Arriving at the “‘ City,” the young lawyer was at once permitted to interview Mrs, Tripp in jail. He found her quite cast down. ‘‘Heaven knows that I am innocent!” de- clared the woman, “ but there is a plot to ruin me, all on account of that money from the old country. I am glad that it is beyond the reach of the mercenaries. I made out the will none too soon, Hilton. I do not expect to live beyond this disgrace many days, but I want you to take the news to your uncle in Denver, and tell him that I die an innocent woman.” ‘*Don’t talk of dying, Aunt Julia,” said the young lawyer drearily. ‘I shall not permit you to do anything of the kind. I havea clew to the assassin, and you will be honor- ably acquitted. Of this I am as certain as that the sun shines at noonday.” The lawyer-detective left his aunt in a somewhat calmer mood than he found her Ragsdale had thought to effect the prison- er’s release on the ground that her arrest had been an illega] one, but he found that the conspirators had not left such a loophole open. PShade was not the one who had arrested Mrs. Tripp, but a lawfully constituted officer from Atlantic City. Shade and Benay Flash, however, were on hand to assist. ‘‘ Now to find Worthland Rivers,” thought the lawyer-detective. ‘‘ He is the assassin, as the letters in my possession will prove. Although he did me a good turn on two oc- casions, yet it is my duty to send him to the gallows for murder.” In the line of duty Ragsdale could be as hard as adamant. . If Rena was a sweetheart of Rivers, as now seemed likely, she might have a guilty knowledge of the crime that had sent poor Olive to an untimely grave. Walking along a Eysstrrey Ragsdale ran suddenly upon Benay Flash. CORNICE OOO S