Old Cap. Collier Library No. 379: The Lawyer Detective — page 30: what you’re looking at

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30 hair confronted him with an awful look on her face. ‘Mr. Ragsdale, listen one moment.” ‘‘ Certainly.” “This is an awful accusation you make against my—Worthland. It is possible that he, in a moment of surprise, confessed to this deed. Don’t look for him. If you do you will not find him; but go back and look after your aunt, and when the day of trial comes trust me the guilty one shall be there, and my poor mamma shall gofree. Heaven help me, and bless you, Mr. Ragsdale. Till the day of trial, farewell.” She turned from him then, and soon he door closed between them. Ragsdale went out into the night and joined Sid, He was deeply moved by the words and actions of tne beautiful Rena. He paid no heed to her words, however, but went on the search for the murderer. Unavailing search. When the plains and hills were scoured for scores of miles around, the young lawyer re- turned to Atlantic City, tired and discouraged at his ill-success. It was on the eve of the trial. The town was full of strangers. Colonel Redhart, Benay Flash and Tribune Tripp were there, anxious to be at the trial. A continual smile rested on the face of the half-breed, and Colonel Redhart seemed al- most as much elated. Ragsdale was downcast. He had employed an able lawyer to defend his aunt, yet he was apprehensive of the out- come. Once he met Jack Stoneset, whom he had come to know well. The bomesteader touched the young law- yer’s arm and said: ‘‘Ther’ll be more’n ore surprise afore this trial’s over, my boy. Hold yer hosses and keep still.” : Further explanation the man refused to ive. , The first surprise was, to Ragsdale, the most astounding. In the morning, the moment court opened, be peokecuang lawyer rose in his place and said: ‘‘ May it please the court, I think it will be wholly unnecessary to go on with the case of the People versus Mrs. Julia Tripp.” He paused, All eyes were fixed on the prosecutor. Even the haggard prisoner deigned to gaze in his direction. ‘‘ Proceed,” said the judge. “It has transpired,” said the prosecutor, ‘that justice in this case has overtaken the murderer in a most strange manner. Hiscon- science has scourged him to make a full con- fession.” At this moment a man arose, and pushing past the rail, stood before the court. ‘‘T am here to save the innocent,” said he. “‘T here and now confess that it was my shot that killed Olive Chester on the night of the 16th of June, one year ago.” The speaker stood pale yet calm, facing the audience. It was Worthland Rivers! ee CHAPTER XXX. REVELATION, “‘Dipn’t I tell ye so?” A hand tapped the arm of Ragsdale two hours after the scene in the courtroom. The young lawyer looked into the face of the leader of the vigilantes—Jack Stone- set. Ragsdale’s aunt was free and at the hotel, while Rivers, the self-confessed murderer, was in jail. ‘‘What is that, Mr. Stoneset ?” ‘‘T told ye I'd surprise ye.” “Yes. Was it you that brought Rivers to the confessional ?” ‘“‘Not much. A gal did that, I reckon. This ’ere’s somethin’ more important. Come "long o’ me. I want to show you some o’ yer friends.” . Ragsdale followed the homesteader to a large building, before which a crowd had gathered. The leader of the vigilantes had no trouble ing the guard at the door. Within a large inner room, Ragsdale met in four men face to face, men who had been THE LAWYER DETECTIVE. It was Rena's voice that both heard at this more or less identified with the young law- | moment. yer’s fortunes since he came to Wyoming on a man-hunt weeks before. Each of the four wore handcuffs and shackles; besides, all -were fastened together —a chain-gang of rogues truly! Who were they ? the reader asks. Benay Flash, Tribune Tripp, Nate Shade and Colonel Redhart. The man from Denver was certainly as- tounded. ‘* A nice lot, eh, Mr. Ragsdale?” chuckled Stoneset. ‘** So!” ejaculated Ragsdale, as light began to dawn upon his brain. ‘* Dod blast it! this ‘ere’s a go, and no mis- take,” growled the colonel. ‘* Ye’ll stand by me, won't ye, Hilton ?” ‘‘What have you been doing ?” ‘* Nuthin’.” ‘Hoss and cattle stealin’, the last one on ‘em. Caught ’em all in mask once, but let "em come to the city afore I gobbled ’em,” de- clared Stoneset; ‘‘and I want to say just here, Mr. Ragsdale, ’at we wouldn’t a-got onto the cusses at all, ef't had not a-been fur the feller ‘ot confessed to a murder this mornin’.” “* Do you refer to Rivers ?” ‘* Yes.” ‘‘ What had he to do with it ?” ‘* He spied ’em out by joinin’ em,” returned the captain of the vigilantes. ‘‘ He’s got ther names all on his list. I tell ye, youngster, ’at Worth Rivers is one o’ the best detectives west o’ Denver. I’m powerful sorry he’s got inter trouble, fur a better man don’t live, I believe.” ‘* Rivers is fool.” Ragsdale started. The voice wasa familiar one, and he glanced toward the man who uttered the words. ‘* Did you speak, Shade ?” ‘“‘T said Worthland Rivers was a fool to confess to murdering that girl. Look there” —holding up his hand—‘‘ there’s where his bullet went, curse him!” The man’s little finger was gone. Turning to Stoneset, the lawyer said: ‘‘That man is in disguise, would take off that false hair and beard.” Shade bent a terrible look on Ragsdale, and he rattled his manacles furiously. ‘* Dum fool!” growled the colonel. ‘‘ You’ve put yer foot in it now, young feller.” Stoneset, who suspected the pretended de- tective was in disguise, lost no time in com- plying with the request of the visitor. Both hair and beard came off readily enough, revealing a head of close-cropped blonde hair, and a face to match. **T suspected as much,” declared Ragsdale, as he saw inthe humbled cattle-stealer no less a personage than Evard Demming. The man’s remark about how his finger came to be gone caused the lawyer-detective to question Demming closely, but that indi- vidual refused to talk on the subject. ; in seemed quite broken up over his down- all, Hilton Ragsdale went from the room ina thoughtful mood. Somehow in his heart he felt sorry for the man who lay in jail, a self-confessed murderer. Mechanically he turned his steps toward the lock-up. ‘You cannot go in now,” said the jailer, in answer to his requset to interview Rivers. ‘Why not?” “ He’s got a visitor.” ‘ Who is it ?” ‘* A woman—his sweetheart, I presume.” The lawyer-detective thought of Rena at once. For a moment he stood in a thoughtful at- titude; then he turned suddenly upon the keeper, whom he had known in the East. ‘¢ John, I’ve an idea.” ‘* Well?” ‘‘ Let me go in unbeknown to the prisoner or his visitor. If he makes any revelations regarding the murder it will surely be to his sweetheart.” *¢ True.” After a little reflection the jailer agreed to the proposition, and the two entered the corridor of the jail in a noiseless manner. Soon they stood, unseen, near the grated door of Rivers’ cell. I wish you ‘* In the sight of Heaven you are an inno- cent man, Worth. I donot see what tempted you to confess to a crime like this that you did not commit.”’ ‘‘But I did commit it, Rena. Why have you come here to tempt me to fight longer against fate? I fired the fatal shot, and God knows the knowledge has nearly killed me, for you know I loved that girl, Rena.” ‘“Yes, I know, and let me tell you some- thing more, Wort,” said the girl, in a tense, low voice. ‘Your argument cannot shake my deter- mination, Rena. I was an ingrate to permit that good woman to be arrested. I fled like a coward, and my conscience has tormented me since.” ‘* Will you listen to me, Worth ?” ‘« T suppose I must.” ‘“You and I rode to the Chester ranch on the night of the 16th of June—that fatal night of blood.” “Yes, yes! but why speak of that?” ‘*Because I have something to tell you, something that J saw that you may not know.” “‘And you have kept this from me all this time?” ‘* Yes, I thought it best. I know how an- gry you were when you learned that Olive had ridden out to meet Evard Demming. I’m afraid you lost your senses in a measure, for Olive had promised to be your wife. You rode from the vicinity in a heat, and I heard something about shooting him on sight.” ‘“Yes, it may be. I loved Olive so, and to think he should step in and steal her from me.” “Be quiet, Worth,” urged Rena. *‘ Let me tell you what IJ saw that night just as the storm was rising and the lurid flashes of light- ning lit the heavens. I followea you, Worth, and witnessed the fatal meeting near the hunter’s cabin on Three Oaks plantation.” ‘*Then you know that I did not fire at Olive,” he breathed huskily. ‘‘] know how it all happened. You ar- rived on the ground in time to see the two meet. The sight maddened you, and you stepped forward and spoke to Evard Dem.- ming, calling him a coward andasneak. I heard the words, and saw what followed. ‘Oh, Rena!” ‘‘ Quick as a flash Demming drew a revol- mee pushing Olive aside, and with an oath, said: ““¢T’ve been laying for you, Worthland Rivers. Draw and defend yourself.’ ‘‘You drew your own pistol and raised it. At this moment Olive uttered a scream and rushed between youtwo. It wasa fatal move on her part. Both pistols cracked. Olive fell, The bullet meant for another had slain the girl. A lightning flash revealed it all to me whostood near. I saw you toss aside your weapon and stagger, falling upon the body of the poor girl. Ithought at first that you, too, had been hit. J soon heard you calling on Olive’s name, upbraiding yourself as her mur- derer, but you were not, for it was wholly an accident.” . ‘*T had cooled off some when I reached the ground, Rena,” said the prisoner at this point. ‘*T only drew my weapon to defend myself against Demming. I meant to harm.no one.” ‘¢T know that,” returned she. ‘‘I fled from the vicinity and have kept my secret for a year. I meant to talk to you about it, but you disappeared, and the body of Olive was not found. I sup ose Demming buried it in the old house. have good reason to believe that Benay Flash saw the affray on that night, as wellas myself. I think it will be easy enough to prove it‘an accident on your part.” A groan alone answered her. ‘* You must look on the bright side of this affair, Worth,” proceeded the girl. ‘‘ No murder was committed.” ‘‘ But, don't you see, the secreting of the body makes it all look bad.” ‘* You did not do that ?” 66 C=” ‘Then Demming, who did, is really the guilty man. Further, it is more than likely that his bullet, not yours, struck the girl.” ‘‘T had not thought of that.” ‘‘T have.” GONG OO S