The Oakdale Affair [52]
not seen them since and do not know where they went. I am ready and willing to aid in their conviction; but, please Mr. Prim, won't you keep me from being sent back to Payson or to jail. I have done nothing criminal and I won't run away."
"How about the robbery of Miss Prim's room and the murder of Old Man Baggs?" asked Burton. "Did they pull both of those off before they killed Paynter or af- ter?"
"They had nothing to do with either unless they did them after they threw me out of the car, which must have been long after midnight," replied the girl.
"And the rest of the gang, those that were arrested with you," continued the detective, "how about them? All angels, I suppose."
"There was only Bridge and the boy they called The Oskaloosa Kid, though he isn't the same one that mur- dered poor Mr. Paynter, and the Gypsy girl, Giova, that were with me. The others were tramps who came into the old mill and attacked us while we were asleep. I don't know who they were. The girl could have had nothing to do with any of the crimes. We came upon her this morning burying her father in the woods back of the Squibbs' place. The man died of epilepsy last night. Bridge and the boy were taking refuge from the storm at the Squibbs place when I was thrown from the car. They heard the shot and came to my rescue. I am sure they had nothing to do with--with--" she hesi- tated.
"Tell the truth," commanded Burton. "It will go hard with you if you don't. What made you hesitate? You know something about those two--now out with it."
"The boy robbed Mr. Prim's home--I saw some of the money and jewelry--but Bridge was not with him. They just happened to meet by accident during the storm and came to the Squibbs place together. They were kind to me, and I hate to tell anything that would get the boy in trouble. That is the reason I hesitated. He seemed such a nice boy! It is hard to believe that he is a criminal, and Bridge was always so considerate. He looks like a tramp; but he talks and acts like a gentle- man."
The telephone bell rang briskly, and a moment later the butler stepped into the room to say that Mr. Burton was wanted on the wire. He returned to the living room in two or three minutes.
"That clears up some of it," he said as be entered. "The sheriff just had a message from the chief at Toledo saying that The Oskaloosa Kid is dying in a hospital there following an automobile accident. He knew he was done for and sent for the police. When they came he told them he had killed a man by the name of Paynter at Oakdale last night and the chief called up to ask what we knew about it. The Kid confessed to clear his pal who was only slightly injured in the smash-up. His story corroborates Miss Penning's in every detail, he also said that after killing Paynter he had shot a girl witness and thrown her from the car to prevent her squealing."
Once again the telephone bell rang, long and insist- ently. The butler almost ran into the room. "Payson wants you, sir," he cried to Burton, "in a hurry, sir, it's a matter of life and death, sir!"
Burton sprang to the phone. When he left it he only stopped at the doorway of the living room long enough to call in: "A mob has the two prisoners at Payson and are about to lynch them, and, my God, they're innocent. We all know now who killed Paynter and I have known since morning who murdered Baggs, and it wasn't either of those men; but they've found Miss Prim's jew- elry on the fellow called Bridge and they've gone crazy--they say he murdered her and the young one did for Paynter. I'm going to Payson," and dashed from the house.
"Wait," cried Jonas Prim, "I'm going with you," and without waiting to find a hat he ran quickly after the de- tective. Once in the car he leaned forward urging the driver to greater speed.
"God in heaven!" he almost cried, "the fools are go- ing to kill the only man who can tell me anything about Abigail."
o o o
With oaths and threats the mob, brainless and heart- less, cowardly, bestial,
"How about the robbery of Miss Prim's room and the murder of Old Man Baggs?" asked Burton. "Did they pull both of those off before they killed Paynter or af- ter?"
"They had nothing to do with either unless they did them after they threw me out of the car, which must have been long after midnight," replied the girl.
"And the rest of the gang, those that were arrested with you," continued the detective, "how about them? All angels, I suppose."
"There was only Bridge and the boy they called The Oskaloosa Kid, though he isn't the same one that mur- dered poor Mr. Paynter, and the Gypsy girl, Giova, that were with me. The others were tramps who came into the old mill and attacked us while we were asleep. I don't know who they were. The girl could have had nothing to do with any of the crimes. We came upon her this morning burying her father in the woods back of the Squibbs' place. The man died of epilepsy last night. Bridge and the boy were taking refuge from the storm at the Squibbs place when I was thrown from the car. They heard the shot and came to my rescue. I am sure they had nothing to do with--with--" she hesi- tated.
"Tell the truth," commanded Burton. "It will go hard with you if you don't. What made you hesitate? You know something about those two--now out with it."
"The boy robbed Mr. Prim's home--I saw some of the money and jewelry--but Bridge was not with him. They just happened to meet by accident during the storm and came to the Squibbs place together. They were kind to me, and I hate to tell anything that would get the boy in trouble. That is the reason I hesitated. He seemed such a nice boy! It is hard to believe that he is a criminal, and Bridge was always so considerate. He looks like a tramp; but he talks and acts like a gentle- man."
The telephone bell rang briskly, and a moment later the butler stepped into the room to say that Mr. Burton was wanted on the wire. He returned to the living room in two or three minutes.
"That clears up some of it," he said as be entered. "The sheriff just had a message from the chief at Toledo saying that The Oskaloosa Kid is dying in a hospital there following an automobile accident. He knew he was done for and sent for the police. When they came he told them he had killed a man by the name of Paynter at Oakdale last night and the chief called up to ask what we knew about it. The Kid confessed to clear his pal who was only slightly injured in the smash-up. His story corroborates Miss Penning's in every detail, he also said that after killing Paynter he had shot a girl witness and thrown her from the car to prevent her squealing."
Once again the telephone bell rang, long and insist- ently. The butler almost ran into the room. "Payson wants you, sir," he cried to Burton, "in a hurry, sir, it's a matter of life and death, sir!"
Burton sprang to the phone. When he left it he only stopped at the doorway of the living room long enough to call in: "A mob has the two prisoners at Payson and are about to lynch them, and, my God, they're innocent. We all know now who killed Paynter and I have known since morning who murdered Baggs, and it wasn't either of those men; but they've found Miss Prim's jew- elry on the fellow called Bridge and they've gone crazy--they say he murdered her and the young one did for Paynter. I'm going to Payson," and dashed from the house.
"Wait," cried Jonas Prim, "I'm going with you," and without waiting to find a hat he ran quickly after the de- tective. Once in the car he leaned forward urging the driver to greater speed.
"God in heaven!" he almost cried, "the fools are go- ing to kill the only man who can tell me anything about Abigail."
o o o
With oaths and threats the mob, brainless and heart- less, cowardly, bestial,