Picture Play Magazine (Oct-Nov 1915)

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■ - . ■ "'"he governor went immediately to his :e. and Helena retired to the library, ;re she found Jim Lawrence, who entered unannounced, awaiting her. : broached the subject of the raurat once. What a terrible thing to happen! 3r Jenny, I cannot imagine why she uld commit suicide, for they say that en she did it she knew nothing of ; brother's death." : im smiled. Are you really as innocent as that?'' asked. "Can't you guess why Willet uld shoot Jenny's brother, and why iny should destroy herself? The man 5 desperate. That was why he came your father — trying to shift his own 3 to my shoulders." You can't mean " Why, yes, of course!" f Jim meant this to be convincing, shaft went wide of the mark. He 1'd not know, of course, that the dochad not told Helena what Willet had d, and that she was now learning, for first time, the nature of her father's -ctions to Jim. His inference was :ural enough, for the sheriff had come the same conclusion, as had also ■\ governor, but, somehow, it was not Wincing to Helena. For the first time her life, Helena was beginning to spect that Jim was not quite so transrently honest as she had always beved him to be. She resolved to try In. 'Come with me to the Strongs' house," 2 said. "I want to take some flowers 'r Jenny and Jack." He recoiled as though she had struck r.. After a moment he recovered his riposure. "I'm afraid I couldn't md it," he said. "You see. I was aliys fond of Jack. He was a fine fel.v. in spite of the fact that his sister !is a bad one." Helena pondered — could Jim be right out Willet? Evidently the governor was convinced it, for when Willet's uncle. Curwood, ilicited his influence to obtain Arur's release, despite the fact that CurDod had made him governor and probly possessed the power to undo what b had done, Lawrence answered: 'I believe that Willet shot Strong 1 silence a brother's plea for an un;ppy sister." The jury, apparently, believed it, too. hough it is sometimes said of the juth that when a white man shoots PICTURE-PLAY WEEKLY a negro, to invoke the law is to exaggerate the importance of the incident, and that when a white man shoots a white man, to invoke the law is to interfere in a personal matter, and that when a negro shoots a white man, to invoke the law is to waste time; there was no hitch in the progress of the law in the case of Arthur Willet. His case came speedily to trial, and the jury promptly brought in a verdict of "Guilty !" When Helena heard the verdict, she sought out Jim, who now made free with his brother's house as he had when a child. She found him in the garden, and was talking with him earnestly when seen by the jealous eye of Evelyn Clayton. Poor Evelyn ! She had never forgotten that Jim was once attentive to her ! She lost no time in gaining entrance to the governor's library, where she called his attention to the absorbed attitude of his brother and his wife. For one moment the governor stared. Then he turned to Evelyn and said composedly, "If you were a man, I would order you out. Since you are a woman, I ask you to leave this room." Evelyn laughed and tossed her head. He might pretend, but she knew that she had planted in his heart the poisoned seed of suspicion which was embittering her own. Helena had little satisfaction of her talk with Jim. Either he was innocent or on his guard. He adhered firmly to his opinion that Willet was guilty, and should be made to suffer for his crime. Baffled in that direction, Helena resolved to go straight to Willet himself. She visited him in jail, and learned from him the details of the night of the murder— particularly of the incident of the note which had been upon his dresser and which was missing after Strong was shot. This last information confirmed Helena in her suspicions, and she hastened home to confront Jim with this evidence. She was met, upon her entrance, by the governor. Her husband had learned of her visit to the jail, and reiterated his determination to let the law take its course. Finding Jim in the garden, Helena launched her accusation directly at him. "You murdered Jack Strong, and you are standing by to see an innocent man suffer. Your brother says he will not pardon Willet, and Willet's blood will be upon you and your children !" 19 Without a word, Jim turned from her and rushed into the house. Evelyn emerged from the shrubbery — her favorite point of vantage — and burst into a heated denunciation of Helena, accusing her of marrying to please her father and then plotting the death of her former lover. Helena treated this outburst with silent contempt. Meanwhile, the governor was startled by the entrance of his brother, who burst in upon him, crying out : "You must save Willet ! He didn't kill Strong ! I did !" The cheeks of the governor slowly turned to an ashen gray. His erect form seemed to shrink in upon itself. Little Jim ! His little Jim a murderer? It was unthinkable; and yet, as he looked at his brother, he could see that it was true. At last William Lawrence broke the silence. "I refused to save Willet. Therefore I cannot spare you. I must turn you over to the officers." At this. Jim's legs doubled under him, and he would have sunk to the floor if his brother had not supported him into the next room. The governor returned, turning the key in the lock. Then he rang the bell, and ordered the old body servant to go for the officers. Old Chickory, though he had suffered many times from Jim's cruelty, could not bear the thought of "Little Marster" going to jail, and he told the whole truth to Helena. Finding the governor adamant in his decision to give his brother up to justice, Helena secured a key to the room in which Jim was confined and released him. Chickory met them outside with two saddle horses, and before any one suspected Jim's escape, they were galloping away. At the crossroads, Helena drew rein. "Our ways part here," she said. "No, no !" cried Jim. "Come away with me to Argentina !" For the moment Helena was swayed by the old fascination, but only for a moment. "You must go alone," she said firmly, "and go quickly, or you will be overtaken." Jim set spurs to his horse and disappeared down the road. It was dawn when she faced her husband in his library. "I helped Jim," she said quietly. "I could not let you send him to his death."