in exasperation to the sheriff. "Can you give me a
little information, Mr. Kellar? What has that Swede to do with me? Why
am I arrested for the murder of my own self--preposterous! I, a man as
alive as you are? You can see for yourself that I am Elder
Craigmile's son. You know me?"

"I know the Elder fairly well--every one in Leauvite knows him, but I
can't say as I've ever taken particular notice of his boy, and,
anyway, the boy was murdered three years ago--a little over--for it
was in the fall of the year--well, that's most four years--and I must
say it's a mighty clever dodge, as Mr. Stiles says, for you to play
off this on us. It's a matter that will bear looking into. Now you sit
down here and hold on to yourself, while I go through your things.
You'll get them all, never fear."

Then Harry King sat down and looked off through the open window, and
paid no heed to what the men were doing. They might turn his large
valise inside out and read every scrap of written paper. There was
nothing to give the slightest clew to his identity. He had left the
envelope addressed to the Elder, containing the letters he had
written, at the bank, to be placed in the safety vault, and not to be
delivered until ordered to do so by himself.

As they finished their search and restored the articles to his valise,
he asked again that the handcuffs be left off as he walked through the
streets.

"I have no desire to escape. It is my wish to go with you. I only wish
I might have seen the--my father first. He could not have helped
me--but he would have understood--it would have seemed less--"

He could not go on, and the sheriff slipped the handcuffs in his
pocket, and they proceeded in silence to the courthouse, where he
listened to the reading of the warrant and his indictment in dazed
stupefaction, and then walked again in silence between his captors to
the jail in the rear.

"No one has ever been in this cell," said Mr. Kellar. "I'm doing the
best I can for you."

"How long must I stay here? Who brings accusation?"

"I don't know how long: as this is a murder charge you can't
be bailed out, and the trial will take time. The Elder brings
accusation--naturally."

"When is he expected home?"

"Can't say. You'll have some one to defend you, and then you can ask
all the questions you wish." The sheriff closed the heavy door and the
key was turned.

Then began weary days of waiting. If it had been possible to get the
trial over