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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 26, 1910)
X Man WITH SOME INCIDENTAL RELATION TO THE WOMAN By Cynis Townsend Brady Illustrations by Dearborn Me bill CtaBTrUlit. 11, br lloOkb Yard Co. CHAPTER XVI. The Chief of Police Visits Mr. Gormly. On the evening of the second day before the election Connell, dressed In plain clothes and entirely unaccom panied, presented himself very late at' night at Gormly's apartment and do tlred to see him. It was Somes who admitted the official. Gormly's estab lishment Vas a simple one, and the other servants had gone home for the night Somes knew very well who he was, rnd while he bad some of the English I we of the police be bad all the ha tred of a zealous and devoted partlzan of his master, which be certainly was, for the enemy. Therefore he re quested the functionary to take a seat while be carried the request for an In terview to the library. Somes entered the library without knocking, a most unusual course for him. He also took occasion to turn the key of the door behind him. Then he stood at attention In bis respectful English way. Gormly had looked up Instantly the door was opened, and had stopped bis dictation. He was greatly surprised at the valet's en ' trance, and more surprised when he Hocked the dopr; but he realized that something unusual was up and said nothing. "Beg pardon, sir," began Somes de precatingly, "but there's a party out In the hall wants to see you." "Who is It?" "He didn't give any name, sir, but 1 recognized him aa the chief of po lk." , "Yes, nr." "What does he want?" j "He didn't say, sir." "What was bis message?" "Just to tell you that a gentleman that's what he called himself, sir- wanted to see you." "Where Is he now." "I left him sitting out In the hall, but I wouldn't be too sure as to where he Is, sir. He seemed to want to coma right In here without permission, and that's why I locked the door, sir." "I see," answered Gormly, a twinkle (of amusement In his eye. "I wonder what the chief of police can have to say to me? Well, I suppose I'd better see him. Chaloner, will you go Into the dining room and wait until I call for you. Tell the chief to come In, omes." While Chaloner gathered up his otebooks, pencils, and letters and ithdrew Into the dining room across he hall. Somes unlocked the door, (stepped out into the hall and present ly returned. He threw the door of the library open in great style, drew him Belf up and announced as If it had been a reigning prince: "The chief of police of the city of New York!" . Connell glared at him suspiciously, but said nothing. He entered the room, carefully closed the door behind bim, land stood facing bis host. "To what," asked Gormly suavely, am I indebted for the honor of this visit at this late hour?" He danced at the clock as be ppoke and observed that it was half- after eleven. "I've got something to say to you, Gormly," began Connell bruskly. "I am not aware of any Intimacy between you and me, Mr. Connell, jwhlch warrants you in your familiar 'mode of address. Address me with decency and respect, or I'll have you put out of the house!" I "Me!" roared Connell. "You'd lay hands on me, an officer of the law, in the discharge of his " "Are you come here as an officer ol the law In the discharge of your duty? jlf so, will you please tell me without further delay what you want, where is your warrant and incidentally Inform line why you come in plain clotbes?" "Never mind how I come or why 1 jcome!" said Connell wrathfully. "As I said, I've got something to say to you," he paused for a moment "Mr. Gqrmiy, if that's your name. I m go ing to say it, and you're going to listen!" ' "Am I?" said Gormly. "You see thai bell?" He pointed to one of the but tons in the big dosk in the library. "I have only to press that to have two men here Instantly. The three of in are quite equal to throwing you out !of the apartment, and two of us, know, would be more than willing to do it. I think I have had aboul enoueh of you, anyway." "Well, I don't leave till I've had my say, George Fordyce!" was tin answer. In spite of himself Gormly started. He controlled himself Instantly, how ever. "You seem," he said coolly enough, "to have discovered ray middle name, which I dropped for reasons thai seemed good to me when I came to N'aw Tack." Tor reasons TTiat seemed good tn ou!" sneered the big officer. 1 gue3 Tney were gooa to you: -; "What do you krow about them? askej Gormly quietly. I "I kuow what tbey were." "And it is to tell me what you know jtliat you came here tonight?" I "Xot by any means. It's to tell you what Juuve ffut n do niatTm Here "And what have I got to do?" "You've got to withdraw from thii campaign now, tonight" "And how do you propose that 1 should withdraw?" "Set down there and write that foi business reasons you've concluded to withdraw from the campaign; thai you advise your friends to vote foi Pete Warren, the best mayor New York ver had; that you're convinced that you were wrong In the chargea you've made; that Investigation hai showed you that the Gotham Freighi Traction company is all right and that the Sachem Bociety is equally honor able and virtuous. You'll know how to put it, I give you the substance. Fancy it up in your own language You can sling words good and plentj as has been proved in this campaign That's all you got to do." "And If I do this." asked Gormly "what do I get?" "You'll get silence as to your do lngs twenty-five years ago." "Would you mind telltng me what my doings were twenty-five yean iago? , "Certainly not," said the chief. "No reason for concealment between you and me, that I can see. You ran away with a miner's wife out at Camp Kill Devil, Wyo., In the midst of a howlin' blizzard. With the wife you took the man's pile, product of bis hard-work In', toilsome life for a worthless wom an and you. And before you left, you put a bullet into the man's breast meres tnree counts against you; theft, 'dultery, murder. You'll make a hell of a reform mayor, won't you! How'd the people enjoy that?" "Why are you offering me anything, if you possess this power and are con fldent as to your Information? Why don't you publish this stuff and knock me out without giving me any chance to withdraw?" "See here, Gormly, It ain't for you to question! It's for you to do what you're told. We've decided that this is the way this scheme is goin' to be worked, that's all there is to it. II we have our reasons for not publishin' the stuff, why they're ours; they're not yours. "Why, man, all I've got to do is to go down to the district attorney and s wear out a warrant to have you ar rested for murder. We've got our fingers on the woman you run away with and a pretty lookin' old hag she is now, too. She don't want, to bo mixed up in it; but we've got hold of her, and if necessary she'll swear that you done It' We've located several people that used to live In Camp Kill Devil who remember the circum stances. One of 'em said, and the woman corroborates It, that you wrote an acknowledgment with your own hand, sayln' that you shot up the man, and you left It in the cabin. Maybe we can turn that up, too. It's all as clear as dar. I don't really know why I stay here talkln' about it any longer, except I rather enjoy seclu' you squirm." "Have you seen me squirm any yet, -chief?" "No, not ytt; but I can imagine how you're feelln' beneath that Iron com posure of yours. I've had to deal with too many blackguards and criminals not to know that. Well," the man threw up his hands, laid down his cigar and yawned prodigiously, "It's glttin' late. I'll take that withdrawal and go." "Wouldn't it be better for me to have my secretary here?" said Gorm ly, "and dictate what I have to say? Let him make a number of carbon copies of It, so that we could send It to all the papers." "Well, If you want to let your sec retary In on this game, I don t see that I've got any objections," said the chief. Gormly stepped to the door. "Mr. Chaloner," he said, "will you bring your notebook and pencils here? Mr. Chaloner, this is the chief of po lice, Mr. Connell," he continued, as the young man entered the room. "Pleased to know you," said Con nell grimly. Chaloner bowed without saying any thing. "Will you be seated, Mr. Chaloner, and take a statement from my dicta tion? By the way," he pushed a but ton on the desk, and the door Into the hall opened Instantly, with suspi cious promptness, it might have been thought, had any of the party given It any attention, "Somes," said Gormly, "I want you." The servant stepped "Ah, Chief, Unfortunately Yon Were Late." Into the room. "Lock the door, please, so that I may be sure we are not interrupted." "Now." said Gormly, "this gentle man, as you know, Is the chief of po lice." "Yes, sir," said Somes. "He has asked me to dictate a cer tain statement to the people of the city of New York, and I'd like to have you hear what I have to say and witness all that occurs." "Yes, sir." "Are you ready, Mr. Chaloner?" "Quite ready, sir." "Tonight at half after eleven o'clock," began Gormly, "the chief ol police of the city of New York" "You needn't bring me Into It!" roared Cunneir, sitting trp. "Will you have the goodness to be silent, sir?" cried Gormly. "I am die tating this statement, not you!" "Well, you're going to. dictate what I say," thundered the chief, slamming his big hand down on the desk, "oi 111" "Keep back there, Somes," said Gormly sharply as the man stepped forward, bis face aflame. "I can deal with the man. Connell," he contin ued, "you are going to sit right there until I've finished with you. Now, Somes," he said, "you stand right be hind him, and If he attempts to get out of his chair keep him down." "You're assaulting an officer of the law!" roared .the chief, snapping his fingers. "You ought to be man enough to know that the game's against you so far," fcald Gormly, "and keep quiet un til I get through. Then I'll give you a chance to talk. Are you ready now, Mr. Chaloner?" "Quite ready, sir," was the imper turbable answer of that most exce' lent young man. "I'll begin again: "Tonight at half after eleven o'clock Ben Connell, the chief of police of the city of New York, called at my apart irent He came unaccompanied am! wearing plain clothes. The object c' his visit was to demand of me that I fchould withdraw as a candidate fi the mayor of New York; that I shouli. request the people who had honored me vlt.h their support to vote fo:1 Warren; that I should declare my be lief in the Integrity of the Gothau Freight Traction company and tha purity of the Sachem society, of which he is an honored momber. The means by which he sought to Induce me to take this course were a promise of silence as to certain episodes In my past freer, and a threat of Instant nubllcity, including a possible arrest If 1 refused. In the presence of my private secretary, Philip Chaloner, of my friend and servant, William Somes, and of the chief of police, Connell himself, I am dictating this state ment. . "Twenty-five years ago I came to New York. Since that time my ca reer has been thoroughly exploited. The detective force of the city, sup plemented by whatever talent could be procured or suborned, has had me under investigation. To not one act have they been able to point of which I am ashamed, or upon which they could fix an attack. "When I came to New York I was nineteen years of age. I was born in Vermont I received a common school education, graduating from the high school when I was sixteen. My father died before I was born, my mother at my birth. Some small property ac cruing to me waa turned over to me by my guardian on my graduation from the high school. I spent two years at sea as a cabin boy, and then drifted west, finally bringing up at Kill Devil Camp In Wyoming. "There I came under the Influence of a woman older than I, who thought It not unbecoming to her to beguile and entrap the young eastern tender foot who was just entering upon his nineteenth year. I was young, Inex perienced, Impressionable; I fell com pletely under ber Influence. There Is something to be said for her, poor woman. She was married to a drunk en brute of a husband, a miner, a gambler, who was not only unfaithful to her, but who abused her fright fully. I think my sympathies more than my affections were engaged. I had a chivalrlo desire to help her, a boy's reverence for womankind abused and suffering, a quixotic spirit of knight errantry, of which even now I am not ashamed. "I had still some little money left, and resolved to take her away from her intolerable life. I do not wish to shelter myself behind a woman; but I have always told the people of New York the exact truth, and I am do ing It now. We had planned to leave the camp on a certain night and ride south to the Union Pacific. That night was the night of the great bliz zard of 1882, which ia still remem bered in the west. It was very late when I reached her cabin with the horses. The woman was ready for me, waiting engorly In fact Her. bus band bad recently won a email sum of money by gambling. That money she took, .wlt.hjicr, "I worked in a desperate hurry, and at last got my hand on the butt of my pistol. I saw from the look of his eye that I would have little time to draw It. I realized that unless I could I was a doomed man. At that In- stunt there was a flash and a report in the room. Immediately after tho man pulled the trigger of his own pistol, but the bullet went wild. He sank down on his knees, and fell back flying. I dropped my own weapon ana bent over htm. There was a hole In his breast through which the blood was oozing." "Who shot hlmr growled the chief, who had been listening with the great est absorption to the narrative. "The womai shot aim," answered Ooraly. "But yon need set put thai -r ." i.. ! M m aa I have dictated It." He resumed to bis ste- j nogrnpber: ' "There was nothing that I could do for the man. It was more than ever necessary that we get away. In pity for the woman, I tore a blank leaf from a book and wrote upon it that 1 1 ' " . ... ... . 1 had shot this man. We left that note on the body and plunged Into the . storm. Words cannot convey the ; frightful nature of the tempest We became separated In the storm through no fault of mine." "Why the woman told me she threw you down herself after you gave ber your horse," said the chief of police. "Don't put that down, Chaloner. That's not necessary. Now," said Gormly quietly, "Just add this: "After a frightful experience I suc ceeded in reaching the station. I came to Chicago, drifted about there for awhile, and thereafter came to New York determined to retrieve the past. Whether I have done so or not it is for you, my fellow citizens, to Judge. Whether this atory which I re late to you now, because I am com pelled to do so naturally not from choice destroys your confidence in me and makea you believe that I am unworthy of your suffrages and there by unfit to fill the office to which I aspire for your service. It la for you to decide. At any rate, I declare to you, what Is now quite evident, that bo far as I am concerned conscious that however you may regard this solitary episode in my life, which I confess to my sorrow I am now aa confident of my competence and my Integrity to do what I said I would do If you elect me as I was before the disclosure was made. "I have Informed the chief of po lice In closing that this statement is to be sent to every paper In the city. He and those associated with- him who authorized this blackmailing proposition aid I point out that the fact that they made it Is evidence of their quality may do whatever they please in the premises. It only re mains to add that In the west for some boyish whim I went under the name of George Fordyce. The last Is my mtddTe name, and I stgn this state ment therefore "GEORGE FORDYCE GORMLY." "Why. you Infernal fool!" roared the chief, "you're not going to give the whole thing away like that?" "Mr. Connell, that statement goes out, and by the hands of Somes, to every paper In New York as quickly as It can be typewritten. Mr. Chal oner, will you please make the very best speed possible to you?" "Yes, sir." "It won't serve your purpose," blus tered the officer. "In the first place I can deny my part of It I do deny ltl You hear me, you short hand man, be fore you go, and you, you English whelp! I say It's a damned lie I I never made any such proposition to him. It's Just one of his grandstand plays." "I beg your pardon, sir," said Souies, addressing bis master, "but I can testify that be did make such i proposition." "How can you testify?" asked Gormly. "I listened, sir, at the door; my ear to the keyhole." "You hound!" cried the officer. "I don't generally resort to that practise, Mr. Gormly, aa you know, sir," pleaded Somes. "I believe you, Somes." "But in this Instance I did it be cause I knew the man was up to mis chief, and I thought you might want a witness, sir. You know I am sum clently devoted to your Interests to have kept silent, If you had wished me, sir." "Your statement is of the utmost value, said Gormly, smiling. "It will be entirely useless in the face of this proof for the chief of police to deny that he came here and for what pur pose. You see there Is my word, the word of Somes yonder, the corroborat ive evidence of Mr. Chaloner that you were here." "And what about my word?" "Well, if you say you weren't here," said Gormly, coolly, "that'll be about the strongest evidence that could be presented that you were." "I'll swear that It's a damned con spiracy; that you Inveigled me here, knowing that this was going to be made public, and turned it to your ad vantage in this way." "You can swear anything you like." "I'll take oath to what I said, sir," Interposed Somes. "Good," said Gormly. "Mr. Chal oner, I believe you are a notary pub lic r "Yes," said Mr. Chaloner, looking up from the typewriter, which he waa clicking busily. "Will you kindly administer an oath to Mr. Somes here." It was the first time that Oormly had ever dignified his valet with such a title, and the man's face gleamed with pleasure. Chaloner picked up his pencil. "What is the oath?" "Allow me to dictate it," said Gorm ly. "I, William Somes, do solemnly swear that at half after eleven o'clock tonight I admitted to the apartments of Mr. George Gormly, in whoso em ploy I am, one Ben Connell, to me known to be the chief of police of the rtty of New York; that on receiving permission, I ushered said Connell In to the library, where he had an Inter view with the Bald George Qormly; that from my position outside in the nan l neara every word oi eaia inter view; that it took place exactly aa It Is described in the statement of said George Gormly; that the chief of po lice did offer to suppress the story if Bald Gormly would withdraw from the 'campaign." ! ,,'Tha( covert It, I think." , .Tea, air. Exactly, air," was the "Acta: "Subscribel and sworn to before me, Philip Chaloner, notary public, and so on." "Now, Mr. Connell, have you any other move to make?" . . ..... murder by your own confession in the morning," said the chief. "That may be," answered Gormly, "although I hardly think so. There are probably cooler heads and wiser than yours in the ring which I am fighting, and I scarcely think they will desire to proceed to that extremity." "I will see the district attorney at once." "Do so, and ask bim at the same time his opinion of your own course whether as an officer of the law you have been criminally culpable In your action and tell him that aa Boon as It Is daylight, Information, official and formal, shall be laid before him, and that you will be Impeached, Indicted, dismissed, Imprisoned. And this whether I am elected or not." At this moment there was a ring at the door of the apartment The eiectrlo bell bad been ringing before; but no one had noticed It. "See who It is, Somes," said Gorm ly. "And as for you, keep silent" In a moment the Englishman camo back, followed by Livingstone Haldane in a great state of excitement "Mr. Gormly," he cried as he burst Into the room, not seeing the chief, who sat on the other side of the open door and somewhat sheltered by It, "they are going to do you up! They have unearthed some cock and bull story and axe going to force you out of the campaign. My father gave It away to me tonight He said yon would be out of It in the morning. and" "This," said Gormly coolly to the chief, "Is confirmation of your plan, if we needed it." "What!" exclaimed Livingstone Hal dane, observing for the first time the other man. "Are you here?" "I'm goin' now," answered the chief. rising. "Before you go, remember that here I another witness that you were here," said Gormly, pointing to young' Haldane. ' "So he'B been here with his dirty story, has he?" growled the young man. "He has." "And what have you done?" "Chaloner is preparing a statement that I have Issued for the press." "ne warned by me, Mr. Gormly,' said the chief, his voice a singular mixture of entreaty and bullying, "don't send that fool stuff to the pa pers. Perhaps we can deal on some other basis. If we let you get the election and keen aulet about this thing, maybe we can get together and" "Somes," said Gormly, "show this man the door, and If he opens his mouth or says another word, I give you leave to accelerate his exit In any manner you may deslTe." The chief of police opened his mouth. "Remember," said Oormly, "if he says a single word, he is in your bands." "At my feet, sir, beg pardon, Btr,1 returned Somes. Without making a sound, the chief turned, and, followed closely by the valet who hung on his flanks like a bulldog, his fingers itching to grasp his collar, the officer strode from the room. "Now. what is It all about?" asked Haldane, when the door had closed be hind them. By this time Chaloner had finished jone batch of the statements, witn out a word Gormly took one and hand ed it to the young man. lie read it throueh with staring eyes. "You are going to send this out: "Instantly." "It's the bravest thing I ever saw done." "It has to be," said Gormly. "What will be the result of It on the peo- nle?" "If I can Judge by myself, It will settle the question forever in your favor." "Then you don't withdraw from me because " "I am not the withdrawing kind,' said Haldane. "You're a man through And through. You gave me a new hold on life, a new interest You Iikva miule something of me. I am going to stick by you to tho very end. Let me get my signature on that thing. I want to testify that I saw the chief of police here, and that I know from what he Bald in my presence that what you say Is true. They will see that the Haldanes are divided, and that those on your side are not afraid or ashamed to eupport you." "I can never be grateful enough to you," said Oormly. "That's all right," Bald the young man, walking over to where Chutoncr sat and dictating a line or two to be added to the statements. "Do you know," said Gormly, "1 don't think we're out of the woods yet I bolleve that blackguard is ca pable of surrounding the house and preventing the delivery of any of these letters to tho papers." "What good would that do him?" "It would give him time." "Give mo what you have written," said Haldane. "My car's down below, lie won't have had time to do any. thing yet." Ho picked up tho chiefs rdutui "filve mo this. too. and If any body stops mo, It won't be a happy thing for him." "Good," said Gormly, taking the first batch. He marked them for the most Important of the morning pa peri. "If you can deliver these, we'll chance the rest I'll aend the others out by Somes and Cbaloner." "Have you any objection," said Haldane, a he picked up tha latch ti nrs and buttoned hi seat "to my telling Eleanor?- "1 wish you would do so. You will confer a favor on me by doing It Im mediately." I will. Jove! wasn't It lucky that I beard this from my father tonight and came down here to warn yout Goodby. We ll win yet" He wrung the other's band and darted from the room. As be stepped! into his car a number of men turned Into the street and approached the) bouse. There were officers among them, but most of them wore plain clotbes. "Hey, stop that car!" roared a deepj voice which Haldane recognized a that of Connell. Gormly's suspicions were Justified. The car had already fortunately start ed when one or two men leaped at him. One of them gained a footing on the car. With one hand HaJdano, threw on the high speed, with the other he shoved the pistol In the man's face. The man fell back. Toe car leaped suddenly forward.' The chance was gone. I A Moment after Gormly himself! came out of the street door. The men! were huddled in front of the epart-j ment house. He could hear Connell cursing terribly. j "Ah, chief." said he urbanely, "nBrl fortunately you were too late. Thai first batch of copies has gone by the hands of Mr. Haldane In that carJ Good-night gentlemen." i He turned and walked back to thel hallway and took the elevator to hiai own apartment He had put a bold face upon whole matter. He had taken ifter! all was the only prudent course toj take. He had not weakened under the tremendous pressure of the situation for a single instant He had borne himself with' amazing coolness andj courage. Yet the man was absolute ly stricken to the heart. What the effect of the disclosures would be up on the campaign, how the people) would receive It whether or not ha would lose their confidence, whethet or not the honorable reputation he had built up by years of Just and geivi eroua dealing, would vanish, he couldt not tell; and to be truthful, at that moment, these questions were not the) chief of those which filled his heart t He asked himself how Eleanor HaW dane would receive the disclosure, and) what effect It would have upon herl Although she had been overwhelmed by the revelation of her father's po Bltion, Gormly had learned front young Haldane that he had not there by forfeited her regard. Now what difference would thht make to her? She bad said several times that what she admired In hint was his splendid record, his unblem ished honor, his unspotted past And now what would she think? i He might have made his defense) stronger. He might have said that the woman had shot the roan. Ho might have declared ber abandonment of him In the snow storm, her leaving him to die. He might have pointed out that he had assumed the guilt to shelter her; but chivalry was strong; in Gormly. He thought a long time about tho situation, plunging In deeper and thej deeper gloom and Badness as hours dragged by. At last he abaa? doned all hope of ever winning tho woman that he loved. Well, he would) devote himself with more singleness of heart on that account to tho la terest of the people; If Indeed, aftoi .this, they still thought him worthy-ot. leadership and service. ' To be Continued. Mr. Adam Kaffcnberger, of Eight Mile Grove precinct, drove In from the farm this morning and transacted tome business with PlattBmouth mer chants. Do you want an AUCTIONEER? If you do, get ono who has Experience, Ability, Judgement. Telcpraph or write ROBERT WIMNSON, Dunbar, Neb. Dattmado at this office or the Murray State Bank. Good Service Reasonable Rates Hotter Mvo in a Tent on your own land than pay rent for a mansion on your neighbor's land. Think It over, talk It over with your wlfo. llecoeno Independent.. Others have done it, why not you? Start today. Come and Bee us and learn what a very little ready cash will do for you. W. E. ROSENCRANS & SOH CGj Iff GCm3