given by persons who admit their own unreliability.”
“One moment,” asserted Dowser. “I take it, Wellerton, that you think there is no proof. I do not care for your opinion. It is Sheriff Taussig whom I intend to convince. Come this way - to my study. There you shall see evidence.”
The vigilantes followed, covering Graham with their revolvers. Dowser, Taussig, and Delkin drew Graham along with them into the study, where the lawyer turned on the lights. Carma and Wolf followed. The masked guardians grouped themselves within the door.
Harwin Dowser opened the safe. From it, he drew an envelope. He pulled back the flap and produced a folded paper. His sharp eyes were gleaming as he handed the document to Sheriff Taussig.
“There,” declared Dowser emphatically, “you will find the proof of the first statement made. That is the marriage license, dated March the third, 1928, which pronounces Carma Urstead to be the wife of Graham Wellerton. That is the document which caused me to accept the woman’s story. This will in my pocket” - Dowser handed the new paper to Taussig - “goes with it, naming the woman as heiress to Graham Wellerton’s entire estate.”
SHERIFF TAUSSIG opened the marriage license. He stared at it in perplexity. He raised his head and looked wonderingly about the group. His face became firm - and challenging.
Harwin Dowser looked over the sheriff’s shoulder; Graham Wellerton, on the other side, did the same. A cry of amazement came from Graham’s lips. In one brief instant, complete understanding of a long-continued plot came to his mind.
The marriage license which Sheriff Taussig was reading was not dated March 3, 1928. It was two years older than that, bearing the date of April 9, 1926. But that was not the astounding feature of the document. The names upon it were startling points.
Carma Urstead was named, but Graham Wellerton was not. The man whose name was given in the marriage license was Willis Daggert - Wolf Daggert!
With a cry of triumph, Graham Wellerton turned to throw his counter accusation against these two whose conspiring brains had thrust him into a life of crime.
CHAPTER XXIII
A NEW ALLY
COMPLETE confidence ruled Graham Wellerton now. He felt that he had gained the point he needed - a startling piece of information that would enable him to place his past faults squarely upon those who were responsible.
Ralph Delkin knew of Graham’s career of crime. To Delkin, Graham had stated facts concerning Carma Urstead. Now that the woman was proven as the wife of another man, Graham’s case was established so far as Delkin was concerned.
Through Delkin, Graham felt that he could swing Sheriff Taussig; as for Harwin Dowser, the old lawyer would have to capitulate, now that his pet theories had been disturbed. Graham realized that Carma, actually the wife of Wolf Daggert, had married him by trickery. Then, conspiring with Wolf, she had forced Graham into crime to meet her demands for money.
Evidently the woman had kept both marriage licenses: the bona fide one, which named her as the wife of Wolf Daggert; and the false, illegal document which named Graham Wellerton as her husband. Graham decided that there must have been a mistake; that Carma had inadvertently placed the first license in Dowser’s keeping.
Carma was staring at the paper. The words she blurted forth merely served to prove the genuineness of the license which Sheriff Taussig was holding.
“That’s the old one,” cried Carma. “My old license - which I left in New York! Someone must have stolen it and brought it here. It has been put in the safe instead of the one I gave to Mr. Dowser!”
Sheriff Taussig was quick to catch the woman’s statement. He stared at Carma as he waved the paper which he held in his hand.
“You mean you were married before you met Wellerton?” quizzed Taussig. “I see - married to this crook” - Taussig nudged his head at Wolf - “and working with him to put young Wellerton in bad. Well, I’m going to pinch both of you - and it will be lucky for you, woman, if that other license don’t show up.”
The sheriff turned to the masked men at the door. With an air of authority, he addressed the vigilantes.
“We don’t need you fellows,” asserted Taussig. “I’ll grab these two crooks. I’ll see that Wellerton sticks around until this whole matter is thrashed out.”
“Hold on, sheriff!” announced Harwin Dowser. “We’re not through with Wellerton. yet. You forget why we brought him here. Delkin’s daughter is missing. Wellerton threatened Delkin. Just because you’ve spotted two crooks is no proof of Wellerton’s innocence. He is as bad as the others. We’ve got to find that girl!”
Threatening tones came from the vigilantes at the door. Two men were advancing with drawn guns. Taussig stood stock-still. His revolver was in his pocket.
“We’ve waited long enough,” growled one of the masked men. “We’re going to grab Wellerton and make him talk. He kidnaped the girl sure enough. He’s going to tell us where she is.”
“Stay where you are!” ordered Taussig.
“Nothing doing,” growled the vigilante. “We’re handling Wellerton from now on. If he don’t tell us what he’s done with the girl, we’ll string him up to a tree.”
Graham Wellerton realized his helplessness. These vigilantes, like every group that dealt in lynch law, were probably men who did not care to waste time in listening to reason. The issue had been diverted. Sheriff Taussig intended to arrest Carma and Wolf. But that would not help Graham’s situation.
Taussig was helpless; Delkin was horrified. There was only one man who might be able to appease the wrath of these masked vigilantes. That one was Dowser. Graham turned to the old lawyer in appeal.
“This is your house,” he said. “You may have some authority over those who have come here. If these men will wait -“
DOWSER’S warning hand seemed to hold back the vigilantes. They did not relax their tenseness. Four men in this room; four in the room beyond; all were ready with their revolvers. Dowser’s decision was all that they awaited.
“Tell what you know, Wellerton,” suggested the old attorney. “If you can lead these men to Eunice Delkin, they will not harm you. Where is the girl?”
“I don’t know,” blurted Graham.
“You must tell,” insisted Dowser. “If Eunice Delkin is alive and well, your life will be spared. There is no one else in Southwark who would have had cause to steal her - no one but yourself. Where is she?”
“I don’t know,” repeated Graham.
“You’ve killed her, eh?” came the suggestion from the leading vigilante. “That’s why you’re keeping mum? Well - if that’s the case, we’ll string you up in a hurry!”
Harwin Dowser shook his head sadly. Ralph Delkin, his face pale, was pleading with the masked men to use discretion. Ellis Taussig placed his hand upon his pocket.
“If you grab Wellerton,” thundered the sheriff, “I’ll draw -“
“Don’t!” warned Dowser. “These men would kill you, Taussig! If Wellerton will only speak and tell the truth, there is a chance for him.”
“Help us out, Wellerton!” exclaimed the sheriff. “Do you know where the girl is? Can you give us any clew? We want to save your life. If only we could find a trace of Eunice Delkin and -“
The sheriff’s tones ended. Taussig, his face registering astonishment, was staring toward the side door of the study. Someone was entering there, and as the figure came into the light, others, beside the sheriff, uttered cries of amazement.
Coming into this room where death threatened, brought to this place just in time to avert a crisis, was Eunice Delkin!
Pale, the girl was advancing, her eyes filled with horror. She did not notice her father. She could see only Graham Wellerton, threatened by a group of armed masked men. With a sob, the girl sprang forward and threw her arms around Graham Wellerton. Dazedly, the young man realized that deliverance had arrived, then came a thought
