my father to know that I had nothing to do with it and

that they tried to kill me because I wouldn't promise to

keep still. It was the little one who murdered him--the

one they called 'Jimmie' and 'The Oskaloosa Kid.' The

big one drove the car--his name was 'Terry.' After they

killed him I tried to jump out--I had been sitting in

front with Terry--and then they dragged me over into

the tonneau and later--the Oskaloosa Kid tried to kill me

too, and threw me out."

Bridge heard the boy at his side gulp. The girl went

on.

"To-morrow you will know about the murder--every-

one will know about it; and I will be missed; and there

will be people who saw me in the car with them, for

someone must have seen me. Oh, I can't face it! I want

to die. I will die! I come of a good family. My father is

a prominent man. I can't go back and stand the dis-

grace and see him suffer, as he will suffer, for I was all

he had--his only child. I can't bear to tell you my name

--you will know it soon enough--but please find some

way to let my father know all that I have told you--I

swear that it is the truth--by the memory of my dead

mother, I swear it!"

Bridge laid a hand upon the girl's shoulder. "If you

are telling us the truth," he said, "you have only a silly

escapade with strange men upon your conscience. You

must not talk of dying now--your duty is to your father.

If you take your own life it will be a tacit admission of

guilt and will only serve to double the burden of sorrow

and ignominy which your father is bound to feel when

this thing becomes public, as it certainly must if a mur-

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