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Dick Prescott's Third Year at West Point, a fiction by H. Irving Hancock |
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Chapter 7. Prescott Lays A Powder Trail |
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_ CHAPTER VII. PRESCOTT LAYS A POWDER TRAIL Greg Holmes turned very white for an instant. Then a flush rose to his face. He leaped to his feet, his hands clenched. "This is an infamous, outrageous, lying-----" "Thank you, Greg," Prescott broke in coolly. "But will you let me question Mr. Griffin?" "Yes," subsided Greg, sinking back into his chair. "I don't know that I could say any more. It would be merely a change in the words." Cadet Prescott turned back to the lawyer. "Mr. Griffin, will you tell me why you sent for me?" "Because," replied the man of law, "I have some knowledge of the average West Point material. Frankly, I couldn't wholly credit this charge against you. I wanted to see you and have a talk with you, and I so informed the elder Dodge. Unless you can satisfy me that this is a ridiculous case, or a wholly malicious prosecution, then I shall feel obliged, as a lawyer, to take up the charges with the district attorney, after which we shall proceed in the usual way. But, first of all, I want to have a talk with you." "That is very fair, sir," replied Dick. "And I want to be fair," replied the lawyer with emphasis. "I want to make sure that I am not taking part in a case needlessly malicious, and one which, pushed to a needless conclusion, might rob the Army of a valuable future officer." "I appreciate your courtesy and fairness, and I, thank you, sir," Dick acknowledged. "Now, Mr. Prescott, do you mind telling me, in a general way, at least, just what you have said to others about young Dodge since you have been home on your furlough?" "I would rather, sir, tell you something else instead," replied Cadet Prescott, with the ghost of a smile. "You have some affidavits, Mr. Griffin---or, at least, you have some witnesses, and they have very likely furnished you with affidavits. The names of your witnesses, or of your most important witnesses, are Fessenden, Bettrick and Deevers. Fessenden was a bank clerk, discharged from the bank by the elder Dodge. Bettrick is a truck-driver, and Deevers is---well, I understand he has no more important occupation than lounging about drinking places." "I am sorry that you know the names of my witnesses," replied Lawyer Griffin gravely. "I am beginning to be impressed with the idea that you know their names so readily because you recall having said something in their presence or hearing against young Dodge." "That is hardly likely," replied Dick, smiling coolly, "because I do not believe that I know either of the three young men by sight." "Then why," demanded the attorney, eyeing the young West Pointer keenly, "do you know so much about their occupations or lack of occupation? And why do you know that they are all young men?" "I will tell you," replied Dick. "In the first place, you know Dr. Carter, do you not?" "Yes." "He is a reputable physician, isn't he?" "I believe Dr. Carter to be a very honorable man." "Do you know Dr. Davidson?" "I understand that he is one of the new pastors in town," admitted the lawyer. "You imagine he would make a creditable witness, don't you?" "Jurors generally accept the testimony of a clergyman at its face value," replied Attorney Griffin. "Down in one of the tenements of Gridley," pursued Prescott, rising and leaning one elbow upon the corner of the top of the lawyer's roll-top desk, "is a young man named Peters. He is a mill hand who has been away from his work for weeks on account of illness. Dr. Carter has been attending him, probably without charging much if any fee. Last night Peters had a small boy rush out and telephone in haste for Dr. Carter. As it happened, the physician was at his office, and answered quickly. After Dr. Carter had been in Peters's room, perhaps a minute, the physician hurried out into the street, stopping the first man whom he met. That man happened to be Dr. Davidson. The two men returned to Peters's room. Now, all three of them listened." Lawyer Griffin was eyeing Prescott curiously. "Yesterday afternoon," continued Dick, changing the subject with seeming abruptness, "Fessenden, Bettrick and Deevers were all here, and signed affidavits before a clerk of yours, who is a notary public." "Proceed," requested Mr. Griffin, without either denying or admitting the truth of Dick's statement. "Since he lost his bank position," Dick went on, "Fessenden has been compelled to live in a wretched room next to that occupied by the sick man Peters. Two nights ago, as you will remember, there was a heavy rain. Now, the roof leaked at that tenement house, and the dripping water washed away some of the plaster covering the none-too-thick partition between the room of Fessenden and the room of Peters. So our sick man heard much of the conversation between Fessenden and the fellow's confederates. Now Peters, the physician and the clergyman are all willing to swear to the statement that Bert Dodge hired Fessenden, Bettrick and Deevers to testify against me. Young Dodge, according to the overheard conversation, met and drilled all three in their parts. That was before the three came here yesterday afternoon, with the Dodges, and supplied you with the affidavits that you now hold. For this service, Dodge is believed to have paid each young loafer the sum of twenty dollars, with a promise of eighty more apiece after they had told their tales in court. That, Mr. Griffin, is the other side of the story. Bert Dodge has deliberately hired three men to swear falsely against me." As he finished Dick dropped carelessly back into the chair. He appeared wholly cool. Not so Greg Holmes, whose face, during this recital, had been a study. Now Greg was upon his feet in a flash. "How long have you known this, old ramrod?" he demanded. "Dr. Davidson told me this, in the back room at the store, just before we came here," Prescott replied. "And you never told me---didn't even give me a hint?" cried Holmes reproachfully. "Why, I thought I'd tell Mr. Griffin first," answered Dick. "I have seldom heard anything that interested me more," admitted the lawyer. "Yet, why didn't you bring Dr. Davidson and Dr. Carter here with you?" "One good reason," replied Dick bluntly, "was that I didn't know anything about you, Mr. Griffin. I am glad to say that I have found you most fair minded. But, not knowing you, I wanted to see you and judge for myself whether there was any chance that you were in league with my enemies. Had I made up my mind that you were anywhere nearly as bad as young Dodge, I would have let this matter get as far as the courts, when I would have overwhelmed you all with charges of perjury, and would have proved my charges at least against Bert Dodge and his three tools." "Mr. Prescott, of course I don't mean to throw any doubt over the truth of what you have just told me. At the same time, as counsel for the Dodges, I shall have to satisfy myself on these particulars. "Do you know Dr. Carter's voice well?" asked Prescott. "Very well." "Then kindly allow me to use your telephone." Pulling the desk instrument toward him, and hailing central, Dick called for "33 Main." "Hello, is Dr. Carter in," called Dick after a moment. "This is Prescott. Do you recognize my voice? Very good, sir; will you now talk with Lawyer Griffin, who is beside me, and tell him what you heard last night in the room of one Peters? Here is Dr. Cater waiting for you Mr. Griffin." Lawyer and physician talked together for some minutes, the attorney's excitement increasing. Greg, in the meantime, was executing a silent jig over near the door of the room. "Now, you can call up Dr. Davidson," suggested Cadet Prescott. "I don't need to," replied the lawyer. "Dr. Carter has substantiated all that you told me, and has informed me that Dr. Davidson is ready to be called upon for the same information. Instead, I shall call upon some one else." An instant later the attorney called up another number. "Hello," he said presently. "Connect me with Mr. Dodge. Hello, is that you, Mr. Dodge? Can you reach your son readily? Oh, he is there at the bank with you, is he? This is Mr. Griffin. I shall expect you both at my office within five minutes. Yes; about the Prescott matter. No; I can't tell you over the 'phone. Both of you come here. Goodbye!" As though to wind up the conversation abruptly, Lawyer Griffin rang off and hung the receiver on its hook. "Now, we'll wait and here the other side," remarked the lawyer grimly. "If the other side dares make its voice heard!" laughed Cadet Dick Prescott. There being now no need of silence, Greg Holmes relieved himself of some noisy enthusiasm. _ |
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