CHAPTER XXIV.--AN ACCIDENT AND A CONFESSION.
Jimmy opened his mouth to speak, then bowed his head and turned away.
"Don't be too hard on the boy, Willing," said Mr. Ashton, taking a stepforward.
"Hard on him!" repeated Mr. Willing. "How can I be too hard on him? Thelittle scoundrel has sold me out."
"Perhaps he is not to blame," said Leonard.
Mr. Willing turned upon him.
"There have been too many of you trying to run my affairs," he saidangrily. "In the future, I shall attend to them myself."
He turned and strode rapidly toward the house where he immediatelytelephoned for a veterinary to come out and look at Gabriel. Then hewent to his own room, where he sat down, pulled out a cigar, and smokedin silence.
"I wish I hadn't spoken," moaned Shirley, as her father walked away."Poor Jimmy! Perhaps he is not to blame, after all."
"Still," said Mr. Ashton, "appearances are much against him,particularly after what has gone on before. Certainly Jones would nothave approached him again unless he had reason to believe that Jimmywould accept his offer."
"It does look that way," agreed Leonard.
But Shirley refused to be comforted.
"It's all my fault," she cried, and ran to the house, where she threwherself down upon her bed and gave way to tears.
There Mabel found her half an hour later and tried to soothe her.
"There, there," she said, stroking her friend's head. "It will all comeout right in the end. If Jimmy is guilty he should be put off the place.If he isn't, it will be proven."
"I know he isn't!" cried Shirley. "I knew it the minute I spoke. Oh, whydid I say anything?"
"You did perfectly right," declared Mabel.
Suddenly Shirley sprang to her feet.
"Has Jimmy gone yet?" she asked, drying her tears as she spoke.
"I don't know," replied Mabel.
Shirley hurried out the door.
"I must see him before he goes," she exclaimed. "Come, maybe we can findhim."
The girls left the room hurriedly, and made their way to the front ofthe house. There, trudging slowly toward the pike-gate, with a bundleover his shoulder, they made out the slight form of Jimmy Smith.
"Jimmy!" called Shirley, but the boy did not look back.
Shirley ran after him, and Mabel followed her friend.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Jimmy turned and looked back. PerceivingShirley, he faced about again and would have gone on had not the girlcalled to him.
"Wait a minute, Jimmy."
Jimmy halted and waited until Shirley came up to him.
"Jimmy," cried the girl, "can you ever forgive me? I know you are notguilty."
"No," said Jimmy quietly, "I am not guilty. It is true I talked toJones, but he did not even suggest treachery to me."
"I know it! I know it!" declared Shirley. "And it is my fault that Dadhas acted so."
"It was your duty to your father, Miss Shirley," declared the lad.
"It is good of you to say so," declared the girl, "but what shall wedo?"
"I shall find employment in town," said Jimmy. "Some day, perhaps, yourfather will learn that he has misjudged me."
"I'll make him see it," declared Shirley. "You shall yet win the Derbywith Gabriel."
Jimmy smiled sadly.
"I am afraid it is impossible," he replied. "Should you ever need me,Mr. Wilson will tell you where to find me. I shall leave my address withhim. Good-bye."
He turned again, and before Shirley could protest, had continued on hisway. For long minutes the girl looked after him, and then, stifling asob, she made her way back toward the house.
A sudden cry of anguish came from the direction of the stable. Shirleylistened intently, and heard another scream.
Shirley dashed in the direction from which it had come.
Reaching the stable she paused for a moment, listening. Nothing butsilence. But as she was about to move on again, a low groan caught herear. Again she listened. It came from Gabriel's stall.
Shirley hastened forward.
From Gabriel's stall protruded Gabriel's black head. His eyes flamedangrily and he uttered snorts of rage.
"What's the matter, Gabriel?" asked Shirley, and ran forward.
Gabriel gave a low whinny, and the fire left his eyes. Shirley openedthe stall door and stepped inside. And she drew back with a cry of fear.
In the far corner of the stall lay a human form, twisted and out ofshape. Shirley ran quickly toward it, and started back with a cry:
"Uncle Frank!"
There was no reply from the silent form. Stooping hastily, Shirley laidhold of the shoulders and dragged the body from the stall, closing thedoor behind her. Then she bent over the still figure.
The face was caked with blood, and the arms and limbs hung limp. Amoment and Uncle Frank's eyes opened and he gave vent to a feeble groan.
Shirley laid him down gently, and ran toward the house.
"Dad!" she cried. "Dad! Gabriel has killed Uncle Frank!"
Mr. Willing roused from his reverie with a start and hurried to thestable. Others who had heard Shirley's words followed him. Soon everyhuman being on the place was crowding around the stable.
Mr. Willing arrived first, and bent over the form of his old servant.
"What's the matter, Frank?" he asked gently.
"Gabriel," gasped the old negro, whose senses had now come back to him."Gabriel! He dun kill me!"
"Oh, it's not as bad as all that," replied Mr. Willing hopefully. Heturned to the crowd of negroes gathered about. "Telephone for Dr.Thompson, quick, one of you. Here," motioning to two others, "help mecarry him to the house."
Gently the old darky was picked up and carried to the house, where Mr.Willing laid him upon a sofa on the porch.
Uncle Frank was perfectly conscious now.
"How did it happen, Frank?" asked Mr. Willing. "Surely you knew Gabrielwouldn't allow you in his stall."
"Yessah. But I went--I went in anyhow."
"Why?"
Uncle Frank did not reply. He began to cough.
"Take off his coat, Dad," exclaimed Shirley.
Gently they raised the old negro, and Mr. Willing took hold of his coat.Uncle Frank protested vigorously, but Mr. Willing drew the garment offanyhow, and threw it to a chair across the room.
It left a trail of greenbacks upon the floor.
Greatly surprised, Shirley stooped and picked them up, and,unthinkingly, counted them.
"Five hundred dollars," she exclaimed. "Where in the world did he getall this money?"
She considered the point for some minutes, and then exclaimed aloud.
"Look, Dad," she said, and handed him the roll of bills. "These droppedout of Uncle Frank's pocket."
Mr. Willing looked at his daughter in astonishment.
"Where on earth did he get that money?" he exclaimed.
Shirley smiled slightly.
"Unless I am greatly mistaken," she said, "this is the same five hundreddollars Mr. Jones offered Jimmy Smith if he would 'pull' Gabriel in theDerby."
Mr. Willing seemed staggered.
"Impossible!" he exclaimed. "Why, Frank has been with me for years. Heis as faithful as the day is long."
"Will he get well?" asked Shirley abruptly.
Mr. Willing shook his head.
"There is no chance," he replied. "I knew enough to see that. Hardly arib in his body but is broken. Also, he is badly crushed internally. No,he will not live."
"Then," said Shirley, "he must be made to clear Jimmy before he dies."
Mr. Willing was silent for a long time.
"It is hard to believe," he said at last, "but you must be right."
He approached the bed.
"Frank," he said quietly, "why did you sell me out?"
The old negro rolled his eyes but did not reply.
"Frank," said Mr. Willing again, "you are going to die."
"No! No!" cried the old negro.
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sp; "It is true," continued Mr. Willing. "Now, Frank, haven't I alwaystreated you all right?"
"Yessah!"
"Then tell me why you sold me out."
Still the old negro was silent.
"Frank," said Mr. Willing, "did you put the painted bit in Gabriel'sstall?"
The old negro nodded.
"Yessah."
He turned his head and sobbed.
"Don't question him any more, Dad," said Shirley, also with tears in hereyes. "It is enough that we know Jimmy is innocent. Let him die inpeace."
Suddenly Frank half rose in the bed, and a fit of coughing shook him.
"The end is near," said Mr. Willing quietly. "The doctor will be toolate."
The old negro drew himself up high in the bed, and gazed at Mr. Willing.Then, slowly, hesitatingly, he extended an old and wrinkled hand.
"Good-bye, suh," he said, in a low voice. "I'se sorry."
Mr. Willing took the hand without a word. A smile lighted up the oldnegro's face. Then, suddenly, he fell back.
Mr. Willing bent over him.
"He is dead," he said, and his voice broke.
Shirley turned quietly toward the door.
"Where are you going?" demanded Mr. Willing, in a low voice.
"I am going to bring Jimmy back."