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The Garotters by William Dean Howells
page 24 of 48 (50%)
WILLIS: 'And I don't see how you're going to satisfy him that it
was all a joke. Joke? It WASN'T a joke! It was a real assault and
a bona fide robbery, and Bemis can prove it.'

ROBERTS: 'But he would never insist--'

WILLIS: 'Oh, I don't know about that. He's pretty queer, Bemis is.
You can't say what an old gentleman like that will or won't do. If
he should choose to carry it into court--'

ROBERTS: 'Court!'

WILLIS: 'It might be embarrassing. And anyway, it would have a
very strange look in the papers.'

ROBERTS: 'The papers! Good gracious!'

WILLIS: 'Ten years from now a man that heard you mentioned would
forget all about the acquittal, and say: "Roberts? Oh yes! Wasn't
he the one they sent to the House of Correction for garotting an old
friend of his on the Common!" You see, it wouldn't do to go and
make a clean breast of it to Bemis.'

ROBERTS: 'I see.'

WILLIS: 'What will you do?'

ROBERTS: 'I must never say anything to him about it. Just let it
go.'

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