Next morning, upon taking up a daily paper, he was quite surprised at the headlines reproduced on the following page from the Elmfield _Star_:-- _SHOTS FIRED AT DAVID BALDWIN_ _John Wycliff the Man Who Committed the Assault._ _WYCLIFF’S DWELLING DESTROYED_ _By a Papyrus Mob--He Gives Himself Up to Sheriff Coggswell._ He did not stop to read further, but mounted his horse, and was soon at Congressman Baldwin’s office. “I guess we are rid of John Wycliff for awhile,” remarked the Congressman. “See here, Dave Baldwin, your nephew, Jehu, fired those shots, and I’ll give you just ten minutes in which to call your dogs off from Wycliff. If you don’t do it in that time I’ll telegraph the truth about this affair to a New York paper which you cannot command.” “How do you know that Jehu did it?” asked the Congressman. “Because I saw him coming from this direction, the pistol still in his hand, shortly after I heard the shots.” “Why have you waited until now before saying a word?” “I did not suspect anything wrong until I saw this morning’s paper. There is at least one crisis in a man’s life when he is too full of satisfaction himself to suspect anyone of wrong-doing.” Just then the telephone bell rang. “Is this David Baldwin?” “Yes. Who is this?” “This is Ralph Cutter at Springdale. I am sorry for you in your experience of last night. If you will excuse an old-fashioned country expression, you are barking up the wrong tree. You are entirely wrong in your charge against Wycliff. Your nephew, Jehu, is the real culprit. I heard the shots, and was just taking leave of your sister, when a flash of lightning showed Jehu distinctly, in the middle of the street, and the weapon still in his hand. Probably it was very dull of me, but I never thought anything was wrong. When a man has just found the greatest blessing of his life he may be forgiven for being dull to common things.” “It seems to me that Cupid was working overtime last night,” remarked the Congressman to himself. “I do not wish to make public what I know about Jehu Baldwin,” continued the voice from Springdale, “because I think that some older person put up the job, and has used Jehu merely as a tool; but unless you shall promptly withdraw your charge against Wycliff, justice will compel me to make a public announcement.” “The charge will be withdrawn at once,” replied the Congressman. Baldwin then rang up the jail at Elmfield. “Is this Sheriff Coggswell?” “It is.” “This is David Baldwin. Is Wycliff under arrest?” “He is not. He is my guest. I shall not arrest him unless the law compels me to do so, as I have full proof of his innocence, and of Jehu Baldwin’s guilt. I have a witness who can’t be bribed or brow-beaten, and whose testimony would stand against all the Baldwins that ever lived.” [Congressman Baldwin and Sheriff Coggswell were political enemies.] “A pretty good witness that. Who is he?” “I have no right to tell. You’ll know soon enough.”