Mr. Judson gave no indication that he heard the question. He resumed:
“The truth had been kept from Pauletta. She believes that I was abroad during those years I spent in prison. Here in Riverview I prospered, people were kind to me. I made money and made it honestly. The future was very bright until a year ago.”
“Then you gave up your newspaper,” commented Penny. “Why?”
“Can’t you guess?”
“Blackmail?”
Mr. Judson nodded. “One day a man came to me, a man I had known in prison. He threatened to expose me unless I paid him a large sum of money.”
“And you agreed?”
“I did.”
“Wasn’t that rather foolish? People would have been charitable if you had admitted the truth.”
“I considered it from every angle, particularly from Pauletta’s standpoint. I gave the man what he asked, although it cost me the Morning Press. But that was not the end.”