The Iola register., 1886-01-01
CARRISTON'S GIFT.
The Story Of an Occult and Mys-
terious Power.
me Danger to Which Its Posses.or Wa.
subject. and How II Was Used to
Oiseover the Lost-Evil Mschi.
nations ThWarted.
~ Hugh Consrdy, Author of "Dask Dum. y
"Cdtled Back" etc.
PART L-CoNrINUEp.

As sniS cApiduatlOn OF M8uellne
disappearance seemed to give me VIII.
1 can only compare to smack in IL
face. l stared at the speaker in speecl
less astonishmcnt If the tale he tol
SO glibly and c.rcumstantially was tru,
farewell. so far as was concerned, I
belief in the love or purity of womer
Madeline Rowan, that creature of
poets dream, on the eve of her maj
rage with Charles Carriston. to fly
whether wed or unwed mattered little
With another man. And yet, she wa
oNt a woman. Carriston-or Carr, a
she only knew him-was in her eve
poor. The companion of her fligh
might have won her with gold. Sue
things have been. Still
My r:spid and wrongful meditation
Were cut short in an unexpected wav
Suddenly saw Mr.. Sharpe dragge,
bodily out of his chair and flung agains
the wall, while Carristop, standing owe
him. thrashed the man vigorously will
his own ash stick-a convenient weap
on. SO convenient that felt Mr. Sharp,
could not have selected a stick NOR,
appropriate for his own chastisement
SO Carriston seemed to think, for b,
laid on cheerfully some eight or ter
good cutting strokes
Nevertheless. being respectable
doctor and man of peace, l was com
pelied to interfere. | held Carriston'
arm while Mr.. Sharpe struggled to his
feet, and after collecting his hat and
pocket-book. stood glaring vengefully
1t his assailant. and rubbing the while
such OF the weals on his back as he
could reach. Annoyed as felt at the
unprofessionai trdcds. could scarcely
help laughing at the mans appearance.
doubt the possibility of any one look
ing heroic after such thrashing.
I'm have the law for this" he
growled. Il amt paid to be beaten
by a madmao"
You're paid to do my work, net
another said Carriston. go to
the man who has over-bribed you and
sent You to tell ME your lies. Go TO
him; tell him that once more he has
failed. Out of my sight"
As Carriston showed signs of recon-
menc:ng hostile operations. the man
fled as far as the doorway. There. be-
ing ic comparative safety, he turned
witt, malignant look
You'll smart for this he said;
"whcn they lock You up as raving
iunatic. I'll try and get a post as
keeper"
was glad to see that Carris:on paid
no attention 10 this parting shaft. He
turned his back scornfully. and the fei-
low left the room and the house
=
Carris:on, turning to me-
Convinced of what? That his tale
il untrue, or that he has been misled, l
a,h quite certain"
"Tush! That is not worth con.
sideration. Don't YOU see that Ralph
has done all this? 1 set that man to
watch him; he found out the espionage:
suborned my agent-or Your agent,
should say; sent him here with a
tTumped-up tale. Oh yes: l was to
believe that Madeline had deserted me
that was to drive me out of NV
senses. My cousin is fool. after all!'
without further proof can not be-
Eeve that your suspicious are correct"
said; but l must own l spoke with
some hesitation.
proof: A clever man like YOU ought
to see ample proof in the fact of that
wretch having twice called me a mad
man. l have seen him but once before
you know if then l gave him any
grounds for making such an assertion.
Tell ME, from whom could he have
learnt the word except from Ralph Car
riston?'
Twas bound. if only to save nv own
reputation for sagacity. to confess that
the point noted by CarristOn had raised |
certain doubts in nv mind. But if
Ralph Carriston really was irving by |
some finely wrought scheme to bring |
about what he desired, there was all the |
more reason for great caution to be ex-
ercised.
81 am sorry You beat the fellow"
seid. He will now swear right and |
left that you are not in your senses"
'-Of course he will What do l care?"
'Only remember this. 1t is easier
to get put in an asylum than to get out
of it,
1T is not SO very easy for sane
man like myself to be put in, especially
when he is on his guard. l have looked
UP the law. There must be q certificate
signed by two doctors. surgeons, or,
believe, apotbecaries will do. who have
seen the supposed lunatic alone and to-
gether. I'll take very good care speak
to no doctor save yourself, and keep out
Of the way of surgeons and apothe-
carries"
1t quite cheered me to hear him
speaking SO sensibly and collectsdly
about himself. but l again impressed
upon him the need of great caution.
Although l could not believe that his
cousin had taken Madeline away, l
was, after the affair with the spy, in
.lined to think that, as Carriston
,yerred. he aimed at getting him, sane
or insane, into 4 mad-house.
But after all these DAYS we were not
! step nesres:.to the discovery of Made
ines whereabouts. Carriston made no
IGN of doing anything to facilitate that
discovery. Again urged him to in
rust the whole affair to the police.
again he refused to do SO, adding that
le was pot quite ready. Ready for
that wondered?
/ must confess. in spite of nv affec- 6
ion for Carriston, l felt inclined to
ebes against the course which matters 8
'ere taking. was a prosaic. matter
f-fact medical man. doing my work to S
be best of my ability, and anxious
Tben that work was done that my b
ours OF leisure should be as free from :
'orTy and care as possible. With o
Arriston's advent several disturbing v
)ements entered into my quiet life.
Let Ralph Carriston be guilty or in !!
ocent of the extraordinary crime v