Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1886-01-07

/ hours ot leisure hhuhlu nv ~ Heu iluh
wmry and caro- as possible With
Carrlston's advent several disturbing
elements entered into my quiet life.
Let Ralph Carrlslon be guilty or In.
nocent OF the extraordinary crime
which bis cousin laid at his door, ! felt
certain that he was anxious to obtain
possession Of the supposed lnnailc's s
person. Il would suit bis purposes for
his cousin TO 10 proved mad. did not
believe that even II the capture was
legally effected, Carriston's liberation
would bc matter Of great difficulty so
long as he remained in his present
state OF mind, so long as |. doctor OF
somo standing, could 60 into the wit
ness.box and swear TO his sanity But
my old dread was always with me 1.-The
dread that any further shock would
oyerturn the balance Of his sensitive
mind.
so /, was that every hour that Car
rision was out Of my sight was fraught
with anxiety. II Ralph Carriston was
really as INSCRIPTIONS us my friend
supposed II he had really, as seemed
almost probable, subornod our agent,
he might by some crafty trick obtain
the needful certificate, and some day |
should come home and find Carrislon
had beeuATemoyed, In such case |
. ioresaw great trouble and distress.
Besides, after all that had occurred.
il was as much as | could do to lelieve
that Carriston was not mad. Any doe
tor who knew what | knew would have
given the verdict against him.
After dlsmssing his visions and hall
lucinations with the contempt which
they deserved, the fact Of man who
was madly, passionatcly in love with a
woman. and who believed that she had
been entrapped and was still kept in re-
straint, sitting down quietly and let
ting day after day pass without making
an effort toward iinding her, was in
itself primd tdcie evidence OF insanity
A sane man would at once have set al
the engines Of detection At work.
felt that If once Ralph Carriston
obtained possession OF him he could
make out a strong case in his own
favor First Of all, the proposed mar
riage out OF the defendants own sphere
OF life; the passing under false name;
the ridiculous, or apparently ridiculous.
accusation made against his kinsmaa;
the murderous threats; the chastse-
ment of his own paid agent who brought
him report which might not seem at
all untrue TO any one who knew not
Madeline Rowan. Leaving out Of the
question what might be wrung from
me in cross examination, Ralph Car
riston had 4 strong case and | knew
that, once in his power, my friend might
possibly be doomed to pass years, if not
his whole life, under restraint So |
was anxious, very anxious.
And felt an anxiety, scarcely second
to that which prevailed on Carriston's
account, as to the fate of Madeline.
Granting, for sake of argument, that
Carrlston's absurd conviction that no
bodily harm had as yet been done her
was true, felt sure that she, with her
scarcely less sensitive nature, must feel
the separation from her lover rs much
as he himself felt the separation from
her. Once or twice | tried to comfort
myself with cynicism tried to persuade
myself that young woman could not
in our days be spirited away that she
had gone by her own free-will that
there was man who had at tie
eleventh hour alienated her affections
from Carriston. But | could not bring
myself to believe this. So | was placed
between the horns of a dilemma
If Madeline had not fled of her own
free-will, some one must have taken her
away, and ii so. our agents report was /
a coined one, and, if coined one, is
sued at Ralph's instance; therefore.
Ralph must be the prime actor in the
mystery.
But in sober moments such deduc-
ton seemed an utter absurdity.
Although have said that Carriston
was doing nothing toward clearing up /
the mystery, ! wrong him in so saying, |
After his own erratic way, he was at
work. At such work, too ! really |
lost all patience with him.
He shut himself up in his room out
Of VIII ch he scarcely stirred for three
days. BY that time he had completed
a large and beautiful drawing Of his
man. This he took to we'll
known photographers and ordered sew
eral hundred small photographs Of it to
be prepared as soon as possible The
minute description which he had given
me OF his fanciful creation was printed
at the foot of each copy. As soon as
the first batch OF these precious photo
graphs was sent home. 10 my great Joy
he did what he should have done days
ago; yielded TO my wishes and put the
matter into the hands Of the police.
! was glad to find that in giving de-
tails of what had happened he said
nothing about the adyisability Of keep
ing a watch on Ralph Carristons pro-
ceedngs. He did, indeed. offer an alb
surdly large reward for the scoyery
Of the missing girl, and, moreover,
gave the officer In charge Of the case
packet Of photographs Of his phantom
man. telling him in the graycst manner
hat he knew the original OF that like
ness had something to do with the dis
Of Miss Rowan. The OIL
GER, WHO thought the portrait was that
lf natural being. took his instructions
n good faith, although be seemed great
" surprised when he heard that Carris
on knew neither the name nor the oc-
'upation, in fact. knew nothing con-
'erning the man who was 10 be sought
Tor However as Carrsion assured
him that finding this man would insure
he reward as much rs II he found
the officer readily promised
o combine the two tasks. little know
ng what waste Of time any attempt to
perform the latter must be-
Two days after this. Carriston came
o me. a shall leave you tomorrow"
he said.
''Where are you going?" | asked
why DO you leave?
Il am going to travel about. have
10 intention Of letting Ralph get hold
Il me. so mean 10 20 from place to
'lacs until lind Madeline"
BE careful,n | urged.
Il shall be careful enough. I'll take
are that no doctors, surgeons, or even
ipothecaries get on my track. | shall
% Just as the iit seizes me. II can't
ay one day where I shall be the next
/ viii be impossible for that villain to
now"
This was not bad argument In
ACT If be carried out bis resolve Of
Iassing quickly from place 10 place. /