San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-09-04
This story was commenced August ~
C2rliSt0l'S Gift.
by HUGH CONWAY.
PART |.

TOLD BY PHILIP BRAND, NJ. p, LONDON.
- my great JOY ne md what ne should have
done days ago; yielded TO my wishes, and
put the matter into the hands of the police.
! was glad TO md that in giving details of
what had happened he said nothing about
the ACCESSIBILITY of keeping a watch on Ralph
CaTristOnS proceedings. He did, indeed, Of
fer an abSurdly large reward for the diScOv-
cry of the missing girl; and, moreover, gave
the officer in charge of the case packet of
photographs of his phantom man, telling him
I'm the gravest manner that he knew the Origi-
nal of that likeness had something TO do with
the disappearance Of Miss Rowan. The Of
ficer, who thought the portrait was that of a
natural being, took his instructions in good
faith, although he seemed greatly surprised
when he heard that CarristOn knew neither
the name nor the occupation, in fact, knew
nothing concerning the man who was To be
sought for. However, as CarriStOn assured
him that finding this man would insure the
reward as much as if he found Madeline, the
officer readily promised to combine the two
tasks, little knowing what waste of time any
attempt to perform the latter must be.
Two days after this CaTTiStOn came to me.
II shall leave you tomorrow" he said.
where are you gOing?' l asked. "Why
do you leave"
81 am going TO travel about | have no in
tentiOn of letting Ralph get hold of me. So
| mean to 20 from place to place until find
Madeline"
BE careful" urged.
Il shall be careful enough. I'll take care
that no DOCTORS surgeons, or even apOthe-
carries get on my track. | shall 20 Just as the
fit SeizeS me. II can't say one day where |
shall be the next it will be impossible for
that villain to know
This was not a bad argument In fact, if
he carried out his resolve of passing quickly
from place to place did not see how he could
plan anything more likely to defeat the in
Al. t..l.
As to his finding Madeline by SO doing that
was another matter.
His idea seemed to be that chance would
sooner or later bring him in contact with the
man of his dream However, now that the
search had been intruINted to the proper per
sons his own action in the matter was not
worth troubling about ! gave him many
cautions He was Ia be quiet and guarded
in words and manner. He was not to con-
verse with strangers. Ii he found himself
logged or watched by any one he was to
communicate at once with me. But above
mental inlmity. The folly of man who
could avoid il throwing himself INTO such a
state ought to be apparent to him.
Not Ottcncr than | can help" was all the
promise could get from him. But see her
must sometimes, or | shall die"
had now given up as hopeless the combat
with his peculiar idiOsynCrasy. So. with
many expressions of gratitude on his part
we babe each other farewell.
During his absence he wrote Ia me nearly
every day, 50 that | might know his where
abOutS in case | had any news to commune
cate. But had none. The police failed to
find the slightest Clew. | had been called up-
Oh by them once or twice in order that they
might have every grain of information |
could give. ! took the liberty of advising
them not 10 waste their time in looking for
the man. as his very existence was problem
atical Ii was but Il fancy of nv friends.
and not worth thinking seriously about. |
am not sure but what alter hearing this they
did not think the whole affair was an i'm
agined one. and so relaxed their efforts.
Once or twice, CaIristOn, happening to be
i'm the ncighbOrhOOd of London, came to see
me, and slept the night at my house. He
also had no news to report Still, he seemed
hopeful as ever.
The weeks went by until Christmas was
over and the New Year begun; but no sign,
word. or trace of Madeline Rowan. II have
seen her, wrote CaniStOn. several times.
She is in the same place-unhappy, but not
ill-hcated.'
Evidently his Authorizations were still in
full force.
At first intended that the whole of this
tale should be told by myself; but upon get
ting 50 far it struck me That the evidence Of
another actor who played AN important part
in the drama would give ccrtIin occurrences
to the reader at first instead of at second
hand, so | wrote to my friend Dick FcntOn,
of Frenchay, GlOuceStPTShre, and begged
him, if he found himself capable of so doing,
to put in simple narrative form his impress
SiOnS of certain events which happened in
January, 1866; events in which we two were
concerned. He has been good enough to
comply with my request His cOmmunica-
ton follows.