Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1892-07-14

must tell you all. On the night OF my
fathers death, became alarmed at
his absence, and without disturbing any
one, descended TO the ONCE, thinking
It possible he might be there. He some
time worked In the ONCE In the evening.
When I entered the ONCE. found my
father dead. On the floor beside him
waS sheet OF paper upon which he had
written a few lines. I remember them
well They were as follows:
Heaven bear witness that I was in
intention innocent, but have appr0pri-
ated the seVenty-eight thousand dollars
belonging 70 my employer, which drew
from the bank to-day TO my own use.
! have decided shall die by my Own
hand, but I cannot face the pistol. l
shall place 1t in the bracket by the door
and discharge it by means Of string
attached 10 the trigger, while nay back
is turned FAREWELL Marion, my daugh-
ter said Marion.
@Ah, understand. While Kredge Sc
cured the first message written by your
father, when he had decided TO commit
suicide, he did not find the message
which you have repeated. said Stan
more.
When read my dead fathers mes
sage, I resolved that he should not be
branded as a thief, that his memory
should be revered, that he should leave
DcuA4u nm Inc reputation ne dearly
priced, that Of an honest man.
Then I remembered the pistol, Sc
cured the tell-tale letter, and stole from
the office. After cOneealing the weapon
in my trunk, went TO udith's room, and
then we descended together to the ofi1ee.
What ensued you know.
The paper, upon which I depended
to prove my innocence when I knew I
was suspected as being concerned in
faNharfa 10 l,a
I despaired, when 1 discovered I had
lost it.
When, during the process of Stuart
Harland's trial, 1 became convinced that
he would be found guilty, 1 resolved TO
tell all, but Judith must have discovered
my intentions, I think, for the night I
made the resolution that on the follow
ing day I would come forward with my
testimony and save Stuart Harland,
was abducted while unconscious from
some anRsthetic which had been adj
ministered when I slept, and when I
Rwoke 1 found myself a prisoner in the
house of the old woman called Mother
Kits. When, after Reid's escape, I was
dragged back 10 the prison-roOm from
which he had liberated me, I secreted
my fathers last message, which was
concealed in my bosom, in hole in the
wall Of the fireplace. Next morning,
after troubled sleep, I looked for the
paper and it was gone"
Thus Marion explained, and, further,
she confirmed Reid's statement that he
had deceived her as TO his real charac-
ter.
Now that she knew him she despised
him, and fierce desire that he should
be punished for having Indirectly been
/ the cause of her beloved fathers death.
The lovers conVersed tenderly for
some time, and at last Stuart left the
bedside OF the fair invalid, and sought
Paxton the detective, and together they
/ proceeded TO the house Of Mother Kits.
/ The Fireplace in the room where Marion
/ had been imprisoned was demolished,
and there where it had slipped down be-
hind brick from the aperture, in which
| Marion had concealed it, John ORkburn' s
message was discovered.
Everything was clear now. OF course
| the terrible letter which Paxton had re-
ceived from Judith Kredge purporting
| to be the confession of the murder made
! by Marion was forgery, and that it was
such Judith Kredge subsequently ac-
/ knowledged.
StanmOre now revealed himself in
| proper personality as Donald Wayburn,
| and since he had the proof that he was
an honest man, his fIiends OF other days
| welcomed him home again.
| Marion would not consent that the
man whose deed had driven her father
| to suicide should be allowed to 90 IN
/ punished in consideration of his re-
| turning the money he had stolen, and
Kredge was sentenced to a long term OF
imprisonment.
Reid Oakburn died of consumption,
from which he had long suffered while
he was held a prisoner awaiting the ae-
ton OF the Denver authorities.
Judith Kredge was obliged to return
| the money which she had extOrted from
Marion, and she left New York.
Pratt and Weeks also disappeared.
OF course Stuart Harland's innocence
/ was proclaimed, and soon after he and
/ Edna Garrison were married
Marion entirely recovered and within
year she became the beloved wife OF
him whom we have known as Richard
/ Stanmore.
Jason Garrison was once more pros
| porous, thanks to Stanmore's assistance,
but he never forgot the terrible lesson
taught him by the brigands of Wal
street, and to SanbOrn's heirs he paid
the amount of the forged check.
Paxton declared that he would find
the money stolen by Kredge, and atlast
after encountering many perils, he sue
ceeded in accomplishing his purpose
and AIarion's fortune was restored tc
her.
The detective received the reward
Stanmore had promised him, and he i:
to-day the most successful detective II
America.
True and perfect happiness was tbs
| future lot of Marion and her husband
and though her conduct had made hel
fathers fate a great detective mystery
MariOn's friends hOnored the purpose
which had actuated her.
| fTHE