The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-11-09

me alone. No inquiry was ever made.
for the man was supposed to have left
the country. No one suffered by his
death, and at last I made up my mind
to keep the secret for fathers sake.
After his death was glad had. But
MI. Sage has never trusted me. He
came here tonight in frenzy and
charged me with having told you. He
imagined that he saw a reference to
the crime in the attack upon him in
to-day's Enterprise, and he wanted to
buy me off-to buy my silence!'
Her eyes flashed. HE seems to feel.
somehow, that if he can once get me
to accept money he will be more sure
OF me. His rage, because I refused,
brought on the spell you saw Now I
have told you every thing. Promise me
that you will never breathe word Of
this to human being!''
He did not reply at once 1T is a
horrible thing he said at length, .but
it is nothing in which you are specially
concerned
Nothing in which I am specially
concerned!' she repeated in amaze
ment. When I witnessed it, and my
own father was possibly the muir
derer?"
Nonsense! How could he be? If
the " ans skull has been fractured by
the fall, he wouldn't have regained con
sciOusness.''
You haven't promised me yet she
exclaimed, in sudden alarm. .'Oh. Al
vim, don't put it in the paper! Don't!
1t would kill me!'
He had never seen her so excited.
She was usually so calm.
You are nervous and overwrought,"
ne replied, evasively. "You must lie
down and get some rest.''
She read the truth in his face
is nothing sacred?' she asked, bit
terly. Must this monster you work
for be fed with my hearts blood?"
You are growing hysterical and Civ
ing yourself a great deal of unneces-
sary alarm. For your own good I
must ask you to go to bed at once.
l must return to the Office Immediate
"; l came home to get some notes
L had forgotten, and I've barely time
to get through before the papa: goes
to press"
Once in the streets he fairly ran
along them If haste to- get his work
done before the paper went to press.
1t was a tremendous SCOOP" Sage
was candidate for reelection to the
United States senate and was the owner
OF a rival paper. The election would
take place in two weeks, and the
! Enterprise had been making a very
bitter fight against him. This black
page in his history would be a power
full weapon in their hands; but there
was no time to be lost A slight COM
junction for what he was about to do
Barstow promptly crushed by ready
sophistry Of Justification This coup
detat just at this time would be of
incalculable benefit to him. He would
be advanced, perhaps to the dazzling
position of special writer Surely this
prosperity would console his wife for
the grief she would feel at the publica-
ton. Besides, was it not the duty of 4
newspaper to expose crime?
He glanced at his watch as he dashed
into the building. A full hour remained
in which to get his copy ready. In the
local room group of beIated reporters
locked up in surprise as he hastily en-
tered the night editors room.
'Barstow must have good one,"
one remarked, with a look Of envy.
The fortunate man did not reappear.
He sent for the artist and gave him
a rough outline Of the tragedy, with
instructions to make what he could
out of it. Then he set to work furious
ly. Within the hour the article was
ready for the press. This done, he
dropped YEARLY on a lounge and fell
asleep.
It was 9 o'clock when he awoke.
His first thought was for a copy of the
paper. Yes; it was all there; a sensa-
ton with a vengeance. There was
| q IF hn fY,oc wit I,
Senator Sage in the act of firing at
the PROSTATE form of his victim, and the
figure Of girl and man in the back
ground. The we'll known features Of
the murderer were unmistakable.
Barstow's next thought was for his
wife. The papers must have been
delivered two or three hours earlier.
He hurried out and went directly home
An aunt of his Wife's met him in the
hail.
BE prepared for the worst" she
said, sternly. 1.-THE expose in the paper
has been too much for her. If you
wrote it then you brought this misfor-
tune upon YOURSELF
what misfortune? What are you
talking about? Where is my wife,"
he asked in rapid succession.
"She has lost her reason. You didn't
know it was in her fathers family
she added, as he staggered back. 'They
all have terrible tempers, or else they
are quiet and deep like her, and these
sometimes go mad.'
A horrible laugh rang through the
house. He pushed the. woman to one
side and rushed to his wife's room.
She sat on the floor, rocking her body
backward and forward as she gibbered
and pointed to the morning Enterprise
in her hand.-The Argonaut.
| A Big Plank.