The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1894-03-31


found, stolen it, deciphered its meaning
perhaps from mere verbal slip on her
fathers parp. passed it to me, and ]
had passed it to Duncan's father.
As we walked through the town we
saw body being carried along on a
stretcher.
Here Is the man who blurred thy
fair name, lassiel Rest sure, they've
found him at last, and he hath no mind
to escape the cowardl See. here is q
note for thee!"
Yes. constable was thrusting note
into my hands. stood tongue-tied,
and, CHANGING from the constable to
Mr. McTavish, with trembling fingers
got the envelope open:
'DEAR MISS CAMERON: am shooting my
self over Marines grave Ny child tells mo
that piece of blue ribbon Is in your hands. lido
not wish to recover it. You may be able to de-
cipher the letters with little ingenuity or the
truth may fash before your eye at once. How
ever that may be have decided not to live an
other year in disgrace. / cannot endure my
present mental state and the sttugs Of my con-
science There Is nothing but . premature
grave for me- Yes, it was I who poisoned
Nairnie Cameron. did the deed q few minutes
after you had left her that night in Coodie
Haugh Deed did the deed 1t was done subtly
In draft Of brandy. My sole reason for taking
this step was that she tormented me once too
often by saying that Duncan McTavish would
be q letter matrimonial speculation for her
than Henry Deed Dicconson, the widower.
While she lay dead wept over her carried
away piece of blue ribbon she wore 1t be-
came more permanent and valuable keepsake
after l had perforated on 1t the clew of tho
viy,a ali pof ho nh fod t<, Hn-
coming patent to the world after my death.
For present safety, however, secreted 1t in
my little Bible.
Now ask your pardon for all the damning
evidence that gave against you three years
ago You have suffered but you will soon be
popularity acquitted by the most scrupulous Of
those who think q murder never sufficiently
atoned for. and you may yet gain your golden
crown in the world that Is to come AS proof
that you to some extent forgive me, with you
being now OF age. execute my affairs on behalf
of the child OF my predeceased wife! To her.
to my Oracle, through you send the message
OF farewell. Yours ETC.,
HENRY DEED DIcCoNsoN"
After had recovered from the brunt
of this two faced surprise Roderick said
to me:
my missis is dead, Robina, and thou
shalt come to keep my house for me,
and thou shalt be Gracie's mother, and
will be her father"
"Dear Mr.. McTavish," I said, then
If that is to be my lot, no longer is my
liberty q loveless one"
1t was spreading like wildfre in
quaint Dummersbra' that 1 had no
more to do with the death of Marine
Cameron than had either the late Dun.
can M. lavish or his present father.
was besieged now by old enemies turned
suddenly into new friends. by all those
who condemned circumstantial evil
dence, by all the town who had the
Monnsell among them; and. notably,
the local patriarch and the pedagogue,
who shook hands right affectionately,
proclaimed Dummersbra' purified and
turned their moralizations off into the
direction of the imported Englishman
who had just been found struck dead by
the hand of conscience in Dummersbra'
cemetery. After this recndearment to
the natives of our own dear little town,
the philabegs and the pipes surrounded
my champion and myself, and l do not
think that ever felt much happier in
my life.
Yes. reader, went 10 Roderick
McTavish's as his housekecper. and
Oracle has since come to us u
He wants me to marry him, but |
have not yet forgotten Duncan. am
quite happy to remain single, since
Duncan is no more. Little Grace u
the crown Of all NV earthly hopea