The evening world., 1894-05-30
he looks at me like that"

he looks at me like that
The sick mar raved on:
Back, Donald. back into your grave!
Don't don't do that! You're staring at
me, and | can't die In peace. Oh! horri-
bic! horrible! horrible!
In his dollrium. There 1t Is, Strokes
face! See 1t? Twas | who killed him!
See! MY hands are crimson with his
blood, yet his blood did not stain them;
It's there; it's there! Oh! Great God!
There! there!'
Great beads of ~perspiration stood out
on the mans pallid brow. touched with
the hand OF death mercifu,ly near. as
he EaZed at his upiiftcd hands. Then he
suddenly collapsed. falling into the arms
of his Mortified son. who had been atrug-
Cling with the dying maniac, his ears
ringing with the echoes OF the terrible
self-aCCusatiOns.
The awful cries OF the dying soldier
had reached the ears OF. the physician
and nurse outside. Both hastily entered
the room at the moment of the collapse.
An opiate was administered to the pa
ticnt by the physician, VIII" said:
He may regain consciousness for a
moment before death. but he's nearly
gone"
An instant later. Col. Cation opened
his almost slghtless eyes. They wan,
then rested hxediy upon that Of
Harry's:
Forgive me, my boy and may God
forgive mel. whispered ne; I'm going
tAS vi - ~
The-se-cret.Dox-for-fo r-siye'-
With a look Of agony pictured on his
dying face, which to his last moments
VIII ever haunt him, 50 terrible was It,
Harry Cation witnessed the life spark
as II fed from his fathers tortured
body.
Dead, yes, Harry Cations father was
dead. The young man realized the
awful truth. but that did not appear to
disturb him. Ringing in his ears were
the deliriGLs cries OF his dying father.
1t was / who killed Stroke, and not
Donald"
And then the agonizing remorse which
had seized upon his father! What could
1t mean Ine young man m,sned pi-
chamber into the open air. His daZed
brain refused to ana we the situation.
For an hour he walked the lawn. terribly
ayitatti, his mental CAp2bLIues seemins
ly unn for the time being.
Harry At last seated himself on the
porch. The awful scene which occurred
from the body continually pictures Itself
upon his bcHildercd brain, until he was
almost beside himself with grief and
nervous horror.
'"The secret box" What was that. and
why ala hin father refer to II in his
arose and sought the library so recently
occupied by him who would never again
cross It's threshold. Scattered over Col.
Clt'Dn's desk lay many II MS private
papers, which he had left thus carelessly
lylnL about that morning, having been
suddenly summoned to the city Hall on
the business matters already referred
10.
Harry gathered up the papers and
thrust them in the desk drawer and
closed II, but as he did 80 he discovered
among the documents a peculiarly
formed box made of brass and wood.
He mad never seen this before. hence
his attention was much aroused. In
Culsi:lvcly he examined the little AFFAIR.
II was evidently separated into two
sections, but securely held together by a
pair Of small brass hinges and a d!minu-
tive paddock. There Was a tiny hole in
the lower part OF the lock which resem-
blcd n pin-hcGd in size, and hardly gave
the impression that II was intended for
a kCy-hole.
In n thy drawer that he found open
ana showing that the contents had been
recently a. turted, the young man came
across a Mario" strip of gold one
OF It's ends was finely tapered - n
'Thia viii open the paddock" he az.
claimed cloud. II knCN ~"
He inserted the tnpcrcd point ~ the
gold bar into the hole In ns paddock
n pressed Gently but firmly, Almost
s~'mUliAneuus.Y tAc Id few open, revealing
within a sma! cavity a chrefu,.y foli-
ed sheet OF manuscript. upon which the
younE nan snw At once was the 'ami!ilr
chirography or his father.
with san greater interest, Harry I'M
tents, He had read only q few lines