The evening world., 1894-05-30

ne looks NJ me IKE tnHt!
The sick man 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-
BILE. horrible! horrible!
See! scer' shrekcd the tortured man
in his delirum. There II If. Strokes
face! See II; 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 perspration stood out
on the mans pallid brow. touched with
he gazcd at his uplIfted hands. Then he
suddenly collapsed. falling into the arms
of his Mortified son who had been strug
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, who said:
" He may regain consciousness for a
moment before death, but he's nearly
gone
An instant later. Col. Cation opened
his almost sightless eyes. They wan,
then rested ixedy upon that OF
Harry's:
" Forgive me, my boy, and may God
The-Ee-Cret- box for for-give"--
With look OF agony pictured on his
dying face, which to his last moments
VIII ever haunt him, 50 terrible. was Il,
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 deliriCus cries of his diving father.
1t was | who killed Stroke. and not
Donald"
And then the agoniZing remorse which
had seized upon his father. What could
II mean? The young man mlaned pit-
eously, AS he staggered from the death
chamber into the open air; His daZed
brain refused II analy2e the situation.
For an hour he walked the lawn, terribly
agitate1, his. mental capabilities seeming
ly stunned for the time being.
Harry at last seated himself on the
porch. The awful scene which occurred
at the moment his fathers spirit passed
from the body continually pictures itself
upon his hewildcred brain, until ne was
almost beside himself with grief and
nervous horror.
Then the words last TO fall from his
fathers lips rang in his ears.
The secret box" What was that, and
why diI his father refer to II in his
dclirium? Almost unconsc1ously Harry
arose and sought the library go recently
occupied 10y him who would never again
cross its threshold Scattered over col.
Cations desk lay many II his private
papers, which he had left thus carelessly
lyias about that morning, having been
suddenly summoned to the city Hall on
the business matters already referred
to,
Harry gathered up the papers and
thrust them In the desk drawer and
closed IL. but as he did so he discovered
among the documents IA peculiarly
formed box made Of brass and wood.
lie had never seen this before, hence
his attention was much aroused, In
Quisitivcly he examined the little AFFAIR.
II was evidently separated into two
sections, hut securely held together by a
tive paddock, Taprc was a tiny hole in
the lower part OF the lock which resem-
blGd pin-h"Hd IN size. and hardly gave
the impression that II was intended for
II key-holc,
II a tiny drawer that he found open
and showing that the contents hal been
recently disturbed. the young man came
across a narrow strip OF gold One
OF its ends was finely tapered - a
point.
This will open the paddock he ox
claimed aloud, Il knCH n ~
lie inserted the tapered point Of the
gold bar into tn" hole in n" paddock
and pressed gently but nrNly. Almost
Simultaneous the i'd few open. revealing
within a small cavity carefully fold
ed sheet oC manuscript, upon which the
young man saw at once was the 'ami,iar
4 chirography of his father.
With still greater interest, Harry un-
folded the paper and perused its con-
| tents. He had read only few lines