Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-09-03
No. q

ny NY VI uSd ucHeoS, aAN oio'o VA
toward the house on the knoll. John
son was awaiting me at the base of the
landward side of the elevation.
"Anything new?" asked, as leaped
from the buggy.
"Nothin' for the last hour or 80. Soon
after you left he called me up and give
me somethin'-I guess you know what.
Since then I've heard nothin' from him."
1 ran INTO the house, climbed the
stairs, and knocked at Lamar's door.
There was no response. Isoftly turned
the knob, thinking that he might be
asleep. He was still seated in his chair,
but his head had fallen forward upon
the desk, and his arms hung motlonless.
sprang TO him, raised him, and caught
sight of his face. One look was enough.
Lamar was beyond the reach of his
enemies. ''.
AS to the manner of his death was
not long left in doubt. Beside the desk
was found a little phial in which re-
mained a few drops of solution of
arsenic. Months before had brought
him the poison, to be used, as he had ex-
planned, in certain of his chemical ex-
periments. With the foes who had pur-
sued him so relentlcssly close upon him,
and with mortal disease daily sapping
his strength, he had chosen thus to end
his troubles. He died, think, as he had
lived, strong in his passions and his
courage.
Itwas to be desired, for many reasons,
fn I, io+x vv,b; OF
ly follow a disclosure of the. circum.
stances of his end. johnson and
could be depended upon to keep ou1!
counsel, and old Martha probably had
heard nothing OF the attack, and had
no reason to suppose her employers
death. to have been due to other than
natural causes; but even a suspicion
of suicide would give rise to most un
pleasant gossip, and quite possibly to
an Official investigation. BY law, a cer-
tiicatc Of death had to be filed with
the town clerk. | realized the weight
the people would attach to Banks sig
nature to such document in case any
question of it's accuracy arose, and de-
termined to secure it. My senior heard
what had to say of the facts-enough,
probably, to give him an inkling of the
truth. Then he seated himself at Ia
mars ucsk-I had taken him to the
house on the knoll to view the body of
it's late master-and filled out ccrtifi-
cate.
This will, I think, meet your re-
quirements," said he. ut is not too
definite, but it will serve. 1t is record
ed here that your patient died of heart
failure.'"
XXIII.
Not until several months later did
hear something of the part of Lamar's
story which explained his coming into
my life. \ letter from Perez brought
this explanation, for which had been
waiting eagerly. Neither Johnson nor
l had had signs again of Lamar's pur+
suers, who, however, we believed, had
contrived to secure proof that their
intended victim had evaded their ven.
gcance. The strange schooner had not
rcentercd the bay, but the fisherman
had heard that vessel answering her
description had lain for three days at
anchor in a little harbor some miles up
the coast, and that at least four of her
people had been away from he"
throughout her stay. 1t was his the
ory that the four revisited the house
the night before Lamar's funeral;
though the man whom had employed
to assist Johnson as watcher and care
takcr, and who was then on duty, re.
ported no unusual happenings, and the
fshcrlnan's belief had, SO far as | could
discover, no more substantial basis
than the fact that as he approached
the house late that night the sea-breezr
bore to his car faint sounds which he
took for those of oars against th0lc.
pins.
My term of residence in Rodncytowu
was closed within a fortnight after the
body of tic suicide had been committed
to the earth; but before went away
there was wedding, at which an al
together charming bride was given
away by my good friend DR.. Banks,
standing Tor the time in loco PARENTS.
In view OF the change in our circum-
stances, l had persuaded Dorothy to
consent to an early marriage, and to
come with me to Trent, where there.
promised to be an excellent opportu-
nifty to establish practice, and where
the bay llight become doctors nag
in reality us we'll as in name. And
there PereLs letter found us, as happy
a pair as the city held within it's bor-
ders. AS Lamar's residuary legatee-
if the term can be correctly used in
such q case-I was possessed of an in
heritance which, with my savings, was
ample to support us in comfort for
the several years we deemed it wise to
allow for the building up of a profitable
professional connection.
But now for the letter, which was to
tell ME all had ever learned of the
career of the man whom I knew as
Lamar.
"lIe was of family of rank and
wealth." it ran. "IIe had much to con-
tent him with his lot. yet he was by ma.
ture an ;ntriguer and plottcr, cold,
selfish, daring and revengeful. Many
hated him, more feared him. So adro!t
was he in his schemes, that, though
they sometimes came to grief, he HIM
self escaped.
"At last he became involved in a po-
litical plot of the gravest character,
and for once lost, his craft. There was
meeting of the consrirators, at which
enthusiasm ran high, and, in the furor
Of the moment, a compact was drawn
up and signed by those present. So
reasonable was this document that the
signers were hopelessly compromised
should it fall into the hands of even
a. -.o,k ,,,oro;r,,11u cpvprn.