The McCook tribune., 1897-03-12

|
that Carriston was not mad Any doc
tor who knaw what knew would have
| given the verdict against him.
After dismissing his visions and hal
lucinatons with the contempt which
they deserved, the fact of a man who
woman, and who believed that she had
been entrapped and was still kept in
restraint, sitting down quietly, and let
ting day after day pass without max
ing an effort toward finding her, was in
itself prina facie evidence Of insanity.
A sane man would at once have set all
the engines of detection at work.
l felt that if once Ralph Carriston
obtained possession of him he could
make out a strong case in his own
favor First of all, the proposed mar
riage out Of the defendants own sphere
of life; the passing under a false name;
the ridiculous, or apparently ridicu-
lous, accusation made against his kins-
man; the murderous threats; the chas-
tisement OF his own paid agent who
brought him a report which might not
seem at al untrue 10 anyone who knew
not Madeline Rowan. Leaving out of
the question what might be wrung from
me in cross-examination, Ralph Car
riston had a strong case. and l knew
that, once in his power, my friend
might possibly be doomed to pass
years, if not his whole life, under re-
straint. So l was anxious, very anx-
ious.
And l felt an anxiety, scarcely sec
ond to that which prevailed on Car
rlston's account, as to the fate of Mad
cline. Granting for sake of argument
| that Carriston's absurd conviction that
no bodily harm had as yet been done
| her, was true, felt sure that she with
her scarcely less sensitive nature must
feel the separation from her lover as
much as he himself felt the separation
from her Once or twice l tried to
comfort myself with cynicism-tried to
persuade myself that a young woman
could not in our days be spirited away
that she had gone by her own free
will-that there was a man who had at
the eleventh hour alienated her affec-
tions from Cariston. But 1 could not
bring myself to believe this. So I was
placed between the horns of dilem-
ma.
If Madeline had not fed of her own
free will, someone must have taken her
away, and if so our agents report was
a coined one, and, if a coined one, is
| sued at Ralph's instance; therefore
Ralph must be the prime actor in the
mystery.
But in sober moments such a deduc-
tion seemed an utter absurdity.
Although / have said that Carriston
was doing nothing towards clearing up
the mystery, wronged him in so say
ing. After his own erratic way he was
at work. At such work too, l really
lost ali patience with him.
He shut himself up in his room out
Of which he scarcely stirred for three
days. By that time he had completed
a large and beautiful drawing of his
imaginary man. This he took to a
well-known photographers, and Or
dered several hundred small photo
graphs Of it to be prepared as soon as
possible. The minute description
which he had given me of his fanciful
creation was printed at the foot of each
copy. AS ocn as the first batch of
these precarious photographs was sent
home, to my great joy he did what he
should have done days ago: yielded to
| i,l,o l.
hands Of the police.
l was glad to find that in giving de-
tails of what had happened he said
nothing about the adyisability of keep
ing watch on Ralph aCrriston's pro-
ceedings. He did indeed offer an alb
of the missing girl, and, moreover.
gave the officer in charge of the case a
packet OF photographs of his phantom
man, telling him in the gravest manner
that he knew the original of that like
ness had something to do with the dis
appearance Of Miss Rowan The Off
GER, who thought the portrait was that
of natural being, took his Instructions
in good faith, although he seemed
greatly surprised when he heard that
Carriston knew neither the name nor
the occupation, in fact knew nothing
concerning the man who was to be
sought for. However, as Carriston as
sured him that finding this man would
insure the reward as much as if ha
found Madeline, the officer readily
promised to combine the two tasks.
little knowing what waste of time any
attempt to perform the latter must be.
Two days after this Cariston came 10
me. Il shall cave you tomorrow" he
said
Where are you going?" I asked.
Why do you leave?"
Il am going to travel about. l have
no intention of letting Ralph get holdl
Of me. So I mean to go from place 10
place until l find Madeline
BE careful" l urged
Il shall be careful enough. I'll take
care that no doctors, surgeons, or even
apothecaries get On my track l shall
go just as the 1T seizes me. Il 1 can't