The leader., 1897-10-13
| | |

That evening Harold and his sister
sat moodily in the room in which their
father had died. They had always
avoided the room, and now they won
dered at their presence in it. Some
strange fascination was upon them.
They were growing morbidiy supersti-
tious of late. \ candle sputtered on a
table between them, illuminating feebly
the darkness. The white covering of
the bed on which the miser died doomed
family in the shadows and looked not
unlike a crouching ghost about to
spring from the gloom. Harold gazed
intently at the blurred drapery ulN
the whole scene flashed on him again;
he could see his fathers face distorted
in death agony, and hear the whispered
words drop from his lips: He sprang
to his feet, exclaiming harsh.y: ION,
on" Then turning to his startled Sis
ter, asked:
"Hettie, can't you think what father
would have said after ON? See if you
can't put your head to work. This is
the point at which we should have
started long ago.
After thinking, with knit brow, in
silence for a spell, he began: ION, on
top-On, on, on-On, upon the On top
of the On, on what, sister? On the top
of the what? We ought to guess what
would come next. On, on" he looked
searchingly about the room-"on the
the clock" he cried, springing to his
feet as his eyes stared into the face of
an old. silent cuckoo clock in the cor
ner. Its there, Hettie; don't you re-
member how father stared at the clock
when he was dying? Yes, We'll find
some clew on the clock. l have pre-
sentiment that our disappointing quest
is at an end" he continued, nervous
" mounting a chair His sister stood
at his side, holding aloft the Pickering
candle. Harold was feeling in the dust
and cobwebs when the old clock gave
groan, the cuckoo came to the door and
repeated its hollow note; there was
harsh screeching, and the dilapidated
timepiece tumbled in a heap. There
was a shrek, the candle fell splutter-
ing to the floor, and the two ran like
guilty things from the room. They
stood in the empty hall for moment,
painting with fright and peering fur
lively into the dark; then fastened to
their apartments.
Morning was stealing gray and shad-
owy through the quiet old building
when Harold stole down the stairway
tn where lay scattered the wreck OF the
old clock. He searched amid the debris,
and brought to light bit of yellow
time-stained paper. He brushed the
dust from it and read, in cramped
handwriting, the words: ITO my wife'
At last. There was no hurry now.
Harold was perfectly calm as he pnshed
the paper in his pocket and stepPeo
10 the stairway, to call his sister. she
came hurrying down presently her
heart all a-futter with agitation.
Harold, have you found itT' she
| asked, huskily. i,
He bowed his head, and the glow OF
triumphant satisfaction on his race was
pitifuI. He led his sister gently along
the hall to the old rotting stoop. Here
| they sat down III inc ciipiso
sunrise. and Harold opened the paper
and read
"Dear Wife: In trying to atone for one
sin 7 have been guilty of another-pernaps
| a greater But, when you know an az
| sure YOU will forgive me VIII pe
! when a child / was left an orphan'
wealthy and childless couple adopted ms ne
| 7 was reared in luxury, and when ,s 1,o
| enough | was sent off to college. LIZ
| there | made the acquaintance Oh s
| dissinated young men. and soon learne earns,
10 drink and gamble. 1t was not long un. -
was deeply involved In deot-oepls =,
honor. as they were called was asnan,ss
70 ask my foster-father for the iarge SUM
- needed. but being threatened WIN en.
nos,,re promised to satisfy my creal.o ',S
on INV return from vacation. they wouiu
| wait. ,v,on then as now,
| ga 7 had learned that my father kept M, ms
.e,,a,, an an iron box In the STUDY r,is
hsys he always carried with MN. hn n
ntsh, before I was to return 70
,hs s,o,s 10 his room and secured them. :
| "a ,ntended to take only suhcient sJ.
/ .n nav INV debts. but when the enes. VIZ
| de- treasure lay open before my "a 7
licked Impulse oyermasterea me Az "A
| decided that It all should be NINE ipAs's1