The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1900-12-01
& i i i # i j. j. + # !


1iendish devices had he been beguiled
into the house and murdered by an en-
envy from whom my father, brave as
he was, was even now flying? What
could those cards mean? And SO I
propounded question after question,
until my brain grew weary, and I sank
into a deep sleep.
My first care the next day was to
procure a London paper. and when I
had managed this-and it was rather
late when I could get one-I turned in
to Il quiet street and there read every
word of the Suburban Mystery"
which was heightened by reason Of the
fact that the police had been notified
that II they proceeded to such and such
a house they would there find the body
of a gentleman who had. in all prob
ability. met with foul play.
I knew very well who had given
them the Information, and the fact
that I was t%ongue-tied and unable to
say aught OF what might have been
valuable clues, made my desire to dis
cover the assassin all the 'keene1.
The finding of that small parcel had
furnished me with two links in the
chain of evidence with which, could I
but complete it, I hoped to drag to
justice the villains who had separated
me from my father. and who would
not scruple to take his life should the
opportunity arise. The public papers
were as pen to those wretches as to
me, and the fact that 10 mention was
made of the cards. which. in all prob
ability, they had left behind, or which,
at all events, they must have seen,
would be for them a very significant
fact. and would tell them plainly that
someone had been close upon thefr
track. and that someone had informed
the police, but had kept his identity I'm
the background.
]. trembled to think that my father
might have rendered his position still
more dangerous by his communication
to the authorities, but I comforted my
self with the reflection that he would
he would be to the full, as concerned
for my safety as for his own.
A paragraph at the end Of the ac-
count of the finding Of the body n
nounced that the murdered man had
been identified as DR.. James. of Harley
street; and from information received.
1t al known that he had gone on the
previous evening to a social gathering,
from which he had been called away
at about II o'clock to attend q very
urgent case. He was known to have
held, and publicly expressed on many
occasions. very strong political views;
but no motive could be assigned for
the crime, as he was q man thoroughly
respected by friends and foes alike for
his universally manly and straightfor-
ward conduct.
Was ever lad of nineteen burdened
with such a secret as mine? I should
have to return to Mr.. Travers and list
en- to the conversation Of my fellow
pupils, all the while conscious that.
that which would set them agape with
amazement.
I purchased a paper again the mex,
day, and there was that In 1t which
caused me some alarm, for the police
had, Of course discovered that two
rooms had been occupied, and hat the
furniture had been bought from a deal
err hard by; and having, moreover, in
some way, found the charwoman who
used to clean up for US, they had
squeezed what information they could
out of her-though her description of
us would be of little use to them. so in
accurate was It. And I could not help
thinking that this contingency had
been provided for, and that the old
lady's lapses from truth were the re-
suit of generalization rather than con-
fusion. .
I was thankful that for my journey
to Euston I had taken a bus instead Z
calling a cab, and that I had got down
some little distance from the station.
for it was quite possible that we might
be traced to the hotel where we slept
It would be of little interest to de-.
scribe my life at Kendall; suffice 1t to
say that I worked hard, perhaps as
much with the idea Of d~fstracting my
thoughts as Of gaining knowledge. I
felt years older than when I bad left
my father, and indeed my peculiar up
bringing, end my having been con-
stantly in communion with a mind so
much more mature than my own. had
River. me the thoughts and feelings or
a man long before they usually come
to one Y
MI. Travers was an experienced and
brilliant coach, but except at meals. or
wher: he was teaching us. we saw very
little of him, and so ~engrossed was he
in lis studies that he rarely went
abroad or left his beloved books. He
had had a long conversation with me
relative to my future, and, when I a
decided that Oxford should be my all
ma mater, he gave me full particulars
as to how my allowance was to be
paid. telling me the. name of the bank
ers from whom I waste draw It; n
he added some, excellent advice to the
end that I should live we'll within my
means, and avoid the awful scylla OF
debt on the one hand and the Chary-
bids Of vice on the other. ! found that
my father had been extremely gener-
Gus, and the knowledge of his kind
ness, coupled with the fact that I now
had a set purpose In life. furnished me
with potent weapons wherewith TO fght
against the temptations that might
have dashed me on the rocks Or
dragged me into the whirlpool over
against them.
When the summer vacation arrived
Mr.. Travers went to Norway with his
nephew, who was ct Cambridge work.
ing hard for the next years Mathemat-
Zeal Trip0s, and from what ! could
gather,sSK was plain that he
treat favorite with his uncle. They
met Al London, % that Il did notaSee