Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-12-06

at a draught; and presently, when he
had breath to. speak. he sat down and,
leaning towards me, said slowly:
you don't leave this roos until ]
have heard everything you have to
tell. What do you know of those ac-
cursed cards? What do you know of
the fiends who handled them?"
|, He rose quickly from his chair and
walked to the door and locked it. and,
resuming his seat said, almost fierce
ly:
Now. go ont"
II must begin," said, by reminding
you that only three cards were picked
up at Oldburg. In this last case there
were five. When I came here first /
came on the evening of the day on
which a foul crime had been perpe-
trated in London. It was styled "A
Suburban Mystery and it is very like
ly you were so taken up with your
studies that you never read or heard
anything about it. Is that so?"
II don't in the least know what YOU
are talking about"
found by the police in a half-empty
house. He had evidently met with a
violent death at the hands of some per-
son or persons unknown. That man
had five cards precisely similar in all
respects to those found upon this man
at Manchester. The police know moth
ing of this popularity of the London
case, because the cards We're taken
away before they discovered the body.
My father took them away, and have
them now"
Good Heavens! Tremayne!" he ex-
claimed, who are you? And what
fresh horror is this?"
II am the son of a man who, verify
believe, is Mr.. Travers' greatest friend,
and who is involved, just as Mr.. Trav-
ers is, in some terrible manner that
cannot understand. My father has
left the country; I have no idea where
he is, or by what name he calls him
self He sent me here and 1 should
never have known who you are, or
who Mr.. Travers is, had he not left be-
hind him small parcel containing
some extracts referring to what hap
pened at Oldburg, and the five cards
he had picked up near the man.
HE forbade me to speak of anything
/ saw that night to the police, or to
any stranger; but I don't look upon
you as stranger, for you are as deep
ly concerned in the matter as I; and l
have found out several other things
bearing upon the doings of these
fiends.for there must be more than
one in it-and shall put them before
you as briefly as possible"
And with that, told him what I
had heard at O'Brien's, and gave him
more complete details of what had hap
emitting to mention, also, the deaths
of the men who had, as I firmly be-
lieved been assassinated abroad.
He heard me to the end without in
terruption.
II can see now" he said, "why nei-
Their your father nor-nor Mr.. Travers
would let us inform the authorities.
They were both convinced that the
publicity would bring thcse-well, we
can't call them men, and they're too
bad for demons-these assassins down
upon them, when the police protection
was withdrawn. What can it all
mean? Why are they taking the lives
of men that your father, on his own
showing, doesn't know, and that Mr..
Travers doesn't know? You say the
fellows who were here with you talked
of this DR.. James, and my uncle didn't
seem to recognize the name at all? Do
yot really think that it was coinci-
dence that this doctor was killed in
your house?"
"My father did," said. ct saw him
examine the poor fellow closely, and
I'll swear he had never seen him be-
fore. Now, Travers, I'll tell you what
you must do. You must get that
strong brain of yours in working order.
Go to bed now, and sleep as long as
you can. I'll take care of Mr. Travers
heads together and settle on some def
mite plan of action
I had the stronger will, and I per-
suaded him to come with me to his I'M
Gle, and when he had hidden him good
night I took him away, and having
seen him comfortably bestowed, I re-
turned to Mr.. Travers' room to begin
my long vigil.
Had I needed any stimulus for the
efficient carrying out of my self-im-
posed task, should only have to look
at the pinched face and the bright eyes
of the man who had been SO good to
me. His voice was very weak, but so
clear that one could easily hear every
word he spoke.
I'm glad you've come, Tremayne,"
he said "I've been expecting you, and
you're going to stay with me tonight.
It's very good of you, but I hope
shall soon be about again, and not be
nuisance to you young people,"
I told him that he could never be
that, and as I looked at his worn fea-
lures. and as the bright CLEAN that my
coming had called up began to fade
away, I thought within myself that
here was man suffering from the
burden of some secret that was too
great for him to bear, and, at all haz-
ards, determined to let him know that
I was perfectly cognizant of what had
caused his illness. gave him the med
icine that he had prescribed for him
self-and he was no mean master OF
the healing art-and shook up his pill
lows, all the while trying to think Of
some opening that might give me the
nj 1po1iro IN ylot