Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1901-01-03
Ess 4 j. Z !; ! q J, i i S
CHATTER vi. cantinueal

I told him that we should ring when
we were ready for dinner. and, turning
20 the mautpl- piece. found the letters.
and first opened the one from Mcguire,
and I shall never lose that letter I'M
less the ink fades or the letter drops TO
pieces. He wrote:
My Dear Tremayne-If ever you
want TO prove that there are three cor
stituent parts in any given atom OF
humanity. you might easily lemon
strate their existence by reference to
the particular atom who is writing 10
you. Here L am, with a portion OF my
body driving the pen over the paper TO
write what my mind bids me. But
something is lacking. What is il? 1
do not know of what mother 1 was
born. though the knowledge was once
mine. I do not know what responsible
tiles rested upon me up to the tim
when / saw you. when you chrtstened
me Jim Mcguire Ii has pleased God
10 take away from me all remembrance
of the sins I have committed, or the
trifling good I may have GoHe. Shall /
suffer for evil deeds of which I have
no chance Of being repentant? Is the
account closed against my soul2 I have
not the time to enter upon mataphysi-
cal discussion. and shall. therefore.
write 70 you as the Jim Mcguire you
have known for the last two months
or so.
II can quite see the force OF your ad-
vice, and understand perfectly that I
should never be again nearer finding
out my people If I stayed under your
E~osritabIe roof. I should drift dails
farther and farther from the truth. and
I should pass down the river Of life and
ouf into the ocean of eternity with. #
may be. a record so black that il has
been mercfsulIy bIotted out for me-. I
shall go away with DR., Denton, as you
advise. and Obey him implicitly.
though I would have given all I'm ever
Ii5eiy 20 be worth to have Cripped
your hand and looked into your kind
face once more. before I leave what
has, indeed. been a happy home. But
tits best as X is. You have done well to
order OH parting as you have, and I
shall never forget the kind messages
you have sent me. DIR. Denton is wait
ing for me, so that I must end this.
Wherever you MAJ be. may Gods
blessing go with you, is the prayer Of
him who, for the want OF a better
name, must sign himself,
Your devoted and grateful friend,
Jim Mcguire
The truth began to dawn upon me be-
fore I opened the other letter. I took
1T up with trembling fingers. Hugh
came close TO me as I tore the envelope
across. and drew out a folded sheet OF
mourning note paper.
In the folded sheets were five small
cards. and on IL these words: James
Murtagh Mcguire. 18th December,
1SS-"
The cards were the six, seven, eight
and two aces. They were the fatal
sign of the Ragged Thirteen!
For a few moments w were too stu
pefied to speak. I could only think OF
the friend struck down by this gang,
almost at my very side. Ny move-
ments and my person must be perfectly
well known. and yet I was spared.
I looked II Hugh. His eyes were
abIaze with righteous Indignation.
Let me take these he said. putting
the cards together, land, God helping
me, Tremayne. you and I viii return
them to the sender. May God do to US
as he has done to our f~rlends-aye, and
more. also-if we do not break up this
fendish conspiracy"
Our hands met, and, as I felt his
warm grasp, + heard a voice say.
amen to that VOW"
! turned, and saw at the o o a man
dressed In the garb Of a clergyman of
the Church OF England.
Who are you" I asked. and what
right have you here?"
AT present he said, II am your
uncle. the Rev. Edward Tremayne.
When this business Is over I shall be
plain John Angus again"