Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-05-17
THE YELLOW MAN
a THRILLING STORY or al I. ].
THE BOXERS IN CHINA & /
BY CARLTON DAVE.
Copyright. 1900. by Paul r. Reynolda

information, though broken to nv I'm.
Gle by me With bated breath, occasion.
ed him any surprise. Something very
like look Of inward comprehension
few from his eyes to mine, and read
there a decided confirmation of my
worst fears. -
"Humph!' he muttered. II expected
as much. Let US make Inquiries
We accordingly went to the office
and there learned that Mr.. Wentworth
had. left during the dinner hour In
reply to a further inquiry we were in
formed that a telegram had been de-
hVered to him during mealtime. But
to the individual in charge this meant
nothing. People were always coming
and going. To US, however, it had a
fuller significance, Why had that young
gentleman left so hastily? w.
Il think l should like to look at the
room.' said my uncle as we turned
away. LET US go up stairs"
On reaching our floor we rang for the
chambermaid and by her were admit
ted to the room which had lately been
occupied by Mr.. Wentworth, but a
minute examination disclosed no clew
to the antecedents Of that young gen
tleman. The girl regarded my uncle
with half curious, half superior smile
Of astonishment as he peered here and
there, but her look was strangest Of all
as pointed to the bullet splash on the
wall
"Law," she gasped, show did that
happen?'
told her, and asked if nothing had
been heard Of the report.
Nothing" she answered. But l
don't understand it,"
"Nor l. But there is the proof"
Here my uncle. who had been closely
examining the mark, turned and said:
Il can't find the bullet, Davie. 1t has
been extracted"
1t was true, but why could not
imagine. Jim shook his head sagely.
'"Phe police have a way Of following
up slender clews," he said. mo doubt
the person who extracted this bullet
j had very good reason"
y The next morning at breakfast my
uncle, who was an Unsuitable reader Of
the newspapers, stopped suddenly in
I: the midst of perusal Of his favorite
y journal 1--WE all have one) and looked
\ me blankly in the face. "Davie." he
j muttered below his breath, 1.-The devils
] have been at it AGAIN.
4 My heart seemed suddenly to turn
/ cold, for knew to whom he referred.
what is it? What has happened
now?"
For reply he handed me the paper,
pointing with his forefnger to a head
J Ing in large type. 1t ran thus: ''Trag-
edy In West End Hotel Murder or
Suicide?'.
mist seemed to swim before my
eyes. I was almost afraid to read
Then I pulled myself together, my
brain, with strange insistence, assur-
Ing me Of the fact that it could not re-
fer to any one who was dear to me be-
cause, with the exception of my uncle.
there was no one in the world loved.
Not that was too selfish to love, but
my destiny had not given me choice
Of friends.
Looking down the column I saw that
man had been found dead in his room
at the Victoria hotel His breast had
been pierced by dagger, and the
weapon ITSELF a curiously wrought
piece of eastern workma nship. prob
ably Malay or Chinese, was now in the
hands Of the police. The gentleman, It
seems, who had registered In the visit
ors' book as Mr.. Charles Hilbury Of
Melbourne had but lately arrived in
this country with his wife and daugh-
ter, both Of whom were naturally pros
trated with grief. The report went on
to say: mo cause is assigned for the
deed-if it be one Of suicide, as the
officials seer inclined to believe-as
the gentleman was supposed to be in
comfortable circumstances. This fact
renders the mystery still more incom-
prehensible." Then followed a descrip-
ton Of the man and the manner in
which he was discovered. A couple
Of lines in connection with his personal
appearance burnt themselves into my
brain: ION the deceased gentleman's
forehead there is a strange elliptical
mark, which is evidently the result of
some former accident @-~*@ :;
1 dropped the paper with the one
word, 1.-The Sign!' -
Yes. RI.
Our further attempts at eating were
q hollow mockery. After few inef-
fectual efforts | abandoned even the
pretense My uncle drank copiously Of
his coffee and turned once more to the
4 news sheet. The food lay untouched
before him. When he looked a me
again, the trouble had settled deeper on
M his brow. s:S VAC 81. n s !,
what do you make Of itY' said.
more BY way Of breaking the ominous
silence than the expectation OF gaining
new idea; for in my mind l had al
ready sketched a vivid outline Of the
unhappy mans career. Needless to say
We did not entertain the thought Of sui
eide. {: F. = =sss5ss.
.sS TT is evident, = was the reply. that
this unfortunate Mr.. Hilbury had, like
ourselves, run counter to the society.
81 How. o. in what way, remains to be
cen Perhaps he may even have been