Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-12-05

ana nv nv ilhN W oSh NIu1oNioho'
Pendleton waited a moment before
replying. Then he tossed away his eli
gar and took turn up and down the
room. Reseating himself, he said
slowly:
Briefly, then, will say this, FOR the
present-the duel, rs you say, can wait;
in fact, it came mighty near waiting
anyhow: You know. ever since the gov'-
nor died have felt that l ought to
take this trip, and you also know that
the only reason why ] did not do so
was my own consummatc laziness. l
wanted you TO so there for me, and
you consented 10 do SO. But, Craig, |
could not bring myself TO tell you all
that was necessary for you TO know.
IF you had undertaken the trip simply
because ! asked It, J would have felt
that l was not keeping faith with NY
dead father, You knew or ought 70
have known, and, l believe, did know,
that my hesitation did not arise from
any reluctance to take you into my
confidence"
"Assuredly, Burr
"The written iniunctions that the
FON Hbl i'll IOl lllt W. ~ iilN.l''''i 'iit''
| did not get home until three days art
or his doath-imposed the obligation OF
silence upon me with considerable
emphasis; that is. silence up to n Ger.
tain potNt after which ! could, OF
course, exercise my own discretion.
That point could not be reached until |
had made n personal investigation, IL
thing that he practically ordered me 10
do. Well, ! have made it. The ohIlga-
ton of silence is upon me no longer !
can see no reason for keeping still now.
In fact, the time has come when l must
tell somebody and naturally you are
the one whom have selected for con-
tidant More than that. | fee. the need
of advice and help, and you are tue on
ly one | know to whom | am willing
10 apply. There is not time and this il
10 place for me to 20 into details, but
if you will give UP this evening to me
in my rooms-w we'll. we'll have it out TO
the end. 1t is Il mighty strange thing,
Craig, that man can leave behind
him when he dies q tangle which in
wolves two families and which may yet
involve two nations in trouble, but that
is precisely what my father did. Not
only that, but | have permitted these
years since his death to roll past, never
dreaming that the matter could take
The serious shape it has. | regard my
self as rather n guilty party as things
nre situated now, for / cannot help be-
lcying if had attended to matters at
once much that is now unavoidable
might have beer prevented. | believed
the old man was deceived-that he i'm
agincd a great deal, but | found-well,
wait until tonight, and l will tell you
what | discovered"
II think, old man." said Wyndham
deliberately, while he drummcd the
burning end of his cigar upon the ash
receiver-"I think that perhaps having
returned from n long trip ami being
naturally delighted upon meeting an
old friend you may be inclined to
place too much confidence in him. Let
us revert to the part of the business
that | understood before you went
away. which, as | remember, related
only to property. Did you find the
property HAT your father directed you
to recover: Have you brought back the
title to IT, 50 that it is undeniably
yours? IiaNc Won fulfilled that part OF
the ohligatipr that rested upon youE'
"Entrcly, Yes
"Thcn it seems to me that ends it,"
How So Craig:'
'NhN that Is all that l supposed l
had anything r. do with
You are right II is Pendleton
made this last remark between the in
lermlttent flaming Ut cigar winch at
that moment I've was engaged in light
ing. When he cast the match aside. he
left the table with some haste and in
tercepted gentleman who was at that
moment passing. They talked together
, several moments and then disappeared
i'll the direction or the club care ana
Wyndham, supposing he would soon
return, waited, but when an hour had
passed ana ne was SUN alone MS pa
1lence was exhausted
re summoned lhe waiter ana, nav
1hS signed the necessary checR' ASKED
the name OIL lhe man whom Ieli'ieton
had lhtercopleu' Tor ne remembered
mat the waiter had been standing near
Them at the moment