The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-01
y ONE OF MY SONS x
A THRILLING DETECTIVE STORY
BY
Autho eLeaven
Next Door," Etc
40 G ps thy KnnR ohn

than strained. But he's a mighty big
hearted fellow for all that, and a great
| favorite with the men who don't play with
him. l heard he was going to be married.
| That and this sudden windfall may set
him straight again. He's handsome fell
| low; did you ever meet him."
Once acknowledged. Then with an
, effort of which I was more or less
! ashamed, I asked the name Of the girl
who was willing to take such a we'll
known spendthrift for husband.
Sam did not seem to be as we'll posted
| on this point as on some others.
| 81 have heard her name,' he admitted
| Some cousin, who lives in the same
house with him. The old gentleman
fancied her SO much, he promised to give
| a big fortuneSto the son who married her.
1t seems that George is likely to be the
up in families
There Is another brother-Alfred, l
think they call him.
"Oh, Alph! He's deuced handsome
chap, too, but not such universal favor
lite as George. More moral. though. |
think his sole vice is an inordinate love
Of doing nothing. I have known him to
lie out half the night on club-divan,
saying nothing. doing nothing, not even
| smoking. I have sometimes wondered II
he ate opium on the sly. Life would be
| stupid as he spends it, II dreams did not
take the place of the pleasant realities he
| scorns. 20 1.L
must have shown my amazement. This
was not the Alfred Gillespie had met the
night before. ...
Il have heard that everything was not
quite smooth with him. / know I haven't
seen him around lately, crushing pillows
and making US all look vulgar in contrast
| oil incy TIM
bility. l wonder what he will do with the
/ three or four millions which will fall to
his share" = a..
Marry" suggested, Tipping a fly from
my coatsleeve.
He? Alph? don't believe he could
! through the ceremony. Besides it
| would be such bore. That's my idea OF
Alph.' ~.
1t was not mine. Either he had
greatly changed, or Sam Underhill's
knowledge of him was Of the most super
fetal character. AS l WaVered between
these two conclusions I began to expert :
ence vague sensation of dread. If love
| could effect such a transformation In so
unlikely a subject as the man We were
discussing. what might it not effect I'M an
ardent nature like my own: 5t
| ! FASTENED to change the subject.
"The third brother is already married,
I believe"
"Leighton? Oh, he's a widower; has
been widower for years. He was un-
fortunate in the marriage he made. After
| the first year no one ever saw young MRS
Gillespie in public. l don't think the old
gentleman ever forgave him that match.
What was the trouble? He seems 10
have dear little girl. I saw her when
I saw her uncle
ooh the child. She's we'll enough, but
the mother was-well, we will be charit-
! able and say cratic. Common stock, I've
heard. No mate a. all for man like
him. Not that he is any too good, either,
for all his hypocritical ways. I have no
use for Leighton. I cannot abide So
| called philanthropic men whose noses are
always in the gutter Hes sneak, is
| Leighton, and so inconsistent. One day
tyou hear of him presiding at some char
/ ity meeting; the next night you find him
behind the scenes at variety theater.
And as for money-not one OF Mr. TIL
lespie's sons spends SO much. He mas
Just drained the old mans purse, or so
I've heard; and when asked to give an &C
count of himself mentions his charities
and many schemes of benevolence-as If
1 the old man himself didn't spend thou
sands in just such lines
He doesn't look like a prig," I VEN
tured.
ooh, he looks we'll enough. But there's
something wrong about the man. His
own folks acknowledge it; something
shameful, furtive; something which Will
not bear the light. None of those boys
are chips of the old block. Let's see the
Anything more about Mr.: Gillespie, $
death? Do they call 1t suicide? That
would be sad ending to such successful
life"
"one question: first. Was Mr.. Gillespie
a good MANI
"He was rich; yet had few if any calum-
niators." ..- -- @
| handed him the paper. There were
some startling lines below those I had
; read out so glibly.
! -"They do not stop at suicide, l re-
marked murder is suggested. The drug
: was no. administered by himself.
"Oh!'' protested Sam, running his eye
. over the lines that were destined to star
tie all New York that morning. This
won't do! None of those boys are bad
. enough for that. Lot even Leighton. ~
'.You dislike Leighton" remarked.
He did not reply; lie had just come upo1
my name in the article he was reading.
Look acre." he cried, you're close
:, one How came you to be mixed UP WIFI
+ the affair? I see your name here ~
::Read!' .....--. r.
! He complied with an eagerness which
. SUPPOSE but fatty mirrored that OF hal
? the Tribune's readers that morning. VIVA
a he read leave to your Imagination; mere
" promising that no new facts had CONF
| to light since my departure from tht
house and the printing Of the paper. Whe1
he had finished, he bestowed upon me
long and scrutinizinz look This knocks
: me out" said he, with more force thai
S elegance 81 would never have believed
t it, never, of any Of these men Thel
y with sudden change quite characteristic
he calculated, cit was a, rum chance. TO
|, you. Arthur. How did you like it %
: refused to discuss this side of thu
: question. l was afraid Of disclosing wha.
t had become the innermost secret of m.
e heart
He did not notice my reticence-this
: too, was like him-but remarked with Wis
ible reluctance:
= ''The weight Of evidence seems to b
Il against Alph Poor Alph! So this is tn
e result of those long unbroken hours Q
/, silent dreaming! I shall never trust
lazy man again When they do besti
Vt themselves
7? HE has not been arrested YETI in
If terjected dryly. ''Till the police sho,
It absolute belief in his guilt, I for on
shall hold my tongue
= Poor Alph!' was all the reply I re
g ceived.
Indication.
!, THESE concluding words of Sam JJnderhi