The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-12-24

He felt, as | did, that DOnaIQ WOuIo
not have gone to that house unless he
had known that he had work to do
there. Always in such cases there
seemed to be a great impelling force
urging Donald onward despite the re-
luctance of his will.
"Well," said Bum at last, unable to
restrain his impatience any longer,
what do you think of it. Don?"
"Don't ask me-" responded the boy
sloomily. 81 don't know anything
about it. If could only think Of some
possible way
He paused and was very unwilling to
proceed, though we all urged him.
Finally he said:
"If l could think Of any way that
this document could be returned with
out Cobb's having anything to do with
it-Cobb, Harvey or any Of that crew
why, then I'd know what I was talk
ing about"
"You are thinking Of the man whom
you described to me-" said I.
He shook his head.
I'VE decided was mistaken" he re-
piled. That man can't bring back the
deed"
"Why?" asked Bum in a sort Of
gasp.
1t evidently required great effort
for Donald to answer him.
because" he said, as if the words
were forced out of him, "the mans
dead"
Bum looked at me and nodded.
"What did 1 tell you? he whispered.
~Walmsley"
81 am inclined to think" said Donald,
'sthat was mixing the past with the
future. That's the great trouble with
this foolish business. l don't doubt
that you've all had similar experiences.
Everybody must have them once IN
awhile. Something comes into your
mind; you see it; you know it for an
actual occurrence. But it has no tine.
There's nothing to tell you whether the
thing is going to happen a hundred
years from now or whether it happen
ed a hundred years ago"
There's the little matter Of clothes,'
suggested Reedy.
Donald showed mild surprise.
"You don't always see clothes, OF
course" said Donald as if he couldn't
bring himself to believe that Reedy
had been serious. "You see the thing
that has no need of clothes or Of flesh
and bones-the essence Of an action.
If you should strike me with a knife,
Mr.. Reedy, do you suppose that thered
be nothing in the act except your arm
and the weapon? You might as well
say that there'd be nothing but your
coat sleeve or your skin. Within the
sleeve, within the skin, within the mus
Gle and the bone, is something far more
important"
~ guess you're getting out of my
line" said Reedy. There may be
something Of the kind, but I never saw
it,
81 am surprised" replied Donald.
ssBut the point is" said Kelvin, bring.
ing his practical mind to bear upon the
question, "shall we get hold Of that pa
per? Now, let's bring it right down to
business. III give you or any other
man $1,000 for it. Yes, and rll hear ar
gument on the question Of more mon
ey."
I expected to see Donald get up and
walk out Of the house, but he seemed
to be too deeply absorbed in his OWL
thoughts or visions, or whatever they
can be called, to take note Of what
Kelvin had said.
1--WE shall know all about this mat
ter in 4 few minutes" said Reedy,
looking at his watch. "If Cobb doesn't
come, it's all off. and he'll be here on
time if he's coming
We waited. therefore, with such pa
tience as we could command. At TWEEN
ty minutes past 0 Kelvin went into the
library, which was dark. Thereafter
we looked at our watches at least once
a minute until quarter before 10,
when Kelvin came to the door and said
in tone of disappointment:
"The fellow hasn't shown up"
There's no use in waiting any lon
ger" said Reedy. "No Cobb; no deed.
Your title is safe, Mr.. Kelvin. The
whole thing was fake"
''There is a deed, though" said Don
aid so softly that no one but Bum and
heard him. "And somebody, some
cody, will deliver it here-the same man
whom I have seen. By heavens, dead
Or alive, he will produce that docu-
ment this night"
Bum took me suddenly by the arm,
and l could feel that he was trembling
with excitement.
"There are queer things n tris world,
Mr.. Harrington" he whisp- -red. II
don't know just what to expect, do
you"
II expect Walmsley's ghost, if you
ask me-" said 7, with laugh, and the
remark lacked very little Of being per,
fectly sincere.
At 10 o'clock Kelvin gave up the vigil
and summoned US all into the library.
He had turned up the lights, and the
room was bright.
81 am sorry to have given you all this
trouble, Mr.. Harrington" said he, "but
I had reason to expect different end
ing Of this affair.""
81 don't think that it's ended yet"
responded. "Donald says that the deed
will be restored"
"Well," said Kelvin, II hope he's
right. I'd like to get the thing off my
mind. 1t would be worth money to
me, as I've told you. I've got other
things to think about"
l was well aware that one Of the
things to which he referred was my
own destruction, but this was a time
of truce in our warfare, and I felt IN
der obligations to let the subject rest.
Indeed, my attention was almost imme-
diatelv attracted to Donald, who had