The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-19
XXV.
A Summons.

There was always some unexplained
mystery in connection with his presence
at the wreck and the reticence he main
tanned in regard to it. If what you sug-
gest is true and he was the man who
shared the engineers ride down those
precipitous slopes to the rescue OF train
on which he knew his wife to be, it will
be easy enough for us to start plea OF
mental arrangement. No one could go
through such an adventure, with its over
powering excitement and unspeakable sus-
peuse, without some injury to his mental
or physical health. But it is hard to
conceive how leighton Gillespie should
have been wandering on the mountain
side that day instead of taking the eX-
cursion with his wife
Il don't advance this explanation as
fact only as a possibility" | replied.
THE shock Of his wife's sudden death
would be enough in Itself to change the
man"
Yes. and it did change him; to that
can swear
How long time elapsed after this
catastrophe before you saw him.
Just two days. He telegraphed for
me- and | went west to assist him in
bringing home the remains of his young
wife. l remember finding him in a
strained, nervous condition; this was
natural enough; but his worst symptoms
disappeared after the funeral"
do you mind telling me where this
funeral took place.
In a small place up the Hudson river,
where the Gillespies have country home.
Mr.. Gillespie carried his feeling against
his daughter-in- law so far not to wish
to have her buried from his New York
house"
Il suppose So another reason, perhaps,
why Leighton has never recovered from
1ttt ct boSyo
not mentioned her. Was she with her
parents when this disastrous event oc-
curred?"
She was but an infant, and from her
very birth was given into the charge of
her grandfather. She never knew her
mother.
It would have been satisfaction to me
to have learned the cause of the deter
l. mined hostility on the part of a man
seemingly so just as Mr.. Gillespie; but
the doctor gave me no encouragement in
this direction, and l merely said:
1--WE have made a start in case the
necessity arises for proving him to be
! no longer responsible for his actions. But
only start The direction taken by his
mania Is perilously like the excuses OF
a discouraged and reckless man."
II am not so sure of that. In his sane
=. mind, Leighton Gillespie is a great re
specter of the rights of other people
I shall look into this subject, Mr. Outh-
waite; I shall look into it at once. A
half-hour's talk with him will satisfy me-
whether he is a victim of disease or the
prey OF upbridled passions and murder0us
Instincts"
The good doctor rose with every appear
ance of starting forth then and there
But you have had no dinner l sug-
gested.
Il want none" s-
4- {,I
with him at the corner. I would have
given much for the privilege of going witt
him to the Gillespie house. but as this
was not to be thought OF, | -resolutelI
turned towards my apartments, which
were in quite different direction.
How was it, then. that by the time the
lights began to be lit in the streets
found myself circulating restlessly in thu
vicinity of the very house had deter
mined to avoid? Had the exciting Incl
dents OF the day been too much for me
It certainly looked So Surely | had no
wandered hither through any act of m
own volition or for any definite purpose
could name. Yet now that had been s.
led; now that I was within sight of tn
house where so important an interview
was going on, l surely might be pardone
for taking advantage of this proximity t.
note the doctor when he came out and see
If possible, from his manner and bearin
the result of a visit upon which such seri
Gus issues hung.
1t had threatened storm all day, an
during the last few minutes the atmos
phere had become permeated with driz
zle which made further tramping over we
pavements undesirable. I therefor
looked about for refuge, and perceiving
building in process Of construction on tn
opposite side Of the way, I glided amid it
shadows, happy both at the protection
offered and the full view it gave me Of tn
Gillespie front door.
That this was the act OF one bent o.
espionage I am ready to acknowledge, bu
It was espionage undertaken in a goo
cause and for justifiable reasons. At al
events I was engaged in nwardly per
suadng myself to this effect. when a
event occurred which drew my attentio
from myself and fixed it with renewed in
terest on the door I was watching.
boy of whose proximity 1 had ha
some previous intimation, suddenly darte
out from the space behind me, and wen
flying across the street to the Gillespi
house. He had missive in his hand. an
seemed anxious lest he should be caugh
and stopped. u.s.
This reused my curiosity. so that no de
tail of what followed escaped me. | note
the furtive way in which he thrust tn
letter into the unwilling hand of the oil
butler. who answered his frightened rim
at the bell Also the msgiving shake
the head with which the latter received !
and the doubtful looks they both cast
some one back in the hall. Who was tn
some one. and what lay behind old Hev
sons agitated demeanor? The doc
closed on my curiosity, and | was left
ponder this new event. But not for Ions
scarcely had my eyes returned from 70
lowing the escaping figure of the bo
when the door on the opposite side of tn
street Enclosed again and DR.. Benne
came out.
Now, as have taken pains to say.
had posted myself there in order to mo-
how this gentleman looked on leavr
Leighton Gillespie. But now that tn
opportunity had come, not only faile
to avail myself Of it, but found my who
attention caught and my interest fully al
sorbed by glimpse had received of tt
latter gentleman standing back N II
hall reading the letter I had Just sec
delivered in such surreptitious name
His attitude. the gestures he uncol
sciously made, argued sudden aAd owe
Nhe]ming emotion. an emotion so SUI
den and overwhelming that he could n
conceal it, though he evidently wou
have been glad to do So Judging from Il
haste with which he thrust the letter
lis pocket and turned But here tt
door closed, as frequently happens
critical moments. and | found my ny
resting upon nothing more exciting til;
the figure of the doctor feeling his W;
with due care down the damp steps.
Had I not been witness both to the p
culiar actions of the urchin who broug
this letter, and to the strange manner