The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-01-14

out and fool somebody just to get the
thing off my mind"
At this Donaldson dropped his head
into his hands and groaned.
i know it's pretty bad, father" said
Donald. you have perfect right TO
be ashamed of me- And, oh, my moth
er. What shall I say to her? But I
mustn't think Of it. Let me get on
with my confession. How many tricks
have Played"
This was probably not intended for
question. and yet I answered it. Sin
gl:!;;G!y enough. my answer conceded
with the general view as it was ex-
pressed in the long continued public
discussion that followed. both in and
out OF print.
There are seven chief mysteries
here, as l see the case" said I, count
ing them off on my fingers. There's
the matter If the expected robber, the
finding of the diamond collar, the ex-
posure Of Gillespie, the matter Of
Wa1msley's hand, the prediction Of the
vote, the disclosures regarding Jim
Bum and the prediction Of Gillespie's
DEATH"
Don't, don't" cried Donald. Il new
er meant to predict his death. I've
said so over and over again. had no
more idea that he was going to die
than had that 1 was going to die.
I meant just what I said-that if he
didn't speak then he'd never have the
chance. Coincidence can always be
counted upon except when you want it
right away. Wait, and it will always
come.
AS to the robber, 1 made up any
sort of story that would make you
watch the safe. Healy gave me de-
script;on of the package He had
seen you put them away. 1 thought that
the money was still in them, and
hoped that you would scare Bum away
or catch him if he was really planning
such crime. I happened to have seen
William Hackett in New York, and
knew how his looks had changed.
saw in that q chance to impress you,
uncle, and l had made up my mind
that you must come to believe more
and more strongly in my powers in Or
der that you would finally take my
word against Carl Archer's. Later, OF
course, I did all that I could to impress
Mr.. Bum just worked on his feel
inss. I dragged him up to Mr.. Kel-
wins that night I did everything to
increase Ills superstition 50 that he
would eventually be afraid of me and
confess to me and obey me. as he sub
sequently did,
Thank heaven" interjected.
"As to Gillespie" continued Donald,
che was brought out here first by Carl,
who by that time had A1r. Bum CON-
pletely in his power and was afraid
that might shake the hold. Carl
also wanted to know what was try
ing to do, whether I had trapped any
secret, whether I was aware that he
was plotting to drive your business
into the trust so that he might be made
the manager of the concern and exer-
else spurious generosity toward my
father.
Tim Healv saw q conversation be-
tween Gillespie and Carl in your room,
and that let me into the whole truth
about Gillespie and about the fight that
would be made for the control Of the
branch road. I frightened him away
the first time by having Healy tell him
that he had received q telephone mes
sage from Princeton friend Of mine
saving he'd be in Tunbridge by the $3.50
train.
".If you see young Mr.. Donaldson at
the house, professor said Healy, Will
you give him this message?
'"rhe bogus professor was in no posi-
ton to meet man from Princeton.
You have heard me tell the story Of
Walmsley's hand. The prediction Of
the vote was made merely to impress
Bum and was founded on the plan
which I had made to win Thorndyke
over and force Carl to vote openly with
Kelvin. Remember that Tim and
knew some of Bunn's most secret
thoughts; that we caught many con-
versations between the different parties
to this plot, and you will see nothing
mysterious in what I did. I was as
sisted, however, by differences and by
hard thinking in two matters-the
finding Of the deed and the trick By
which Carl smuggled the stolen money
into that package Of papers. 1t was
really there. took it out While your
handbag containing the papers was at
the house that noon. That's all, uncle;
that's the whole story"
Now, it will be admitted, Of course,
that here is rational explanation OF
the whole matter if we ascribe Don
AIDS seeming prediction Of Gillespie's
death to coincidence, but I own that
my opinion, like Mr.. kelvin's, is entire
ly unshaken. I believe that Donald
used material means when he could get
them and that when he couldn't he
bridged the gap with psychic power.
Donaldson does not agree with me in
this.
The power that you have, Donald"
said he when the story had been told
upon the train, ''is the sad power OF
deception You had it as q child.
Though your heart is honest, you run
to trickery as to your natural weapon.
1t is fault that you must break
q have sworn to do it, father" said
Donald. Amy Kelvin and have talk
ed it over. She knew that would con-
fess everything today, even her own
share, and I have promised her that
never again in my life, for any con-
cei7able purpose, will descend to the
smallest deception"
You'll find that rather hard to live
up to, Don," said I, respectfully in busi-
ness. But I commend your resolution.
The harder it is to do the more it's
worth doing"
by the way" said Donaldson, after
o oousa ssvho+ ora vo,, roinr to do