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

| 81 A back to Tunbridge in I car OF
g y our own behind switch en-
e3e' zine. During the ride Donald
gave US a complete statement OF his
motives and conduct. There is no DOUBT
that he told the truth as be saw it.
If YOU could understand the ago
uies that I've suffered" he pleaded,
you would forgive me. You promised
to do it anyhow
Il have no idea Of going back upon
that promise" said I. "But what have
/ to forgive? cannot believe that you
have Intentionally deceived me-"
Yes. have" he insisted. GIVE been
trying to lie without lying and to tell
the truth without telling it. That's
the worst kind Of deception. wish
could look back upon one good, honest,
downright lie
"Wen," said l, with smile, you
told me that you were making use OF
a power not possessed by the general
ity of mankind. Understand me, still
believe that in spite Of what you said
to Mr.. Kelvin. Otherwise cannot ac-
count for your knowledge Of the exact
language used in conversations which
you did not hear and which could not
have been reported to YOU, not to men-
ton any other phases of this mystery
Its true" he groaned, ''and that's
the worst Of it There he cried sud
denly, pointing through the window of
the car which had not yet been drawn
out of the station. Can you tell me
what those two men are talking
about?'
Certainly not" replied.
.I can," said he THE taller man is
trying to sell the other 4 horse. l
! could describe the horse, which I have
never seen, not as he exists probably.
but as the man who is trying to sell
him has described him. Wouldn't that
seem like miracle:
1T would have that favor ad-
| mitted.
Il know what he is saying by the
motion of his lips said Donald. Il
| have learned to do it. I got the idea
from Tim Healy. You know that he
was deaf for years when he was
young and he acquired the power
then. am not very expert, but Tim
| is a wonder When I said that there
was somebody in Tunbridse who was
| thousand times more miraculous than
| I am. I meant Tim. He never men
tons it to any one except me-
A shudder ran through me at the
! thought Of Jim Bum having been at
tended throughout his struggles and
his downfall by such a companion.
Bunns lips, as I have said, we're al
ways in motion. His desk was direct
| " opposite Healy's, and for little lin
the experience must have been like lis
tenins to the voice Of another mans
conscience.
'Let me tell the whole story. said
Donald. ''You can't imagine what
relief it will be to me. The first knowl-
edge that I had Of any trouble here
was in the spring, when Tim Healy
wrote to me that Carl Archer hated my
father and was trying to injure him.
":He walks up and down in Mr.. Har-
ripcton's room when there's no one
else there wrote Tim. and he talks
to himself. I can see him through the
glass partition, but he can't see lue, be-
cause there's a reflection from that
side. I've seen him swear that he'll
do your father up. I don't know low
he thinks he's going to manage it, but
that's what he says
Il didn't know what to make of II,
and I wrote back to Healy to keep his
eyes open. He told me some things
that aren't worth mentioning now, but
they made me sure that he was not
mistaken. Now, uncle, could tell you
that? Could tell my father: Tim
couldn't prove anything. lie thought
that if it We're told he'd merely make
an enemy Of MI. Archer and do no
good to anybody.
After awhile Tim wrote me that
Mr.. Bum knew Of Carl's feeling, but
that Mr.. Bum was in so much trouble
and so tangled up By owing money to
Carl and you and my father that he
did not dare to take any action. Carl
was making promises to him and bold
| ing him in check.
Finally Tim told me that you had
$4,000 in the safe in your room and
that Mr.. Bum had made up his mind
to steal it. That was Tins greatest
| mistake A1r. Bum had already stolen
it, by changing the packages, and 1t
was hidden in the letter file, but Tim
did not succeed in catching that fact
He told me that, considering how Carl
felt toward my father, there might be
serious trouble if that money should be
missing while my father was so bur-
dened with rhis HarDrook Land COM
pany. I thought that that was mere
scare. never dreamed that Carl could
really do such thing. However,
made up my mind to come home and
| tell you.
But when I got here l didn't know
what to do You will remember that
I asked you whether You We're sur
rounded by trustworthy people, and
what you sail to NE that night about
Mr.. Bum and Carl simply drove me to
| despair. I couldn't make accusations
against them upon the evidence OF
what Healy had seen them say. He
| begged me not to do so. He told me
that the two men would stand together
| against him and that it would be his
| ruin: you'd never have any confidence
in him again
WELL" he continued, with sob, y
went to you, uncle, and said that was
going to make a fool OF myself, and
| it's certain that have Kept my word.
l ought TO have told my father, and
tried to do it, but as soon as I limited
| that there was anything wrong With
| Carl I saw that he was as strongly
prejudiced as you were. And, as Tor
my mother, 1 couldn't tell her half the
| <,I- I,<,,- fa t,n1aTa