Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-03-11

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"
Il guess you're getting out of my
line," said Reedy. There may be
something of the kind, but l never saw
| it,
Il am surprised" replied Donald.
but 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. I'll give you or any other
man $1,000 for it. Yes, and I'll hear ar
gument on the question of more mon
ey."
expected to see Donald get up and
walk out Of the house, but he seemed
to be too deeply absorbed in his own
thoughts or visions, or whatever they
can be called, to take note Of what
Kelvin had said.
We Shall know all about this mat
ter in 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
thence as we could command. AT TWEEN
ty minutes past 8 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. mo Cobb; no deed.
Your title is safe, Mr.. Kelvin. The
whole thing was n fake"
There is deed, though" said Don
aid so softly that no one but Bum and
l heard him. "And somebody, some
body, will deliver it here-the same man
whom have seen. By heavens, dead
or alive, he will produce that docu-
ment this night"
Bum took me suddenly by the arm,
and could feel that he was trembling
with excitement.
There are queer things in this world,
Mr.. Harrington" he whispered. II
don't know just what to expect, do
you?"
Il expect Walmsley's ghost If you
ask me-" said 1, 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
Il am sorry to have given you all this
trouble, Mr.. Harrington" said he, "but
had reason to expect different end
ing Of this affair"
Il don't think that it's ended yet" !
responded. "Donaid 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 time
of truce in our warfare. and felt I'M
der obligations to let the subject rest.
Indeed, my attention was almost imme-
diately attracted to Donald, who had
advanced to the end of long and
heavy table of black oak, the top Of
which was bare. He was staring down
at this table, and his attitude was
rigid. Bum spoke to him twice and
even laid hand upon his arm, but the
boy did not stir.
Presently, however, he shook him.
self and stood erect
II have curious fancy" he said.
"Mr. Kelvin, may ask you where you
got this table? It's queer question:
'That was in the house." said Kelvin.
"It's very old"
Donald tapped upon it with his fin
ger.
what made that mark?" he asked.
The mark extended across corner
of the table and may have been ten
inches long. 1t was quite deep at one
end and mere scratch at the other.
II don't know" said Kelvin, examin-
ing 1t. "From the looks of the thing 1
should say that 1t was made a long
time ago"
Before you We're born, my son." said
Reedy to Donald. Looks us il some
body had hit it with cleaver."
Donald drew in his breath through
his closed teeth, and it made pocul-
tarly eerie sound. l glanced hastily at
his face, and it wore very strange
and almost terrifying expression. 1t
was as If he were dead; as If the spirit
had departed out Of him.
He stood by the end of the table,
and we fell into II sort of group around
1t. The light was above, and it showed
our inverted images in the black and
polished surface.
ut was all in the past" said Donald.
II feared that 1t might be SO. cannot
help you, Mr.. Kelvin, further than to
assure you that the deed of transfer
once existed and that it came into the
possession of the rightful owner of
this property after having been in the
hands of rascal. This judge by the
scene itself. know nothing of the
people,"
Gomez said Reedy. "That's worth
knowing. Let's hear your story"
Bum, who was standing beside me,
suddenly leaned upon my shoulder.
81 feel u bit faint" he said and point.
ed down to the reflections in the table,
where for certainty we all looked
like dead men.
''I'll have to do the best l can," said
Donald, with something like groan.
'"rhis takes the life out of me, but I'll
have to go through with 1t somehow.
It's us If saw this room, but good
deal different, of course. This table is
here, and there is single candle burn
ing upon it. Beside the table is man
sitting in chair. He seems to have
sort Of light sack coat on over part
of military uniform. He is very
broad in the shoulders. He's one of
the strongest looking men that ever
saw, though not very tall, / should