The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1903-02-05

AS soon as there was an opportunity
Carleton Biggs drew Wyndham aside
and whispered:
lawfully sorry, old man. l played
as recklessly as could. but l won like
house afre for all that. The Mexi-
can is the biggest loser, but l think it
is because he seemed to have no heart
in the game. Half the time he didn't
seem to know what he held. and almost
always he had to be told when to come
in. Funny thing. that. have been
told that be is an expert with cards"
ITS all right. Carleton" replied
Craig. Il am glad you won. The win
nings are yours. you know; the losses
You have done me greater service
than you know. l think I know why
Escudera did not pay much attention
to the game, but it does not matter"
The game was brought to a close ac-
cording to the arrangement, at o'clock
In the morning. and as the guests were
departing Escudera, who had partially
retrieved his losses of the earlier part
of the game, loitered behind the others
and was the last to bid his host goodby.
Wyndham guessed that he had
something to say, but he was hardly
prepared for what came.
II should not think you would enjoy
living 10 these rooms" he said.
"Why not?" asked Wyndham.
ooh. nothing; only there is something
suggestive of the uncanny about a
place where a man has been murder
ed
'Not when that man was your best
and dearest friend. senior. On the con-
trary. these rooms keep RE reminded
If something that l have to do"
"N' hat is that?"
Bring the murderer to Justice"
The Mexican shrugged his shoulders.
81 will confess" he said. that have
felt rather grewsome here. | have not
been here before since that night. You
know | belong TO a superstitious race.
Good morning.
"Now. what the devil was he driving
| at?" nuttered Wyndham after Escu-
| Iera was gone. "Iie had something
else to say, but he didr't dare say it. J
wonder what it was that made him
| nervous. Was it because he was in the
| rooms where he had killed man or
was it because he was worried over m,
| ABSENCE? Whatever it was, his time
for uncertainty is short. He at least
| will soon know the worst"
Instead OF taking 4 few hours Of rest.
as most men under the circumstances
| would have done, Craig Wyndhaln
| plunged into a cold bath. after which
| old James gave him a thorough rub
| down." Then, although it was still so
| early that he knew. none ,kof his ac-
| qCaintanccs would be abroad, lie went
! oUt ca tie st.cet and took a sharp walk
| OF three miles CT more ,r....-.e
'If a man avoids stimulants, takes
| brisk exercise and cold water baths. he
| can do without sleep for seventy-tHo
hours" he said to park policeman to
| whom he talked while: he rested from
his brisk peregrination.>
He had walked all the. way out to
| Mount st. Vincent to make arrange
| ments for that luncheon, and with all
his ightforwardness he would have
| laughed to ,scorn any implication that
! he had done it for any other reason
| than the exercise; but all the while as
he walked there were bright-no, brilS
| liant-eyes leading him on, the eyes of
| the sister of his dead. friend, the eyes
of the woman TO whom he intended to
! be a brother!
| Self deception lis. deception of the
! worst sort,,for there. can be no betray-
| al. Craig Wyndham did not know that
he was deceiving himself. All his; life
| he had been so direct in:everything .he
did that the symptoms were unrecog
niZable. He only realized without know.
ing why that Fs9omethRtHg was vas ,straPgr
| u ever Il man hated deception Of
any sort. Craig Wyndham was One
The Interview with Carmen, the exer-
else aid th"sxstia.;;fotS fierce of his own
strength had given him: a new and
strange confidence, and. while he was
| returning from the park he made up
| his mind that there should be no more
of that. With the knowledge he now
| possessed he believed that he could not
only defy the Vaccinations of Carlos
! Escudera, but that he need no longer
pretend friendship for man he hated;
also he resolved that he would make.
no effort to conceal from him or his
Efollowers-rif heepossessed any-what
he should do that day. In other words,
| he felt entirely competent to care for
and protect Carmen Pendleton. There
may be some who read who have had
this same sensation and can under
stand better than it can be described
here the sensations by which he was
actuated. -. .,..
1t was in consequence Of these sever
al emotions-if they may be defined by
that WOrd-that at the appointed hour
of noon Craig appeared at the door of
the hotel where the sister Of his friend
was stopping and, without any attempt
at concealment, drove away with her
and the duenna. Nor was it with sur
prise that, as they drove up the ave
nue., he was saluted with raised hat
and fourishing bow by Carlos Escu-
| dera.
Carmen's seat in the carriage was
such that she did not see the Mexican,
! and it was therefore supposable that