The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-10-09

of fooling the other fellow. But |
fight against this fault, and am going
to fight harder.
''In this emergency fell back upon
my besetting sin. OF course have al
ways known that you believed me to
be a queer boy with certain super
natural gift Why. It seems to me that
found it out before was FIVE years
old! 1t used to make me miserable and
ashamed years ago, and never would
say anything about it except to deny
that was different from others. Yet
sometimes this deep seated influence
in me would boil up, and l would go
out and fool somebody Just to get the
thing off my mind"
At this Donaldson dropped his bead
into his hands and groaned.
II know it's pretty bad, father" said
Donald. You have perfect right to
be ashamed Of mo. And, oh, my moth
err! What shall say to herr But
mustn't think Of It. Let me get on
with my confession How many tricks
have playedT
This was probably not intended for a
question, and yet answered 1t. Sin
gularly enough, my answer conceded
with the general view as II was ex-
pressed In the long continued public
discussion that followed. both in and
out of print.
There are seven chief mysteries
here, as see the case" said l, count
ing them off ON my fingers. There's
the matter OF the expected robber, the
finding Of the diamond collar, the ex-
posture Of Gillespie, the matter Of
Walmsley's hand, the prediction Of the
vote, the disclosures regarding Jim
Bum and the prediction Of Gilieapie's
DEATH"
Don't, don'tF' cried Donald y new
er meant to predict his death. I've
said SO over and over again I had no
more idea that he was going to die
than bad that was going to die
l meant just what said-that If he
didn't speak then he'd never have the
chance. Coincidence can always be
counted upon except when you want 1t
right away. Wait, and 1t will always
come
"As to the robber, / made up any
sort of story that Would make you
watch the safe. Heaiy gave me de-
scr1ptton of the packages. He had
seen you put them away. 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. happened to have seen
William Hackett IN New York, and l
knew how hts looks had changed
saw In that chance to impress you.
uncle, and 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 ali that could to impress
Mr.. Bum Just worked on his feel
ings dragged him up TO Mr. KeI-
WINS that night. did everything to
increase his superstition so that he
would eventually be afraid Of me and
confess to me and obey me. as he sub
sequently did"
THANK heavenr' fntertected.
"As to Gillespie" continued Donald.
me was brought out here first by Carl.
who by that time had Mr. Bum com
pleteiy IN his power and was afraid
that I might shake the hold Carl
also wanted to know what was try
ing to do, whether had trapped any
secret, whether I was aware that he
was plotting to drive your business
into the trust 30 that he might be made
the manager of the concern and exer-
else a spurious generosity toward my
father.
Tim Healy saw 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. frightened him away
the first time by having Heaiy tell him
that he had received telephone mes
sage from a Princeton friend Of mine
saying he'd be in Tunbridge by the $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 l had made to win Thorndyke
over and force Carl TO vote openly with
Kelvin. Remember that Tim and l
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 l did / was as
sisted, however, by differences and by
hard thinking in two matters the
finding Of the deed and the trick by
which Carl smuggied the stolen money
into that package of papers 1t was
really there | took 1t out while your
handbag containing the papers was at
the house that noon. That's all, uncle;
that's the whole story"
Now, 1t will be admitted, of course,
that here is a rational explanation of
the whole matter II we ascribe Don
AIDS seeming prediction of Gillespie's
death to coincidence, but I own that
my opinion, like Mr.. Keiyin's, ls entire
ly mistaken. believe that Donald
used material means when be 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"