Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-04-08


day, Donald, and we shall love her and
be proud of her. But what did he
mean by calling himself such hard
names? Was-hasn't any of-of 1t been
genuine"
Donaldson groaned from his heart.
Dorothy" he cried, there is just
one secret that have never been able
to confess to you in all these years. 1
believe that it has made me old-the
burden Of it--and that it has whitened
my hair. Dorothy, if our son is fake
and fraud he is therein his fathers
son. am fake and fraud. Mr..
Harrington, l won your notice long
ago and your friendship, and have
lived in your house all these years up
on the basis of lie. am no psychic;
l never was. 1t was all the merest
trickery.
LET me get this off my mind at last"
he continued. you remember the old
story of the message from Japan. 1t
was pure fraud. Do you recall the
name of Joe yinal? He was the man
who took his confession all the way to
Japan that he might right the wrong
which had been done to Henry. Be
tween my brother and Mrs. Vinal there
had arisen love which never led to
transgression. He told me upon his
honor that from the day when this
was first recognized by them both they
never saw each other. She was wholly
estranged from her husband, though
they lived under the same roof.
when Henry went away, he wrote
to Mrs. Vinal. She was always inform
ed of Henry's whereabouts, and her
husband knew this-he and I and no
one else. I was well aware that my
brother was in Japan. He had written
long letters of description to Mrs. vi
nal, and had read them and had seen
photographs which he sent her. 1t
was from them that described the
room and the view from the window.
II knew of her efforts to make her
husband right the wrong to which he
had been party. knew of Vinals
departure and where he was going.
The vessel in which he sailed from
San Francisco was tramp steamer,
but she was very fast boat, and she
was going direct. knew when she
was due, and as the day approached
became very nervous.
"Then came that plan of Henry's
friends to search for him. could not
let them waste their money and their
time. I could not tell them why.
Thence resulted all my conduct. had
some little foolish reputation for mys-
FERROUS powers, and played upon it.
That day in the restaurant while the
search for Henry was being discussed
saw i'll the paper report of the ves-
sci that had carried Vinal. Guessed
that he must be almost at that very
hour in my brothers. house, and of
course knew what he would do there.
"That was harmless and pardona-
BILE fraud, Mr.. Harrington" he con-
tinued, compared to the one which I
practiced upon you. had the excuse
of shielding the name of good woman
whose conduct might be misunder-
stood. But with you it was sheer self
interest and reckless impulse. l was
desperate with my circumstances. You
would take me as psychic, and you
wouldn't take me any other way. Let
me rush over this. When pretended
to feel DR.. Whiting behind me,
heard his voice in the hall, and when
1 turned around after playing my trick
and didn't see him thought that 1
was lost. But fate saved me.
"As for my knowledge of what was
in your mind, Mr.. Harrington, the ex-
pertinent In heredity. 1 was informed
by Whiting"
"Bnt never told him!r I cried.
Donaldson smiled sadly.
"How SIMPLE these things are" he
said. Certainly you never told him,
but you loaned him your diary that he
might study the records of your tests,
and In turning 1t over he came upon
your notes about the possibility of
mating two psychics. Look out for a
psychic girl he wrote in the letter in
which he warned me of your visit. I
think they've got one and will try to
make match Dear little Dorothy!
To think that never suspected her of
being the wonder worker! But many
time since then have felt her power
guiding me, for she still has 1t, though
she will not say SO. Indeed, cannot
believe that our son lacks some inner.
itance Of this mysterious force from
his mother
"Oh,. deacon. how deliciousw ex.
claimed Dorothy, who had stood like a
statue. with clasped hands a. :