Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-10-20
GAMBLING
WITH FATE
By WILLIAM WALLACE COOK
Author Of 1.-THE Cold Cleaners; A Story Of
the Cyanide Tanks" "wilby's Dan,"
"HisFriend the Enemy, Rogers
Of Butte" Etc., Etc.
ICOpyrisht, isOl. by william Wallace COokI


Copyright, 1908, BY William Wallace Cookl
We still have faith in you,
Junius, for God knows how much those
unfortunate spells, over which you have
no control, has h, ped in your undong.
1t is not 80 hard to live down the past.
Other men have done worse and have
retrieved themselves. Simply renounce
all intercourse with this man who has
been your ruin. That is the first and
anything holy for you on earth or above
II. swear by that never to stake another
dollar at play
You say this man has strange in
duence over you-a weird and malign
power which you cannot fight against
and that it is impossible for you to keep
away from him. Nonsense! Brace up,
my boy, and be a man. If you cannot do
this for yourself, do 1t for the sake Of
your family, for love of the girl who Is
to link her fate with yours. If all these
influences are puwerless to sway you.
then certainly you must go your own
course and forfeit the esteem Of all who
know you, including that of your friend,
LORRY.
unfortunate SPELLS" The words
rang in barrels brain. A clew to
their meaning was found in brief let
ter bearing. in its upper, left-hand
corner the card of New York physi-
clan.
You question me as to the cause and
eventual result of those recurring condi-
lions you find IT so difficult to under
stand. The phenomena are sensory.
Nerves are like harp-strings: played upon
too freely by an excitement so intense
as you develop, they grow suddenly
mute, the melody of life dying out of
them. Again and again the music will
come creeping back, then finally fail to
return from those mysterious regions
whence all life comes and whittier at the
last. It flies for all time.
This is your knowledge and your warn
ing. and If l write in unprofessional
terms, am yet sure that yon will under
stand. Save yourself while there is time!
The haunting phrases of this. letter
appealed to Darrell. He had a soul for
poetry and had occasionally set his
hand to verse.
Although he read and re-read the
written words for the mere pleasure
they gave him, as clew to the "unfor-
tunate spells" they remained only a
clew and nothing more.
Among the other missives were two
from sweetheart. The heart of a
woman, laid bare in the opening
words of the first letter, gave Darrell
pause.
His own heart smote him for prying
thus into the very core of McCloud's
privacy. Yet had he not the right?
That revolver proved a connection
with Murgatroyd, and Murgatroyd, to
barrels mind, stood all but convicted
of the murder of Sturgis. The fugi-
tive read on.
The first letter was all that lover
might expect from his betrothed, but
the second throbbed in every line with
bitter anguish, broke the golden chain
Of love and released him from his
VOWS.
For all that the letters revealed
bearing upon barrels affairs they
might have been left unprofaned by
stranger eyes. A sicEening horror
pulsed through the fuGitive's veins and
he FASTENED his reading.
Al the very last was this, from
Ormsby:
have taken the liberty to re,
fer to you, under a communication OF
even date herewith, a Miss Elsie Avery
and her aunt, Mrs. Gurton. They will
arrive soon in Anaconda on a peculiar
mission. Any aid you may render Miss
Avery end Mrs Gorton will he CRATE.
fully received by them and deeply appre.
ciated by me. Whatever you 60 in theiI
behalf will serve to ill your mind and
withdraw it frcm your own misfortunes.
Darrell wIiuEled his brow over this
epistle. 1t su, sled an unknown
81. - 1. ~