The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-12

the detectives report that Darrow's Investments |
had turned out badly and that he had lost all. !
Ills $4,000 life insurance had recently been In |
creased to $4,000, apparently to provide for his
debtors. On this showing the detectives hold it |
to be an evident case of suicide and abandon
work: Maitland questions Gwen closely about
CHAPTER FOUR-Continued
Your father seemed last night to
have a presentiment of some impending
calamity. Was this common expert
enceq'
"Of late, yes. He has told me some
six or seven times of dreaming the same
dreams-a dream in which some assassin
struck him out of the darkness
'Did you at any of these times notice
anything which might now lead you to
believe this fancied repetition was the
result of any mental malady9"
HNoD
, Twas VI i, his description of the dreams
"No; never were they twice alike,
save in the one particular of the unseen
"Hum! Did the impression of these
dreams remain long with him7'
HE never recovered from it, and
each dream only accentuated his assur-
ance that the experience was prophetic.
from this view, he said to me: Gwen,
it is useless; I am making no mistake.
When | am gone you will know why I
am now SO sure-I cannot tell you now,
it would only'-here he stopped short,
a. fierceness entirely alien to his DISPOSE
ton: Hatred is foreign to my nature,
but hate that man with a perfect hell
of loathinng! Haaye I been kind father
to YOU Owens If so, promise me and
if I'm murdered-I may as well say
when I IN murdered-you will look upon
the man who brings my assassin to JUS
tice-.the thought that he may escape is
damning-as your dearest friend on
will learn later that have taken care
owe this man debt you can never re-.
pay, for he will have enabled your
father s soul to find repose. I dreamed
last night that / came back from the
So be his wife. You refused. and at your
ingratitude my restless soul returned to
torment everlasting Swear to me,
Gwen, that you'll deny him nothing;
he seemed much reassured. T am salts
fed he said, 'and now can die in peace,
for you are an anomaly, Gwen-a
woman who fully knows the nature of q
covenant and he put his arm about
W. me, and drew me to him: His fierce;
appeared, and he was now all tender.
ness
Maitland who appeared somewhat
agitated by her recital, said to her;
"After the exaction of such q promise
father W as the victim of a mental NAL
ady-at least, at such times as those OF
which you speak9',
'~ Gwen repli led deliberately: "Indeed.
have grave doubts. My father was pos
sessed by strange conviction, but
never saw anything which impressed me
as indicating an unsound mind. I am
Of course, scarcely fitted to judge il
such Matters
Maitland's face darkened as h
asked: "You would not have me infe
that you would consider your prom
Use in any sense binding2"
"And why not9' she calculated il
"Because, The continued" the reques
is 80 unnatural as to be in itself suff
cient evidence that it was not mad
by man in his right mind. -
II cannot agree with you as to m,
80. ~; "yet you may be right; I onl
know that I, at least, was in my RICH
mind, and that promised. If it cos
me my life to keep that pledge, sha1
not hesitate q moment. Have you FOL
gotten that my fathers last word
She glanced up at Maitland as she sal
this, and started little as she .sa7
the expression of pain. upon his fac,
at seem to you foolishly deluded,
she said, alphabetically; "and you al
displeased to see that my purpose is nc
shaken. Think of all my father We
to me, and then ask yourself if 7 coul
of the subject is painful at best; il
realization may from the standpoir
of sensitive woman, be fraught wit
unspeakable horror-I dare not think {
- it! May we not change the subjects
For long time Maitland did n.
hope, if the supposed assassin be take
the discovery may be made by some OF
worthy the name of man-some one wi
will not permit you to sacrifice eth
y Gu1sedf 81 Or Y your ock nonf for his yo
Was strangely heavy and inelastic, al
an unmistakable gloom had settled up,
him. I thought she was lit
startled, and I was considering if
had not better call her aside and e
plain that he was subject to the
moods, when he continued, apparent
unaware of the impression he had mad
suicide tho authorities have made Oh
Like all of their work, it has we;
places. We must search these in ord
to overthrow their conclusion. The
surance policies they were too bus
to read we must peruse. Then, jud
ing from your story, there seems lit
doubt that your father has left sol
explanation of affairs hitherto not &C
fided to you-some document which
has reserved for your perus
- after his death. No til
this question. The papers may be he
or in the hands of his attorney. I
no search here first. ~
ellis private papers, Gwen sa
rising to lead the way, fare in his de
.,! in the study -
HOne moment, please" Maitland