The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-30

| TT is-Cialbraith!" muttered, as stood
up again and looked into the old man s
face.
'.Yes-Galbraitll," he said. "I-hid him
there. I killed hlm-not Harry, not my
son.
It was, perhaps, natural to think that
he was lying. ! thought he wanted to
shield Harry, and for this purpose had
| taken the burden CT guilt upon his own
shoulders. But wien I heard his story,
changed my point OF view.
My first thought was to get that case
with it's awful contents out of the room.
Here Sir Felix himself, with his old acute
ness and unerring Judgment, came to my
assistance.
Get Harrison he said
Harrison was a laboratory assistant in
whom, Sir Felix had perfect confidence.
He proposed that Harrison and I should
convey the box to the laboratory under
1 pretext that it contained specimens for
Idissection-such an explanation being al
most sufficient to explain his frequent en-
treat ties that it should be taken away. I
fetched the man from his bed at once,
and in the early morning carried
downstairs the polished rosewood case in
! which lay all that was mortal of Martin
i Galbraith.
i Then Sir Felix told me his story.
j '.That man." he said, was my evil
genius. In early life, I started badly; I
took to wild, extravagant ways, and soon
was involved; in debt. Then-to repair my
losses-I fossed the name of. Galbraith's
, father, who was then a rich man and a
neighbor Of ours in the country. The old
man forgave me, but the son preserved
the evidences CT my guilt, in order to
keep Inc in his power. He has system
atically hiackmailed me for many years"
1.-The scoundrel!'' I calculated.
Yes, think he was a worse scoundrel
than I could ever credit myself with be-
, ing" said Sir Felix, whose mind had
grown wonderfully clear during these
+, morning hours He was very weak, and
begged him to leave the story alone for
. the present and to tell it me when he
was stronger; but he refused to be 81
. fenced. you forget he said, II shall
never be stronger than l am now. I am
+ nearing the end" And to this could
make no reply.
The man had for some years lived quiet
ly in Australia, but since his return to
England he had fastened himself upon Sir
Felix. and tyrannized over him complete
ly. He was supposed to be gifted with
some hypnotic power, and Sir Felix owned
that he believed in this gift and had been
+ subjugated by 1t to some extent. Gal
9 braith himself had very exaggerated
; idea Of his own powers and attempted to
bring every one with whom, he had deal
ings under his influence. He had begun
h lately to exert it upon Edith, and Sill
=, - Felix had feared that he would ultimately
: out an intellect, subject her heart, MIND
q and soul to the man who had made him
self her master. And yet he dared MOI
= refuse his consent to the marriage which
= his soul loathed.
:. Galbraith had insisted upon the ban
!, ishment Of Harry. It was owing to thi:
: edict that the last catastrophe had oc
cured. The two men had struggled to-
, 4 gether for a minute or tWo-then Gal
), braith had fallen to the ground insensible
% Harry had stared at him for moment O
. two, then fled from the room, evidentl.
h believing himself murderer. Sir Fell
q remained, and examining the unconsciou
d figure before him, came to the conclusion
d that he still lived and that his hurt wa
IT not serious He was just coming to him
le self when Sir Felix-in whose bedroom
the scene had taken place-was assaile'
- by a fierce temptation.
Why should he bring this man back t
u life? Why not rather aid him to leav
i'd a world to which he had brought niue
Y. misery, and where he was bent on dom
10 harm?
HE was the curse Of my life," 81
4 Felix said, solemnly, land 1t seemed tim
l that the plague should be stayed. coul
not bear to see him ruin the happiness Q
le both my children, as he had ruined mine
gave him chioroform, poor wretch;
" never spoke again.
10 Then came the question of disposing
In the body Sir Felix remembered the b1
n box under his bed, and succeeded In plac
as ing the dead man within it. But the ez
ne ertion and excitement had been too muc
ne for him; and no sooner was his task az
ne complshed that he fell to the floor ur
SO conscious. When he came to himself an
nd found that Harry had disappeared, he we
es almost frantic with grief and fear, bl
he bethought himself of sending for m
and placing his secret in my hands.
ed The end was rot far off. He died quie
ad ly, but without expressing much remors
y. for the crime Of which he had been guilt
he Harry came home in time to see him be
fore he died. Three months after h
Oh death, Edith and Were quietly married
:er a gloomy London church. and set up Fl
lid myself as a doctor in the West End, {
h Sir Felix had bequeathed me money esp,
it cially for that purpose.
,et Harry and secretly buried the ros,
,e- wood case, with its contents, in corn
Ter of the old garden Of Sir Felix Vincent
so house, and 10 one but ourselves will ev
lat know the true story Of Martin Galbraith
it tragic end.
lThe End.)