Rocky Ford enterprise., 1904-03-04

II to them indeed! What do they
care? No, | don't know what | shall
do. have thought OF a plan, and
| believe | know the man to go to
some one I've heard OF, and who will
help to put me on the right track"
They turned to leave the room to-
gether. lie gave another last look
round before closing the door. Then.
turning to his sister. us he put the
key In his pocket. "You will have To
break this to mother"
"Oh. must 1! How DREADFUL
couldn't you?"
"Of course not" hastily. Its
your place to do so. and | couldn't
think OF taking II upon myself"
VERY well" she answered. mcekly.
III ! must. must" How she did IL
she never knew: but. somehow. the
words were spoken and the dreadful
truth revealed.
Mrs. Burritt. partly to her daugh-
tcr's relief, seemed hardly capable OF
realizing II. Hes dcad.-dead!"
she cried. Historically. ''It doesn't
make amy difference TO me how he
died. What does II matter so long as
he IN cad-dcnd-dcadT"
The next was the day OF the func-
raj.
II was numcrously attended, either
out OF respect or curiosity. and. ns he
reviewed tho troops OF friends and
acauaintanceS that assembled round
the grave. the son OF the dead man
wondered. for an instant. whether IL
wer. possibi. for that one false friend
To be among thcmT
hut the iicn was rejected M soon nS
formed. lie looked In vain for one
who corrcspondcd with the descrip.
tion Of III. tall. thin. elderly man.
with u drici'up look and srcy nous.
iach.. and who walked with a limp
when las; seen by the guard.
II was exactly nine o'clock on tho
risht Of the funeral when Ted Bur.
ri,t put the key In tho door and nd.
miii"d himself into the room which
had been his fathers study.
u" carried lamp In his hand.
which h. placed upon I'll" writing In.
bic. Everything remained aA II had
been on that former visit: the only
dir"r"nr" lay In the fac, that III,
aim at dust was a little thicker upon
the various contents Of the room.
lie Nnn about Ia seat himself In tn.
old leather chair In which hiH father
had always sat, when. apparently
changing his mind. he pushed 1, back
against III" wall and looked round
for another. which he dragged for.
ward.
lie took the scaled psckc, from his
breast pocigrt and placed II on III.
I H5.ns III s.
IN sheet "f blue paper and In.
tors~d-
Papers found by me. after tho ac,
cidcn'. on the person of the late SilsH
Burrir. Eai. and preserved intact.
"jcr0miah Cartwright. ". D.. etc.
u vss Of considerable bulk. bu,
Ted know that lis father vas In tho
habit Of carrying about him a mis-.
c"lianrous assortment Of documents
Of no particular Importance. For some
tim" hr hrsiisici io break the seal.
There might be. after all. something
there that tho dead man would wish
no other eyes hut his oun To look
upon: something. no, exactly discfet..
liable. he would not acknowledge that
even TO himself. but something which
he might have wished kcp, private.
and which Ho ono oisc should seek
to pry into. " that were the case
lie cast his scrupics on one side.
broke the seal and tore open tho
wrapper. At the nrst sight of tho
contents thus revealed to yicw. tho
young man uttered an exclamation OF
dismsy. for tho FIRST docuncn, which
mot his eye was burnt and brown. and
reduced almost to finder.
Were they all a1ikc7 " go. the doc.
tor would hardly have taken the pains
to preserve them so carefully.
With delicate manipulation he re.
moved the topmos, paper and placed
II on one side. hut. with all his care.
the edge erumbiri and broke away in
his hands.
beneath this one was another
equally injured. but. below this again.
was a paper only partially sinEed. .,
that an idea Of its contents mish, be
arrived at after careful inspection.
From few words that met his eye.
he made IL out TO be a bill of iading.
and put Il aside with the others. Tho
rest he spread out before him on tho
table.
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