The Elbert County tribune., 1904-03-17

me about him: but I like him better
even than l thought / should now I've
met him."
Later on. in the retirement of the
best spare bedroom, DR.. Cartwright
was communing with himself:
II had an idea she'd be a nice girl.
and 1 wasn't far out II I'd said an un-
commonly nice girl. / should have
been nearer the mark. Seems sensi-
bIe girl. too, this one. should say
her waist was quite twenty-five inches
and an appetite to match! And her
names May, Pretty name that
short and sweet"
AT the same moment that the doc
tor was pursuing these reflections,
Ted Burritt was inserting the key
into the lock of the study door. Dur
ing all this time. he had allowed none
to enter the room except himself. IL
seemed to him to be full of mysteri-
ous associations, which no outside
influence should be allowed to dis
turb.
Nothing had been moved. His faith
er's chair. pushed back against the
wall. remained just as he had left it
on the last time he had entered the
room. The pen lay beside the blot
ting pad, and the dust had accumulat-
ed over everything. He placed the
lamp upon the table and drew up
chair.
Then he unlocked that same com
partment. removed the bundles of pa
pers as before, touched the spring
which opened the secret recesses and
took from It the burnt letter.
Again he took sheet OF paper and
a pen from the desk-he would not
use that other which lay beside him,
with the ink dried upon it-and be-
gan again to write and re-write the
words which he knew by heart:
Have not forgotten -. of twenty
years 80. on receiving this letter -.
at once for Dover expect to reach
There is that between us which
=. not allow you to deny 80. | ask
and many ... you alone can -. II
YOU refuse. I shall ... that you -. as
the criminal -. of your youth
j."
After working at this for about half
an hour. without being able to add so
much as a single syllable to what he
had already deciphered, he threw
down his pen.
II would give anything to be able
to discover the missing words. but it
is quite beyond the bounds of possi-
bility. And there is no hope this time
of any Internationally guiding in
fiuence to direct me-to point out the
way-of any spirit voice to speak to
me and tell me
Taking up the sheet of paper again
on which he had been employed, he
saw, to his surprise, as he turned II
over. that 1t was the same on which
his father had written those words:
my dear" The letter which had
never been finished; 1t was strange
he had not observed this before!
Then he took up the pen which his
father must have last used. with the
traces of ink dried upon 1t. Should
he put IL away carefully as a reiis?
Or should 1t remain where 1t was a
little longer? He dropped 1t and gave
expression to something between a
yawn and sigh. I'm uncommonly
sleepy" he said, 'and yet don't feel
in the least inclined to go to bed.
have a sort of feeling as though ]
had to sit up for someone" He gave
a short laugh. Suppose l turn in on
the sofa for bit? l wonder what
makes me so sleepy? l didn't take
anything at dinner but little"
His eyes closed, and in few minutes
he was sound asleep. A clock outside
in the hall struck the half-hour with.
out any change taking place in his
condition. Another interval Of time
passed and then the clock struck
again. o-three-four-hve-
n-eight-nine = ten = elev.
en-twelvel AS it gave the last stroke
he started up.
ITO be continued.)