Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-09-14

posed. 1t has since leaked out That an
actual duel was fought at that time
between these two on the floor Of the
old library and that in this duel the
elder one was wounded. Some even
70 so far as to affirm that the lady's
hand was to be the reward Of him who
drew the first blood. 1t is no longer
denied that the room acas On great dis
order ,rhen the servants first rushed in
at the sound he made IN falling. Every
thing movable had been pushed back
against the wall and an open space
cleared, in the center of which could be
seen one drop Of blood. What is GER
tain is that Mr.. Moore is held to the
house by something even more serious
than his deep grief, and that the young
lady who was the object of this fatal
dispute has left the city,"
Pasted under this was the following
short announcement:
Married, on the 2lst Of January, at
the American consulate in Rome, Italy,
Edward Moore of Washington, D. c.,
United States of America, to Antoi-
nette Sloan, daughter Of Joseph Dewitt
Sloan, also of that city,"
With this notice my interest in the
book ceased, and l prepared to step
down from tile chair on which had
remained standing during the reading
Of the above passages.
AS l did so I spied slip of paper
lying on the floor at my feet. AS 1t had
not been there ten minutes before there
could be no doubt that it had slipped
from the book whose leaves had been
turning over so rapidly. Fastening to
recover it, l found it to be sheet of
ordinary note paper partly inscribed
with words in n neat and distinctive
handwriting, This was great find,
for the paper was fresh and the hand
writing one which could be readily
identified. What l saw written there
was still more remarkable. 1t had the
look of some of the memoranda had
myself drawn up during the most per-
| picking moments of this strange case.
l transcribc it just as it read:
I'VE have here two separate accounts
of how death comes to those who
breathe their last on the ancestral
hearthstone of the Moore house library.
Certain facts are emphasized in
both:
each victim was alone when he fell
"Ench death was preceded by n scene
Of alteration or violent controversy
between the victim and the alleged
master of these premises.
''In each case the master Of the house
reaped some benefit, real or fancied
from the others death.''
A curious set of paragraphs. Some
, one besides myself was searching 70
. the very explanation was at that mo
ment intent upon. l should have con
sidered it the work of our detectives
the additional lines l now came upol
, could have been written by any on
but a Moore. But no one of any othe
blood or associations could have ii
dited the amazing words which follow
cd. The only excuse l could find 70
, them was the difficulty which som
men feel in formulating their thought
otherwise than with pen and paper
they We're so evidently intended 70
the writer's eye and understanding
only, as witness:
Let me recall the words my fathe
was uttering when my brother rushe
in upon us with that account of M
misdeeds which changed all my pros
poets in life. 1t WAS my twenty-firs
birthday, and the old man had just in
formed me that as the eldest son
might expect the house in which W.
stood to be mine one day and with 1t
\ secret which HAS beer. handed dow,
from father to son ever since tn
Moores rose to eminence in the perso
of Colonel Al"heus. Then he note
that was now of age and immcdiatel
went on to say: This means that 70
must lie told certain facts, without til
knowledge OF which you would be Il
true Moore. These facts you mus
hereafter relate to your son or whoeve
may be fortunate enough to inner
from you. 1t is the legacy which goo
with this house and one which no il
heritor as yet has refused either to i,
ceive or to transmit. Listen. You hav
often noted the gold filigree ball whic
l wear on my watch guard. This ba
is the talisman Of our house, of thi
house. If in the course Of your lif
you find yourself in an extremity frol
which no issue seems possible-min
the strictness Of the injunction-an G!
tremity from which no issue seem
possible-Q have never been in such
case; the gold fligree ball has ncve
been opened by me)-you will take thi
h trinket from its chain, press upon thl
Q portion of it SO and use what you wi
t find inside, in connection with
: "Alas, 1t was at this point John Jut
o son came rushing in, and those al.
8 closures were made which lost me m
, fathers regard and gave to the inform
, or my rightful Inheritance, togethe
with the full secret of which l onl
got part. But that part must hcl
me now to the whole. 1 have seen til
tiligrce ball many times. Veronica ha
it now. But it's contents have neve
, been shown me. If l knew what the
were and why the master of this s.
! cret always left the library
, Here the memorandum ceased with
long line struggling from the letter ~
as if the writer had been surprised 1
, his task.
The effect upon me Of these remarl
( able words was to heighten my int
! est and raise me into state of r,
newed hope if not Of active expect,
t ton.
Another mind than my own had bee
2 at work along the only groove whic
! held out any promise Of success, an
t this mind, having ut its command ce
tain family traditions, had let me int
, most valuable secret. Another mint
i Whose mind? That was questio
i easily answered. But one man coul
| have written these words tho mn