Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-03-21
CopyriEhs. lses. Ay William wallass ceok)
CHAPTER VIII.

tSopyfl8aN ASSss y,
CHAPTER VIII.
DARF, r AND THE LETTERS OF
JUNIUS
First, l rel arranged the letters in
sequence erding to their dates.
Then he b his perusal with the
earliest, foil, ng through each one
down to the l.
The most fir. tent writer was one
Lawrence Ormsby whose name was as
often abbreviated to ".Lorry" or 81.
o.. as signed in full. He appeared to
be devoted friend of McClouds
The very first letter was from Orms-
by, bore date at New York and the
envelope showed it had reached Nc
Cloud in st. Paul. Part Of it was
especially significant.
We still have faith in you,
Junius, for God knows how much those
unfortunate spells, over which you have
no control, has helped in your undoing.
: 1t Is not so hard to live down the past
Other men have done worse and have
retrieved themselves. Simply renounce
all intercourse with this man who has
been your ruin. That is the first and
most important step. Then. If there Is
anything holy for you on earth or above
1t, swear by that never to stake another
dollar at play. -
You say this man has a strange in
huence over you-a weird and malign
power which you cannot fight against
and that it Is impossible for you to keep
away from him. Nonsense! Brace up,
my boy, and be man. If you cannot do
this for yourself. do it for the sake of
your family, for love of the girl who Is
to link her fate with yours. If all these
influences are powerless to sway you,
then certainly you must go your own
course and forfeit the esteem of all who
know you, including that Of your friend.
LoRRY.
Unfortunate spells" The words
rang in barrels brain. A clew to
their meaning was found in brief let
ter bearing, in its> upper. left-hand
corner, the card of a New York physi-
clan.
You question me as to the cause and
eventual result of those recurring condi-
tons you find 1t SO difficult to UNDER
stand. The phenomena are sensory.
Nerves are like harp-strings; played upon
too freely by an excitement so intense
mute, the melody of life dying out Of
them. Again and again the music will
come creeping back. then finally fail to
return from those mysterious regions
whence all life comes and whittier, at the
last. 1t flies for all time.
This is your knowledge and your warn
ing, and II I write in unprofessional
terms. I am yet sure that you will UNDER
stand. Save yourself while there Is time!
The haunting phrases of this letter
appealed to Darrell. He had soul for
poetry and had occasionally set his
hand to verse.
Although he read and re-read the
written words for the mere pleasure
they gave him, as clew to the "unfor-
tunate spells" they remained only a
clew and nothing more.
Among the other missives were two
from sweetheart. The heart of a
woman, laid bare in the opening
words Of the first letter, gave Darrell
pause.
His own heart smote him for prying
thus into the very core of McCloud's
privacy. Yet had he not the right?
That revolver proved connection
with Murgatroyd, and Murgatroyd, to
barrels mind, stood all but convicted
of the murder of Sturgis. The fugi-
tive read on
The first letter was all that lover
might expect from his betrothed, but
the second throbbed in every line with
bitter anguish, broke the golden chain
Of love and released him from his
VOWS
For all that the letters revealed
bearing upon barrels affairs they
might have been left unprofaned by
stranger eyes. A sickening horror
pulsed through the fugitive's veins and
he fastened his reading.
At the very last was this, from
Ormsby:
I have taken the liberty to re.
fer to you, under a communication OF
| even date herewith, Miss Elsie Avery
and her aunt, Mrs. Gorton. They will
arrive soon in Anaconda on peculia,
mission. Any aid you may render Mist
| Avery and Mrs. Gorton will be CRATE
fully received by them and deeply appre
| ciated by me. Whatever you do In theil
| behalf will serve to fill your mind ant
withdraw it from your own misfortunes.
Darrell wrinkled his brow over Thu.
epistle. 1t suggested an unknown
| quantity which might play havoc will
his projected equation.
Every other scrap of information
cleaned from the correspondent,
proved favorable to the fugitive's plan
This last letter of Ormsby's alone mad
him hesitate.
Half an hours reflection, however
decided the matter. 1t was a leap Ii
the dark, but he would take it.