The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-09-07

4-a W II L EtsL1441-
though l were a child to be put off, or
are YOU branding your dead brother as
a Har?'
Neither"
"Then in Gods name what do YOU
mean?"
"Have you noticed that Richard did
not sign the letter?'
Yes; but he died suddenly and may
have intended to do So
NO. He never intended to do So"
But it is his handwriting"
"Yes."
"DO you mean to tell me Richard would
have thought of writing such a thing
such a CHASTITY jest, if it had not been
true?"
yes"
"Then he was insane when he wrote it?"
mo"
Mrs. Pringle rose, with a half bewilder-
ed, half frightened stare at her guest
wait" he said. Hear me out. You
know Richard out of business hours as
a sort of recreation occasionally sent
short stories for publication. 1 believe
they generally came back to him."
Eyes; I know. 1 never had much SYM
pathy with his scrbbling'
lie knew that and seldom read them to
you. But 1 believe l had rather more pa
thence with his literary efforts. 1 dis
tinctly remember now this letter was to
be the center of a great plot. He wrote it
out and read it to me; but, poor fellow
he never wrote the story. In less than
two weeks he had passed out. You found
it in that second drawer there, didn't
your"
YES"
81 saw him put it there. He was never
very orderly about his papers, so he said
to me when he slipped it in, I'll just
drop it in there with those important pa
pers so l can't mislay it. I remember his
exact words: Isn't it a dandy of a let
ter? It'll be the keynote of a great story
And he ran on telling me the plot. BY
Jove, if the story wasn't exactly as the
real thing has turned out!'
"And I have lived under that horrible
shadow for eight years"
why didn't you tell me?"
ut was a thing could not speak Of
Strange! His fancy materialized."
George Pringle, after seeing Jack came
downstairs in a more sober mood, but he
endeavored to reassure Mrs. Pringle.
Il am going to stay here and watch him
for few days. This is only temporary
At first the poor boy did not know him
Ut pay lle ledSl dIlenllOn TO what ne
said When there dawned the slightest
appearance of interest he began to ex-
plain the letter. Jack put his hands over
his ears and would not listen 1t was a
failure. 1t was evident he must try other
methods. After awhile by dint of inter-
esting him in other things he saw he had
a lucid interval. Then he seized the mo-
ment to disprove the idea of insanity and
told him the whole story.
The next day Jack was as sane as ever,
but fasting, loss of sleep and the extreme
nervous tension resulted in a physical
collapse
Mrs. Pringle having lost no time in rush
ing to Sib=l with explanations the young
lady promptly recovered and insisted on
taking her share of nursing Jack back to
health
One day as he sat propped up in an easy
chair he suddenly asked for the letter.
Sibyl looked at Mrs. Pringe in alarm
nd the two held a hurried consultation
utside the door as to the advisability of
getting it. They concluded he must have
his way.
They watched him apprehensively as he
took the letter in his thin fingers. They
scarcely breathed, wondering what he
would do next. He lighted a match and
applied the fame to the paper.
Are there any more of fathers unpub-
lished literary efforts around the house?"
Eyes; boXful IN the attic"
Have it brought here, please"
The literary remains of Mr.. Richard
Pringle blazed up in the CRATE, and Jack
and Sibyl were married a month before
hhe expected time.