The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-12-28
ChAr TER !.
The Man with the Moles.

ne Hlht uulc tNNt 1Vi, hNptil W III
icr saw Cary Mercer was under cir
cumstanccs calculated to fix the Incl
dent firmly in his memory In the
year 1908 home from the Philippines
on furlough, and preparing to return
10 a task biz enough to attract him
In spite OF IFS exile and hardships. he
had visited the son OF a friend at iIar
yard They were walking through the
corridors of ono OF the private d0rmi
tories where the boy roomed Rather
gIimly the soldiers eyes wero noting
marble walnscoting aud tiled noors
and contrasting this academic en-
vironment with his own at West Point
A cahstic comment rose to his lips,
but It was not uttered. for he heard
tho sharp bark OF pistol, followed by
a thud and crackle as Of breaking
glass.
DO you fellows amuse yourselves
shooting up the dormitory?" said he.
g'he boy halted, he had gone white.
ut came from MERGERS room." he
cried, AMI ran across the corridor to
a door with the usual labelling of two
visiting cards The door was not
locked. Entering they passed into a
yestibuc, thence through another
door which stood open. For many a
day after the colonel could see Just
how the slender young figure looked,
the shoulders in huddle on the study
table, one arm swinging nerveloss be
side him. on the floor. a revolver ard
broken glass bottle 'rhe latter
must have made the cracking sound.
Some dark red liquid snaking the
open sheets of newspaper, filled the
room with the pungent odor of alco
hCl Only the top of the lads head
showed-a curly. silky, dark brown
hosd: but even before the colonel lift
ed II he had seen "A few thick drops
mating the brown curls He laid the
head back gently and his hanG slipped
to the bCys wrist
"No use. Ralph" he said In the sub.
dued tones that ,he voice takes un-
consciously in the presence of death
"And Endy was going to help him. "
almost sobbed Ralph lie told me
| he would OH why couldn't lie have
trusted his friendsi"
The colonel was looking at the
newspaper-"Was It money!" said he;
for glance at the dabbled sheet had
! brought him the headings OF the stock
quotations: Another Sharp Rreak
"a Stocks New London Records Il
had been money Later after NLet
needed to be done was over. after doc.
tors and Ulcers OF the law were gone
| Col Winter heard the wretchcd story
| young reckless, fatally attractive
| SCuthernor. rich friends. college so
clcties. joyous times; nothing really
wicked or vicious. only a surrender Ia
youth and friendship aud pleasure
and then the day of reckoning duns
| college warnings, the men:co OF black
,iislsia,r. Tho young fellow was an
! orphan, with no near kindred save one
/ brother much older than hc Tho
brother was reputcd to be rich ac
cordlng TO southern standards. and
young Mercer who had just come into
a modest patrimony of his own, invest
ed Ia his brothers ventures AS tc
the character of these ventures
whether fimsy or substantial the col
onels infnfmants we're absolutely
ignorant All they knew of the eide
Mercer was that he was often IN New
York and had "a LOT 10 do with wal
street" lie wasn't a broker; no, h'
was trying 10 raise money TO hang o.
to some big properties that he had
and the stocks seemed 10 be going a
remarkable rates Just now, the bot
tom dropping out OF the market II
certain stock Of the MERGERS the!
didn't know tho name-could be KEEP
above u he would pun through. Col
Winter made no comment but h
remembered that when be had studie'
the mornings stockmarket pages TO
himself, he had noted bad slump Ii
, the southern steels." and "Tidowate
on the toboggan slide. of three Il
four points declining from % and
fraction TO 30"
Another victim OF the Wall stree
pirates" was the coloners silent iude
msnt on the tragedy Luck for he
his mothers dead"
The next morning he had returnel
r and had gone to his young friend
, rooms
The boy was sun fyll Of the horro
OF the day before Mercer's brothe
Z was In Cambridge. he said -arIiYin
. that morning from New York End
Is going to fetch him roend 10 gel hlI
out Of the reporters way sometin
this evening; maybe there's somethin
! can do"--this In explanation Z
\ his declining 10 dine with the colone
n AS the two entered the rooms VIII
B Ter was little IN advance, and caugh
c the nrst glimpse OF man sitting In
c big mission armchair. his head sun
on his breast So absorbed was thi
man IN his own distempered musing
that the newcomers approach di
not arouse him. lie sat with knitte
brows ana clenched hands, starin
into vacancy. his rigid and palll
: features set IN a CHASTITY intensity
: | fho.obf There WAS suffering Ia IN