Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-02-18
PART FIRST.-THE GREAT BANK
ROBBERY.
CHAPTER /.
A Remarkable Letter.

he prepared to read it. There were
several pages of it, and they were
closely written. But it was only a fras-
ment after all, for the first and last
pages were missing. 1t was letter
without date or address or signature.
Jasper Jahnway drew the lamp lit
tie nearer to him: he turned its light
little higher; he smoothed the letter
down with his white and nervous hand
Then he carefully read the fragment
from its beginning to it's end.
And so it was murder! That is
a very frank statement. Murder Is
very ugly word. Never mind that
You know how very frank l am,
sometimes: you know how much love
truth. when truth will serve my pur-
pose as well as lie would; it serves
me as we'll now; so l use 1t. 1t was
murder-murder! Pray tell me what
you think Of that?
There was really no other way. !
would gladly have done what you de-
manded, just that and no more. In
deed 1 had no thought of doing
more; had you? And yet 1 knew (did
you not know, too) that there was
risk-nay, many risks-in trying to
The victim awoke. l was recognized.
Between a long Imprisonment for
robbery and other allied crimes, and
freedom, though with stain on my
soul which nothing can wash out
that was the choice l was called upon
to make. 1 made it. / made 1t in a
moment. Yet never-never to you
never at a human bar of Justice
never before Gods final tribunal-can
hof
deliberate. A moment was long
enough A heartbeat was time enough.
i made my decision. l acted upon 1t.
Henceforth you have nothing to fear
nothing while you are true to me.
If you are false-false in the slightest
degree-false in word or in thought
even, beware. My muscles are as
strong, my nerves are as steady; my
heart as hard now as then. l have
given much for you--much. Let me
tell you that you must not ask more.
Let me assure you, once for all, that
1 must have life and freedom left
left always.
IT talk of life and freedom. Posi-
bly, talk foolishly. 1t may be that
my freedom will be gone tomorrow,
and my life found forfeit within
month. I say it may be. 1t may. But
you must not dare to be the cause
think me a mere tool, to be used at
your wicked pleasure and then
thrown aside. When danger comes,
If il does come, you must stand brave
ly by me to the end. When l die, your
death shall follow. Be coward enough
to put me out Of your way, and words
] have said and written shall rise up
between you and any earthly future
you have fancied possible. If l hang
- oll
with me. 1t is not pleasant thought!
Very we'll. Be true to me, then.
why do I write as l have done?
Frankly and truthfully, because l do
not trust you; because your silence is
a necessity; because / am sure of that
silence only as l am sure of your
fear; because 1 believe [ have made
IL impossible for you to dare break
over the limits l shall set around your
life and actions. When / tell you that
I am going to write the plain and
straightforward truth to you-think
of it, the truth, and from me-you
will begin to see how serious mat
ter this is likely to be for you. l warn
you, then; 1 warn you fully; 1 warn
you in time. Never say, when my
vengeance may have followed your
treachery. that you did not know the
consequences of your act. Between
us must be the everlasting bond or
a common guilt and a common dan
ger. If any one hunts me to my death,
it must be the man outside
But l am getting incoherent. My
pen is the hand of Passion and-and
1t is not Remorse. 1t is not RemOrse!
1t is not Remorse!
Don't think me mad. am not
mad. If I were--if I only were; but
but l am as sane as | ever was. l
can never claim a clouded intellect
nor a diseased brain for my excuse,
here nor hereafter.
But 1 must prove my calmness by
a calm story. 1 left the railroad sta
ton i'm the early evening. The rain
was falling steadily. 1t had fallen in
a deluge for hours.
THE mud was knee-deep. Every
stream was swollen and dangerous.
The darkness was intense, save when
the lightning showed me the way.
Three miles! Three miles across a
rough country, cut up with brookS
and rivuletS, and scanned and fiSSured
with rocky lodges and deep ravines.
Was it not fortunate that 1 had known
the road so we'll when l was child?
Three miles is long to one who is
in a hurry. Three miles of conflict
with the elements and their work is
very, very long. But it came to an end
at last. l reached the house. l walk
ed slowly and noiselesSly around 1t.
I found a window which was not fas-
tened. 1 went in. The owner of the
mansion and myself were alone, at
last, in this dreary, solitary house. II
il came to a contest, it would simply
be a question between the strength
and endurance of the two of US.
II looked through the lower part
of the house. 1t took much time. l
emptied boxes and drawers and cup
boards l hurriedly repacked every
place | explored. I did not lose a
moment. 1t was one o'clock, though
when I went up stairs.
II found the room where the owner
slept There was lamp burning Win
in the apartment. / tried the door. II
was not fastened. Strange, it is not
Strange that any one ever forgetS the
sort of world we live in, and the man.
ner of persons who people it! Strange
that any one fails to remember the
story of Cain! Strange that any dare
sleep in forgetfulneSs that such as |
live-that there are men like YOU in
the world,
Il searched the other rooms first.
"Thoroughly? Thoroughly! | eX-
pected to find nothing. But | gave
earnest and painstaking effort TO the
task. l found nothing: But l could
not nave SdllSll6u NY SCiA III SN'4' 'N''>-
way than by beginning elsewhere than
where the sleeping one l meant 10
wrong lay in unconscious ana lnho-
cent slumber.
why?
IT scarcely know how to say. l have
never been so weak as to believe IN
presentiments. And yet-perhapS
had a ho-a fear. l mean-that the
end would be as it was.
Il hurried more than | had done
below stairs. | felt certain that
should find that for which | searched
only when l went into that room
where the light was burning. There
nv lantern would be needless. There
I could rob at my leisure, pleasure, us
ing the facilities provided by the one
whose treasure You, | mean-cON-
eted.
Il went into the last room. Slumbel
should shrink away from one sc
wronged as the peaceful sleeper was
about TO be. Could you sleep while
some one searched your room TO see