The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-12-27
Continued From Page 4.

The KEY on my watch chain A pause
while he painted for breath and then he
rontinued; brokenly secret. drawer
Ills strength had spent itself with this
.yertlon and he nestled down in my arms
Ike q tired child going to sleep. A scarce
H. audible sigh escaped from his white
i.ns and my friend Majors had gone upon
Nat lonely journey from which no trav-
sIer has ever returned. A peaceful smile
was upon his lips. felt then ana L
,ome visitor. that he was weary OF all
t5r cares and worries and heartaches
mat tortured his poor. lonely soul, and
Inc leaving of them behind was relief.
.r surprising IT was the big roller top
one at his office TO which his laborious
duties held him so constant slave. But
30 contained no secret drawer, so turned
,pv attention to his room. IL was my
5rst visit to his apartments and | was
suazed at the baroness OF them. The
lack room was fitted up as sleeping
.,uartment. II was not carpeted and u
contained only bed. dresser and wash
stand Of the cheapest kind. Everything
:. borf Il suggested dircst poverty. Il was
as barren as priests cell.
I could not account for this. as / knew
mat Majors made an excellent salary
md his appearance had always been
prosperous. Sorely troubled by this dis
covery ] turned my attention to the
rront room. 10 was almost as bleak as
his sleeping quarters. except for an easy
chair. several cases OF books and a rich
lv carved mahogany desk which would
have set a collectors heart beating at a
dangerous rate I saw at a glance that
This was the desk that Majors had re-
ferred TO. One OF his keys opened II
and I looked about for the secret draw
or. IL did nos take long 20 locate IT, but
} experienced some difficulty IN opening
IL Within I found tin bond-hox which
the tiny key from his watch chain I'M
locked. 1t contained two packets, one
addressed to me.
Opening the latter packet. I found a
letter with my name upon Il and / set
aboIgt reading 1t at once.
Dear Friend: I am within the shadow
of death as I write. A danger which has
hovered over my unfortunate head since
the hour OF my birth is closing in upon
me. There is no escaping II. IL II were
my secret alone, l would confide in you,
but IL is not mine and must let IL die
with me. 1 am writing this so that sus-
picion Will not attach to the strikers
should I be found dead. for they Will
have nothing to do with my assassina-
ton. do not know when or how il will
iome but ! do know that the end Is not
far off and ! thank God for it, / have
no relatives and none will come to claim
my body or the little property that /
leave. / want you to take my desk,
books. and easy chair. the only pleasures
that I have had in life, for 1t is right
th7t they should go 10 yon, who have
been my only friend.
since my earliest RECOLLECTION nave
nursed my secret sorrow and endeavOred
to wait with patience for the blow that
shall fall upon me when it is least eX-
pected. You came into my life at one of
IFS darkest periods and you have come
into il again at a time when 1 needed a
friend more than even in my college
days. and yet 1 could not then, nor can 1
now, cOnfide to you the trouble that is
enawing at my Vitals and keeping my
soul tortured as no poor spirit was ever
punished in the mystic hell of the blind
est biggOt.
DO not search for my slayer. 1t will
profit you nothing. Your search will be
IN vain. My only apprehension is that
some of the strikers may be suspected of
my murder 1 have one more favor to
ask of you. / abjure you, by the friend
ship for me and your hope of happiness
beyond the grave, to burn every vestige
Of paper within the desk where you Will
find this letter. especially being careful
to destroy the packet in the secret