River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-01-14

his character to believe that he would
conquer even Death until his iron will
had accomplished his purpose. =.
| gathered him into closer embrace
against my throbbing heart.
Don't try to find my slayer" ne
resumed after a time. Its no use.
The strikers didn't do it. They are
innocent. The key on my watch
chain" A pause while he painted for
ly, Secret drawer-desk-exp all.
Goodbye"
1 searched his desk for the secret
drawer, supposing it was the big roll
er-top one at his Office to which his
laborious duties held him so constant
a slave. But it contained no secret
drawer, so turned my attention to his
room. 1t was my first visit to his
apartments and l was amazed at the
baroness of them. The back room was
fitted up as a sleeping apartment. II
was not carpeted and it contained
only a bed, dresser and washstand of
the cheapest kind. Everything about
it suggested direst poverty. 1t was
as barren as priests cell.
l could not account for this, as
knew that Majors made an excellent
salary and his appearance had always
been prosperous. Sorely troubled by
this discovery, l turned my attention
to the front room. 1t was almost as
bleak as his sleeping quarters, except
for chair dnu0ro1 ~
books. and a richly carved mahogany
desk which would have set col
lector's heart beating at dangerous
rate. I saw at glance that this was
the desk that Majors had referred to.
One of his keys opened it and looked
about for the secret drawer. 1t didn't
take long to locate it but experienced
some difficulty in opening it. Within,
found tin bond-box which the tiny
key from his wo,cn chain unlocked
1t contained two packets, one ad-
dressed to me.
Opening the latter packet / found a
letter with my name upon it and set
about reading it at once.
Dear Friend: I am within the shadow
lowered over my unfortunate head since
the hour of my birth is closing in upon
me. There is no escaping It. If 1t were
my secret alone, / would confide in you,
but it is not mine and I must let 1t die
with me. I am writing thi9 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 it will
come, but I do know that the end is not
far off and L thank God fer it. I have
no relatives and none will come to claim
my body or the little property that I
leave. I want you to take my desk,
books, and easy chair, the only pleasures
that have had in life, for it is right
that they should go to you who have
been my only friend.
Since my earliest recollection / have
nursed my secret sorrow and endeavored
to wait with patience for the blow that
shall fall upon me when 1t is least ex-
pected. You came into my life at one of
its darkest DC RODS and you have come
into it again al time when 1 needed a
friend more than even in my college
days. and yet I could not then nor can
now confide to you the trouble that is
gnaVring at my vitals and keeping my
soul tortured as no poor spirit was ever
punished in the mystic hell Of the blind
est bigot.
Do not search for my slayer. Tt will
profit you nothing. Your search will be
in vain. My only apprehension is that
some of the strikers may be suspected or
my murder. I have one more favor to
ask of you. I abjure you, by the friend
ship for me and your hope of happiness
beyond the grave, to burn every Vestlge
of paper within the desk where you Will
find this letter. especially being caretul
to destroy the packet in the secret draw
err If you care to examine these papers
you are at liberty to do so, but l would
prefer, for your own sake, that you AVOID
this.
Good-by, my friend.
One of the pictures was of bright
eyed. laughing cherub of five or six
years. The other, was the girl, bios
somed into the radiant beauty of a
perfect womanhood. l have never
seen a prettier face nor a more kindly
and loving one know that my friend
had loved her and that there was moth
ing strange about this, but whether
she was sister, mother or sweetheart
only the cold heart of my friend
knew and his secret was safe forever
more.
Copyright 1908, by w. G. Chapman)
Copyright in Great Britain.)