St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-01-30

his character to believe that he would
conquer even Death until his iron will
had accomplished his purpose.
gathered him into a closer embrace
against my throbbing heart.
Don't try to find my slayer" he
resumed after time. cts no use.
The strikers didn't do it. They are
innocent. The key on my watch
chain" A pause while he painted for
breath and then he continued, broken
ly, Secret draWer-desk-ex explains all
Goodbye"
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
slave. But it contained no secret
drawer, so turned my attention to his
room. 1t was my first visit to his
apartments and I was amazed at the
baroness of them. The back room was
fitted up as a sleeping apartment 1t
was not carpeted and it contained
only bed, dresser and washstand OF
the cheapest kind. Everything about
it suggested direst poverty. 1t was
as barren as priests cell.
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, turned my attention
to the front room. 1t was almost as
bleak as his sleeping quarters, except
for an easy chair, several cases OF
books, and richly carved mahogany
desk which would have set col.
lector's heart beating at a dangerous
rate. I saw at a glance that this was
the desk that Majors had referred to.
One of his keys opened it and looked
about for the secret drawer. It didn't
take long to locate it but experienced
some difficulty in opening it. Within,
/ found a tin bond-box which the tiny
key from his wo,cn chain unlocked.
It contained two packets, one ad.
dressed to me.
Opening the latter packet found
letter with my name upon it and set
about reading it at once.
Dear Friend: I am within the shadow
of death as / write A danger which has
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, I would confide In you,
| but it Is not mine and / must let it die
with me. 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 it will
| come, but do know that the end Is not
| far off and thank God for 1t. have
no relatives and none will come TO claim
my body or the little property that
| leave. I want you to take my desk,
| books, and easy chair, the only pleasures
| that I have had in life, for it is right
| that they should go to you who have
| been my only friend
| Since my earliest recollection I have
nursed my secret sorrow and enaeavored
! 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
| it's darkest periods and you have coma
| into it again at a time when I needed q
/ friend more than even in my college.
| days, and yet I could not then nor can
now conf1de to you the trouble that Is
| gnawing 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 It 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. l 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 draw
/ er. If you care to examine these papers
! you are at liberty to do so, but 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. I have never
seen prettier face nor 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. 1903, by w. G. Chapman,)
Copyright in Great Brittany
4
Calculating Childhood