Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-10-30
The Argus Daily Story
A Mysterious Message-By Willard B. Church.
Copyrighted Associated Literary

DN neT loss AT UTSt ncT nina OWelC
solely on the blighting OF her life. 1t
was not till later that her loss Of for
tune occurred 10 her. Even a compe-
tency would have made great differ
ence to her and her mother. who was
in feeble health. But gradually she
rose above both these misfortunes so
far rs TO take hold Of the world again
and perform the work Providence had
allotted her. She had but Just resign
ed a position as teacher in the county
school After her fauce's death she
resumed 1t.
Cicily knew little about the Brown
estate. except that Harvey had told her
that It was OF considerable value
When she had resumed a condition to
enable her to think about worldly af-
fairs and heard that the estate had
turned out TO be of much less value
than had been expected she was sur
prised. Could her lover have misrep-
resented the matter TO her? The sup
position was not to be entertained for
a moment. She had dwelt almost TO
broodinG on the words she had heard
in his voice. or voice very like his.
as in some way connected with his
death. but no Interpretation 70 them
had occurred to her. When she IVES
told that Harvey had left no fortune
except the Brown homestead an ex-
PLANTATION OF the message telephoned
to her on the day of his death flashed
into her brain.
IT'S in the northeast corner of the
smokehouse."
What smokehouse7 There was no
Crronl-lH,Af,GA ha
She and her mother occupied few
acres OF ground that had formerly
contained the buildings OF q farm. A
smokehouse was, besides the dwelling.
the only building left Had Harvey
while waiting for his wedding been
seized with n prescntiment that he
might die unmarried and, remembering
that in this case his cousin would get
all his property, buried something for
her in the smokehouse? Taking up a
pick and shovel. she went into the
smokehouse and began to dig.
She had but to remove few inches
of earth when she came to one OF
those tin boxes commonly used for
keeping documents. Taking e up. she
ran with it into the house and up
into her room. The box was locked
but the key was tied to the wire han
die on the lid. Opening the box, she
took out bonds, stock certificates and
lastly n deed to the Brown homestead
One paper remained on the bottom,
contained IN an envelope sealed with
wax. 1t was addressed to Cfcily.
Tearing It open, she took out folded
paper Endorsed in printed letters.
Last will and testament Of" and in
writing John Harvey Brown" I'm
folding the document, Cicily read
few words bequeatbing all the tesla
tors possessions Of every kind to her.
But why had her lover not told her.
that he had left the box In the smoke
house? Gradually a probable cxplana-
ton came to her. Harvey feared that
in the event OF his death before his
marriage his cousin, even II Harvey
made n Will in her favor, might get
possession Of the document and de
stroy It. Harvey was secretlve man
and might not have intended to speak
Of the buried box If no necessity arose
for doing so.
And here came up the mystery OF
the telephone message. Had not Har-
vey when caught in the storm been
aware of his danger, gone into Il house
where there was "A telephone and sent
the messenger But this theory would
not hold, for II he could go into
house he might remain there and be
out Of danger. Moreover, II Harvey
had sent the message from any house
on the route he was known to have
traversed the fact could be ascer-
tanned
Cicily handed the will into the court
Of chancery and was put In possession
OF her property. One day she drove
over the road from the Brown home
stead TO the place where Harvey's
dead body had been found looking for
houses in which there were telephones
The only instrument was IN Farmer
Hardwick's. She Interviewed Hard
wick, heard his story, and the two
stood face TO face with a deeper mys-
terry than the one that had thus fur
puzzled them.
Cicily Boardman has not married
and will never marry. She occupies
tho Brown homestead alone since her
mother died. living life OF solitude.
She IS known as = woman whose mind
IL normal on all subjects save one.
That one IS a belief TINT she received
a telephone message from her fiance
after his death. Farmer Hardwick
lent color TO the story she tells so long
as he lived, but even his confederation
failed 10 convince any one Of Ciciiy
Boa rdmun's sanity.
There are a few-advHnced thinkers
who, believing IN the possibility OF
communication OF the dead with the
living, claim that there are natural
methods for such communication as
real, as was wireless teiegraphy be-
fore the latter was discovered. md
that some day . new law VIII come 10
light by means Of which we may speak
with friends I'm another sphere with
no more astonishme1t than we now
talk through the air With those on al
II pT continent