Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-04

you, pleaSeT l asked In matter or
fact tone.
He turned, snarling: "My men, Bray
ton 1 paid them TO meet you at
Dinaghpore and offer their services.
Now they are miles back on the road.
You are quite alone with me. entirely
in my power. and when / am through
there are the jackals and vultures.
rou know" He bent over the table
once more.
IF one of us must die 1 believe l
have the advantage, Bob" / leveled
my revolvers at him. and, though my
head was cool. my hands trembled
slightly. for Pendletcn had once been
my friend.
They are empty. fool" he said
bitterly. my men removed the
charges en- route" He flung this over
his shoulder, still busted over the little
box.
1t was true The cartridges had been
removed but IL the worst came to pass.
as 1t undoubtedly would from Pen
dleton's attitude toward me. / could
use them as clubs.
Suddenly he faced about and spoke
rapidly. with many gesticulations OF
his thin hands.
Years ago. Phil Brayton, you won
out in certain game. 1 swallowed
NV disappointment and went away.
l have gone up and down the world
looking for peace OF mind and body,
and there is none. / loved Eleanor
Neal as no woman was ever loved
before, as no woman will be loved
again. and I still love her. / have
been In every country on the globe;
have had experiences; have seen
mysteries that you never dreamed Of;
1 have become what no white man on
Gods earth dared hope to attain;
am But 1 will not tell you thatl
Here, In one Of the dead cities of
the world. isolated as one may hope to
be, / have waited for you to come
and take your medicine. You have
loved her for years. 1 have been
banished Fate shall decide this night
between us as Eleanor once chose. On
this altar you see these four tiny
crystal cups. The first contains the
essence of supreme happiness, the
second the essence Of perfect love,
the third the essence Of immeasur-
never mind; 1t shall be unnamed.
ct have arranged them, and you may
rearrange them as you please. You
see they all contain a colorless liquid,
and there is no outward distinction be-
tween them. Then you may choose
one and shall drink ii, and according
to its contents so shall your fate be-
He leaned carelessly against the altar.
smiling down at my perplexed face.
"And you-what are you to doT
breathed quickly.
"Why, Brayton, I believe I shall
have my day. my share of happiness.
/ II you should happen to choose the
/ fourth essence-why, Eleanor will be
a widow and may console her. Do
| you doubt my power?'
"Why not murder me outright" 1
| questioned calmly. "Your essences
are FOOLS trickery, Bob. Supreme
happiness. perfect love and immeasur-
able content are all attained by drink
ing the fourth essence, and that Isl
"What?' he demanded fiercely.
Death"
He bowed his head sullenly. "Yet
| you must drink or die-die anyway.
| that / may live and have my share OF
happiness he said doggedly.
| Slowly I unbuttoned my coat and
| drew forth from a hidden pocket
| leather case. In the front Of the case
was miniature of my wife, Eleanor.
| Slipped in the back of the case was a
newspaper clipping of her death.
! Without a word gave the paper into
! his unwilling hand. He held it to the
light, devoured 1t with lightning glance,
and look Of poignant suffering came
into his face for a brief moment.
Then. tossing it back to me, he
broke into a joyful laugh. "Ah, Phil.
win at last" He snatched at one
OF the cups, drained it. and. while
struggled to detain him, he drank the
others one at n time.
When the first hot red rays OF the
morning sun broke through the slit
Of window they fell on his dead face.
All the anger and bitterness had fed.
He looked young and beautiful. as II
ne had attained to supreme happiness.
perfect love and unreasonable con-
tent-these the gift Of the fourth es-
sence. the key to the spirit world.