Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-11-07
My son Philip has

Il never made the slightest effort to
communicate with Arthur's widow or
with his child, for Arthur had assured
me that they were we'll provided for
kindred. After the catastrophe Of st.
Pierre l completely lost sight OF them.
Then came a letter addressed to me
from st. Vincent. the first inkling
which 1 had that not only Tic Arthur's
son know of his fathers position in
life. but that he had full n justf-
fable reasons for believing that he
himself was heir presumptive to the
family title and estate which would
have been his fathers. had the latter
outlived the present holder.
This letter was followed by sew
eral others about which neither Luke
nor Mr.. Warren knew anything, for l
told them nothing. At last there came
one from Brussels. BY this time l had
searched carefully through some let
tiers which my brother. Arthur. had
desired that l should destroy after his
death. but which l had always KEEP
by me. meaning n day to comply
with his wish.
Il had more than a suspicion then
that my brothers marriage was a per-
fectly legal one, and that his son was
the only + heir-presumptive to the
title and estates which l had always
fondly thought could only devolve up
on Luke. l went over to Brussels de-
termined to see this Philip before he
that he would supersede Luke was
more h L could bear.
Il arrived in Brussels early n
morning, having crossed over in the
night. AT once l drove to The mean
hotel where he was lodging. He was
whom he had picked up a casual ac-
workmanship IN the sea voyage be-
tween the West Indies and Antwerp.
The two men had come over together
in the Belgian boat. They looked q
pair of young bl~ackguards. but 1T did
not take me very long to be convinced
that for some reason best known to
himself my brother. Arthur. had de-
ceived me and that his son.. Philip. was
indeed the legitimate and rfghtful heir
to the title which | hold. The papers
were authentic and undisputable. This
much l knew and that Luke. whom l
loved best in all the world. mor
his son. would never be Earl of Rad
clyfIe SO long as Philip de Mountford
lived.
MEN will say that 1 am an aban-
doned criminal. and indeed it may be
SO. May God forgive me hereafter, for
1 killed my brothers son. / pretended
to rejoice at his Homecoming. and in
half an o u had gained his confidence.
In the afternoon we went out together
and after a short walk We picked up
a taXicab. Philip gave the driver the
address of a restaurant at which I had
asked him to dine with me. I kept
carefully in the shadow, so that the
man shouldn't see me. Then on the
way in the cab l killed him. When
his head was turned away from me.
I plunged an old Italian stiletto which
I had carried about with me, ever since
I had had letters from Philip, straight
into his neck.
HE died instantly without a groan,
and ! was sick to death. but 1 nan
aged to sit quietly beside him until
the cab pulled up; the l jumped out
and told the chauffeur to drive my
friend on to some remote place on
the b~oulevards.
II watched the cab until it was out
of sight. then / hailed another and
drove straight to the Gard du Nord,
and crossed back to England that
night. l threw the stiletto overheard
into the sea. / had spent IL hours IN
Brussels, and / had killed Philip de
Mountford. and made sure that Luke
would be Earl Of Radcliffe after me.
.It was not likely that in their search
for the missing criminal who had
stabbed an unknown stranger in a cab,
the Belgian police would suspect an
English peer. The mystery of that
crime has remained impenetrable. be-
cause nothing was ever known of the
mean hotel where he lodged no n
Knew anything about him. Only n
person knew and he was silent for
purposes Of his own.
Before the police searched h un-
known strangers o the room which
he shared with the chance friend whom
he had picked up on the Belgian boat
the latter already had found and con-
cealed the papers which would have
revealed the identity of the murdered
man. IL not that Of his murderer.
II, at home in England. wondered
how 1t was that the Belgian police had
never discovered that the murdered
man was named Philip de Mountford
and that he claimed to be the heir
to the earldom Of Radcliffe. I expected
paragraphs in h paper, some UNI
plcasantness even. but mono anne.
II could not understand 1t, for / had
forgotten h existence OF the chance
friend.
"And then one day last April I I'M
derstood. Once more I had letters from
abroad, from q man who claimed to
be my brothers son. At first I thought
the whole thing q silly imposture, un-
til the, day when q man confronted
proof that l had killed Philip De Mount
ford In Brussels. He had tho latter's
passports, his birth and marriage GER
~tificates, his letters Of Identification.
all, all the papers that he had filched
from among the dead mans things,
and which he now haunted before me.
daring to prove him m impostor. II
1 am not Philip de MountfoTd,s he said
to inc, then whore - Philip DE- Mount
ford?s And from that hour. I was ~
wax In his hands. He held me Ard
he knew it. I might have proved him
IN impostor. and he could prove me
. murderer.
.Heaven alone knows how / did not