Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-03
sysyas q 81 'E:yS I 81 q 8 & ID on

Joying the exercise of her Influence
| and never doubling her power to keep
| the friendship on any footing she chose.
| Kinks frank.-boyish gratitude for the
| favors he had received made it easy
for her to encourage the growth of an
| intimacy that she acknowledged
charming. while she sincerely believed
that he would be helped by 1t. Find
ing him responsive. she deliberately set
herself to please him. She was no
longer brilliant and chilly. but gay.
| smiling and unaffected.
Once in n while Cortlandt went with
them, but he was usually uncommuni-
cative, and they scarcely felt his pres
encc. When he did talk he talked cas-
lily and we'll
Several days passed thus. during
which Anthony fully recovered from
his experience at Colon. Then a ship
arrived from New York. but before he
had summoned courage to ask his
friends for a loan he received a letter
forwarded from Colon by the Ameri-
can consul. a perusai of which not only
dumfounded him. but entirely altered
his plans.
1t was typewr;tten on plain station
cry; there was neither heading nor sig
nature. yet he knew quite well from
whom it came. 1t read as follows:
Don't cable again or the stupidity of the
police may fail 10 protect you. The others
got away safely. and you would be mad
to return alone. 1 can't and won't help
you now. This time you went too far,
H,.I To In
don't believe in miracles, but if you can
straighten up and make a man OF your
self IN help you face this trouble. other
wise don't call on me for anything. I'm
through.
Kirk reread this amazing epistle sew
eraI times before its full significance
struck him: then. when he realized
what it meant. he felt himself break
into sweat of apprehension. That
plain clothes man had died. The po-
lice were looking for him. There could
be no other explanation. else why had
Higgins and the rest fed the country?
Perhaps he was alreadysindicted Kirk
saw himself accused of manslaughter,
arrested and tried. What could he do
if his father refused to help? Evident
ly the governor believed him guilty. In
that case the young man knew that ex
plantations would be futile. Even the
letter he had sent would do-no good.
When Darwin *. Anthony said he was
through he was through.
Finding a secluded corner of the We
randa, he sat down TO think this mat
ter out. but the more he reflected on I'll
the more serious it appeared. OF one
thing he became quickly convinced: |
New York Mt present WAS no place-for |
him. He rose quickly and entered the /
hotel, where he bought all the latest
New York papers and found in ac- |
count Of Mr. Padden's efforts to dis |
prove his connection with an assault 4
upon the person of detective named /
Williams. who had come from st. |
Louis But nowhere was there a /
word about the present condition OF I
the plain clothes man. nor the slightest I
hint toward explaining the conduct of /
the mysterious Jefferson locke. for /
whom he had been searching. Who the I
devil was Locke. anyhow? The article +
did not even state the charge upon
which he was to be arrested. In an
other paper Kirk found something
that relieved his mind bit Evidently
Williams had not died prior to the
time of going to press, although he
was reported in a critical condition.
One thing was clear at least He
could stay here no longer as the Cort-
landts' guest-he bad already incur
red an obligation which be would
have difficulty In discharging. U
Conquering his sense of humiliation
as best he could. he called up the Cort-
landts' suit.
Edith answered saying that her hus-
band was out. Then, in response TO
his request. she came down herself.
What has gone wrong: Why this
face OF tragedy? - she inquired as she
seated herself beside him.
I've received my declaration of in
dependence I've heard from my
lad" He told her everything without
'eserve. then showed her the letter
md the newspapers in his hand. She
'crutinized them with quiet sericus-
hess that seemed to make his trouble
Ter own. Turning her bright eyes
Ipon him. she Inquired. How does 1t
eel 10 be disinherited =
Blamed uncomfortable, l must tell
ir. Cortlandt at once"
Let me-" she offered quickly Il
you'd not show any one that letter 'f