Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-04-15

Come on. Lou" said Cargan. "Dray-
TONS a smart guy. Doc. Where's his
proof? Eloped with the bundle OF dry
goods this young mans taken fancy
TO. And even If he had the money
I've been up against this many a time.
You're wasting your talents. Doc.
Good night! Come on, boys"
Mr. Magee turned back from the
window TO the dim interior of the no.
tel office. He who had come to Bald
pate inn to court loneliness had never
felt so lonely in his life. for he had
lost sight OF her-in the great Reuton
J station OF his Imagination she had
slipped from his dreams-to go where
he could not follow, even in thought.
Selecting log OF the hermit's cut
| ting from the stock beside the hearth,
Mr. Magee tossed It on the fire. There
| followed n shower of sparks and a
| food of red light in the room. Through
\ this light Kendrick advanced to Ma
gees side, and the first of the Bald
! pate hermits saw that the mans face
was lined by care. that his eyes were
tired even under the new light in
them, that his mouth was twisted bit
terly.
Poor devil" thought Macee
Kendrick drew up chairs for himself
and Magee and they sat down. Be
hind them the bulky Mrs. Norton dog
ed, dreaming perhaps of her Reuton
boarding house. while Miss Thornhill
and the professor talked internationally
In low tones. The ranks at Baldpate
were thinning rapidly; before long the
place must settle back with a sigh in
the cold to wait for its first summer
girl.
Mr.. Magee." said Kendrick nervous
~, you have become involved in an
unkind, tragic story. / do not mean
the affair OF the bribe-I refer TO the
matter between Hayden and myself"
IF you had rather not began Ma
gee.
NO." replied Kendrick, 81 prefer
that you should know. 1t was you
who took the pistol from-his hand. l
do not believe that even can tell you
all that was in Hayden's mind when |
he went into that other room and |
closed the door. 1t seems to me pre- |
posterous that a man of his sort |
should take his life under the circum- |
stances. i feel somehow that there |
is a part OF the story even 1 do not |
know. But let that be-
He bowed his head in his hands.
Ever since l came into this ROOM"
he went on. the eyes of n pompous 1
little man have been following me |
about. They have constantly recalled
TO me the nightmare of my life. You
have noticed. no doubt. the pictures of
the admiral that decorate these walls!"
Il have" replied Magee. He gazed
curiously at the nearest of the por-
traits. How persistently this almost
mythical starched man wove in and
out of the melodrama at Baldpate inn.
We'll" continued Kendrick, 1.-The ad-
miral's eyes haunt me- Perhaps you
know that he plays n gnme-a game of \
! have good reason to re
member that game. 1t is n silly incon-
sequential game. You would scarcely
believe that IL once sent a man TO hell"
He stopped.
Il am beginning in the middle of my
story" he apologiZed. Let me go
back. Six years ago 1 was hardly the
nan you see now-I was Mt least TWEEN
" years younger. Hayden and work
ID together in the office of the Subur-
pan railway. We had been close friends
1t college. l believed in him and
.rusted him, although / knew he had
|
nan. I had risen rapidly. l was young.
he future was lying golden before me,
md was engaged. The laughter OF
Henry Thornhill. our employer-the
.irl you have met here Mt BaIdpate-
lad promised TO be my wife. Hayden
bad also been n suItor, OUT wnen our
engagement was announced he came
10 me like a man, and | thought his
words were sincere.
"One day Hayden told me of
.hance we might take which would
make US rich. 1t was not altogether
within the law. but it was the sort of {
hing that other men were doing con-
SANITY. and Hayden assured me that I
is he had arranged matters it was alb
olutely safe. My great sin is that i I
greed we should take the chance. =
in for which l have paid. Mr.. Magee. J
yer and over S
\ gain he paused and gazed steadily {
L the fire. Again Magee noted the L
ray at his temples, the aftermath OF b
evers in his cheeks.
"We took the chance" he went on.
For n time everything went well J
hen one clustering March night Hay q
en- came TO me and told me we were a
ertain TO be caught. We arranged TO VI
leet the next night at the Argots club "
nd decide on what we should do S
I'VE met I'm the library Of the club. s.
Hayden came in to me from the card ii
pom adjoining, where he had been II
~ "A - a