Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-01-09
CHAPTER XVIII.


What Preston IaX had to say was,
first. In the form Of Il very brief note;
second, in the shape of a formidable
looking document The note began
Esteemed sir" concluded Yours re-
molNefully' and set forth in somewhat
eNOrlc language that the writer, fear-
ing lapse Of courage that might CON
fuse his narrative when he should
come to give it, had taken pen in
hand to commit ii to writing and
would the recipient "kindly pardon
hastcE Herewith twenty one typed
pages.
quite enough said Chester Kent,
mud dlyed into the turbid flood Of
words And behold! As he turned, so
to speak, the corner Of the narrative
the current became suddenly clear
The reader ran through 1t with in
creasng absorption Preston JaX,
whose real name was John Preston,
had, afler Il rebellouS boyhood, run
away to sea, lived two years before
the mast, picked up smatterng Of
education, been assistant. and capper
for II magnetic healer and had finally
Formulated a system Of astrological
prophecy that won him a slow but in
creaslng renown
"Thls Astraea affair looked good
from the first" So began Preston
JaX's confession, as beheaded aud
stripped down by It's editor. ut looked
| Ike one Of the best. You could smell
money in 1t with half nose Her tirst
letter came In on Il Monday, rccoIlect
Irene, my assistant, had put the red
pencil on II when she sorted out the
mail 10 show Il was something special.
But don't get her into this, Professor
Kent. If you do It's all of, jewels and
IAN. Irene has always been for the
straight star business and forecast
game aud no extras or side lines, Be
Iaidps we were married last week.
"Shc quoted poetry, swell poetry.
First Oh she signed herself An Adept
gave her the Personal no, 3 and fol-
lowed 1t up with the Special Friendly
80, D. irene never liked that No. g.
She says It's spOOny Just the same,
! II fctchcs them but not this one. SHE
began to get personal and warm heart
ed, all right, and answered up with
the kindred soul racket But come to
| Boston? Not move, Said she
| couldn't There were reasons, II look.
ed like the old game filter headed
! wife and Jealous husband Nothing In
chat gnme unless you go In for the
straight holdup Aud blaclmal was
always too strong for my taste So |
did the natural thing gave her special
readings and doubled on the price.
She paid like Il mmb
"Thcn, blame If 1t didn't slip ont
she wasn't married at all! lost that
letter II was kind Of endeurlng,
Irene put up Il howl. II was getting
too personal for her taste told her
would cut II out Then | gave my
swell lady another address and wrote
her for u picture Nothing doing But
She began 10 hint around at meeting
one day u letter came with hundred
dollar bin IN IT, Loose, too, just like
''" W ,e,. w., 't,1.' 's ~ ,,, ,,n,,, nnI
',,' .''. , ,a,, ~, "n,,, o,r s,ni, hnI
returned to recognize aud join eucl
other she said Here IL the only part
,f n,n I,ttar ,nuI1 ll, mn From fine
wostnh,sl,nt"
u,r, , nn.o wns n,stad un,n IA,
Jnmuront
. aynu hnyc noInted ont TO mo thot
nm stnrs swinging in mighty circles
are rushing on TO loInt climax. 10
grther we may force open the door,
To the past aud sway the world as W,
sought 10 do In bygone days
And 80 ON aud celera," continue,
the narrative, "WeIl, Of course, Sh,
was untty that Is, about the star busl
uess. lIut that don't prove anything
The dppIcst star chaser ever workc,
was the hpnd of n department In ON,
uf the biz stores, aud the liprcest lttlD
business Womuu IN business hours yol
ever knew Tint was the Icttcl' sh,
nrst called me Hermann In and signe,
Asuuca to. Said there was no use pre-
tending to conceal her identity an,
longer from mr Seemed to think