The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-04-30

had been his habit-against which his
nephew had repeatedly warned him.
lest sudden attack of heart affection
should take him off. alone-to burn
the midnight oil as he poured over
his book. But the old man paid no
heed to these protests; always smiling
his saturnine smile and wisely shak-
ing his head, saying, that when the
summons came he wished to be with
his book. SO that with the close OF his
life he might close it also.
When Joseph responded to the fatal
announcement and beheld the pathetic
spectacle OF his dead uncle in the Ii
brary. he said: Poor uncle. your
wish has been granted; the book is
closed. Amen"
The body and the book were prop
erly taken care OF. the former by the
undertaken. and the latter by the at
torneys Of the deceased man. In DR..
Powell's will 1t was devised that the
entire estate should go to his nephew.
Joseph: except his book, which was
to be burned, unopened. by his at
torneys within brief period after his
death. This disposition OF the book
was great disappointment to the
public. which had hoped that its sec
rets would be revealed at that time.
After DR.. Powell's death | left the
city on short business journey. |
also shared in the public disappoint-
ment that the contents of the book
would never be revealed. yet feeling
the force OF the conviction that man.
as secretive as the books former own
err was. would certainly have provided
that its secrets should be preserved
inviolate after his death. But | could
not help thinking during my trip Of
this strange man and his curious
hobby. When | returned n few days
later, at night, my way home led me
past the large four story brick build
ing, on the top floor OF which vas To-
Gated the Office OF Powcll's executors.
Arriving in the poorly lighted vicinity.
/ instlnctively glanced toward their
windows, and found that the office was
lighted up. with the shades pulled
down. wondered II Powells COM
mand to destroy Ms book by fire had
been executed yet. Perhaps 1t was be-
ing carried out at that very moment
in the room above. The novelty Of the
thought caused me to pause. Sudden
ly. as l watched, my attention was
drawn in the direction OF a madly ap-
preaching cab which had Just turned
| the distant corner of the darkened
street. Had 1t not been for the ap-
parent recklessness OF the driver, the
incident would perhaps have been I'M
noticed. However. as the cab neared
the spot where I stood. the lamps.
shining like pair Of monstrous eyes
through the gloom, veered to the curb.
The next instant the driver had stop
ped his horses with great effort. the
cab door opened. and man, whom
l instantly recognized to he Joseph
Powell, the dead mans heir. sprang
out and hurried toward the entrance
Of the building, evidently bound on
some urgent mission to the office OF
J his uncle's attorneys.
But as he cleared the distance be-
tween the curb and the entrance. over
which hung grimy lamp. noted his
singular behavior. His face was gri-
maced with pain. seemingly produced
by his artificial hand. enclosed In its
customary glove of black, which he
held tightly compressed in his good
right hand. What strange phenome-
non was this? l asked myself. How
could dead hand. decaycd and gone,
trouble him now? had heard that
such things sometimes happened. but
did not expect to witness so strik-
ing an exhibition Of the grewsome
phenomenon. Moreover, II true. what
had this extraordinary night visit to
the attorneys TO do with the agony he
suffered?
My first impulse was to follow the
young man into the building. but my
prominence making this course out OF
the question, Immediately decided,
instead TO cross the street for bet
ter scrutiny Of the windows above.
In acting upon this plan ! felt vague
ly that when Powell arrived ut the
attorneys room. something would hap
pen to give me an explanation Of his
strange visit. l had barely lifted my
, eyes to the window. when the drawn
shades tapped titfully as II moved by