Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-12-13

dass Eaage ~expsoa1oa. ana Q veraseo
e suic1ds ~ setsFned By ~ GO
oaesis jaFy.
Stricken. esusAed - she was. Hvu
Darlington reseatsd this deciaea. Ghs
vas able 10 learn. trying to trace IL
movements Of hse beother. that where
- changed traias ~ mst Marx Up
ton. n0w Q worthless vaeabood He
vas seen to give Upton some money.
II waS sought to nnd Upton later. bat
be had drifted away. His watch and
other jewelry were found on Darling.
ton. and . small amount Of money.
His life was Insured for 5000. Eva
being the b~eneneiary named. but the
insurance company resisted payment
% the ground Of suicide.
%. Elva was left without q rela-
tive In the world. h~omelessness star.
Ing her IN the face. for she could not
hope to pay Oh the mortgage when Il
was due. and hence the visit Of Ros-
coe Waldron.
The latter was In q serious, thought.
full mood as he entered the one no.
tel the town afforded. He noticed the
name across the front. "Sanganash
House." and he remembered that to
be the name Of the hotel where Win.
cent Darlington had met his death.
Then he recalled a fact that was q
startling coincidence. Waldron look.
ed over the papers at the city Office.
giving details Of the suicide.
"June twenty.seventh he MUIR
INJURED. "Just a year tonight since
the tragedy occurred"
1--WE can't give you a single room.
Would you mind a double.bedded one?
You see, we are overcrowded on ac-
count Of the farmers convention"
spoke the clerk. when Waldron asked
for accommodations for the night.
II would prefer a single room," ex.
pressed Waldron.
Let him have twenty.four." spoke
the proprietor In a half undertone,
siding up to the clerk.
'Twenty-four" Waldron expert.
enced a quick thrill. He distinctly re-
called noticing In the old account of
the suicide that "a was the number
Of the room Vincent Darlington had
occupied. He felt a certain squeanl-
ishness. Then he drove away the II
perstltious dread that probably made
the room banal with the direct resi-
dents Of the district.
Waldron went up to his room after
his evening meal. He found 1t slight
ly stuffy, as though 1t had not been
aired for some time. He sat IN a
chair, thinking deeply. for nearly two
hours. Then, without dlsrobing, he
lay down on the bed.
He had not intended to 20 to sleep,
but he did. All was still when he
awoke, except the stroke Of a distant
bell tolling out the hour of midnight.
He had left the lamp burning. Abrupt
ly his attention was directed 10 the
window, as Il slight noise echoed from
that direction.
With a wild start. an Irresistible
ejaculation. Waldron arose in bed.
Through Il pane in the window he saw
clinging to n heavy water pipe that
ran beside II a white-faced, staring
eyed human being, n man who glared
within the room like some restless
wrath.
As Waldron arose, this being or ap-
partition In turn uttered a curdling
shrek. There was a c%latter, the wa
ter pipe had given way, the uncanny
visitant had fallen to the ground
below.
Waldron hurried to the window,
opened 1t and peered below. The man
lay prone across a stretch Of brick
walk. Waldron a from the room.
down the stairs, past the drowsy night
clerk, and around to the side Of the
building outside. The victim Of the
unsafe water pipe lay insensible. Fill
ed with all kinds Of strange thoughts,
Waldron lifted him and carried him
into the hotel. He shouted to the
clerk:
"a man hurt, perhaps dying-send
for n doctor"
ut Is not n doctor I want" gasped
the victim Of the accident, opening his
eyes. "Im done for"
"Mark Uptonw exclaimed the clerk,
recognizing the Injured man.
eyes, II came back. I was driven
hereto the room where I robbed and
killed Vincent Darlington. Remorse
has haunted me. I In turn was robbed
Of the money that tempted me when
Darlington showed 1t In giving me
enough to keep me from starving.
Send for an officer of the law. I wish
to make n confession"
1t was made, the man died within
the hour. and by daylight Elva OAR
lington knew from Roscoe Waldron
that her brothers name was freed
from the reproach Of suicide and that
the old homestead was saved.
She commissioned Waldron to act as
her representative In dealing with the
insurance company and settling the
mortgage. He could have transacted
NIL direct business with Miss Waldren-
by mail. Only too eager, however, was
he to again view that lovely face. The
second visit to Leesville was q mere
subterfugc. but Elva had grown to
upon this unselhsh friend, who
had been the means Of solving the
mystery and the misery Of her young
And one bright day became tho
brightest Of their lives--that upon