Gilpin observer., 1917-08-23

ant to it with an imperative hand.
"There's light burning in there STILL"
he said; "yOu can see it beneath the
door. Better see If perhaps Mr.. Rip
ley hasn't fallen asleep over his work,
Martin. NO-go ahead; I'll an
swer this"
The doorbell had just rung. As the
aged negro scuffled Off toward the IL
brary, Parr turned, opened the front
door, and admitted an urchil wearing
the livery of well-known telegraph
company. This last delivered an
envelope addressed to Miss Patria
Charming, pocketed tip, and returned
to the street. Captain Parr cooked an
the girl hastily scanned her telegram.
"What nonsense Captain Parr-will
you please look at this?"
He took the telegram from her quiv
ering hand-and knitted annoyed
brows over it.
Newport, June 10. 1916.
Miss Patria Claiming.
East Tenth Street, N. Y. City.
Distracted. Why did you run away to-
night without explanation? Rodney fol-
prompt denial. Rumors current here you
eloped with Captain Parr.
AMELIA wRENN.
A smile, half-rueful, half of amuse-
ment, replaced PARIS frown. He re-
tiently tore it up and committed its
offensive fragments to the floor.
She was startled by cry throaty
with terror. Martin tottered out of the
library door, his limbs trembling, his
face ashen beneath it's bronze.
Miss Patty! o Lawd, my
Lawdw
PARIS fingers closed imperatively up
on the servants wrist.
"What is 1t? What's happened? Stop
that bowling and tell us!''
ITS Nistuh Ripley daid in there
Common impulse moved the two
young people toward the rear of the
hallway, but half way to the library
door Parr checked the girl.
"Spare yourself, Miss Claiming. Let
me go first and have look around
please!''
If richly furnished in an outaged mode
and dominated by n massive chimney
piece of marble deliberately carved.
Parr, however, only subconsciously reg
istered an impression of its character
His interest centered upon the body
of a gentleman of advanced years that
occupied an armchair at one end of the
table. And 1t needed no more than IL
glance to assure him that the man was
dead beyond dispute.
His head and arms rested upon the
table. One hand still gripped an auto
matte pistol. Near his head rested an
overturned telephone instrument, the
receiver dislOdged. He had been mur-
dered-shot down while telephoning.
But he had not died so quickly as to let
his assassin escape; he had lived long
enough to discharge his own weapon
with deadly effect.
Half n dozen feet aside the corpse of
the assassin law asprawl-in the cast
of those dead features Parr read ire
futable confirmation of his grimmest
suspicious; the assassin was-had
been-a Japanese.
Turning on the servant sharply. Parr
stilled his lamentations with n brusaue
command.
"StOp that horrible noise. Martin
Do you wish Miss Claiming to hear
you? 49,. Now tell me: where can
we put these bodies out of her sight?'
The negro designated the drawing
room which communicated with the H.
| I,v.,, J,x, .,1t .t.t.
bore and there left the bodies Then
returning, Parr ordered the commune
eating doors closed. and for moment
hesitated. obviously examining a fat
sealed envelope which he had found
in the pocket of the dressing gown
worn by the ill-starred Mr.. Ripley.
II was supcrscribed in the firm. min
ute writing of n strong old hand: "For
Miss Patrin Channing-Private & Con
fidential."
He returned to the hallway. At sight
of his gravely troubled countenance
Patria rose quickly from chair and
came to him with an imploring ges-
ture.
"Prepare yourself" he said, "your
guardian has been assassinated-by a
japanese. He left you this: perhaps 1t
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL.
My Dear Ward: Tomorrow. your
twenty-first birthday. will find you the
last of "The Fighting Channlngs." On
that day you will legally become your
own mistress and will be relieved of
the guardianship Of yourself and your
fortune-one OF the greatest fortunes
In the United States II not in all the
world.
/ write. rather than wait to com
municate what have to say. because
live In the shadow. of denth. may
not live to see you, personally to ac-
count TO you for my stewardship-I
| may not live to see tomorrow's dawn