The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-03-17

There's q 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 ans
swer this"
The doorbell had just rung. AS the
aged negro scuffled off toward the Ii
brary, Parr turned, opened the front
door, and admitted an urchin wearing
the livery Of a well-known telegraph
company. This last delivered an
envelope addressed to Miss Patria
Claiming, pOcketed a tip, and returned
to the street. Captain Parr cooked an
attentive ear toward the library while
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.
3 East Tenth Street, N. Y. City.
Distracted. Why did you run away to-
night without explanation? Rodney fol-
lows by first morning train. Please wire
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-
turned the message. The girl impa-
tiently tore it up and committed its
offensive fragments to the floor.
She was startled by a 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
Lawdl"
PARIS fingers closed imperatively up
on the servants wrist.
"What is it? What's happened? Stop
that bowling and tell usI"
SITS Mistuh 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 Charming. Let
me go first and have a look around
pleasel"
1t was a spacious chamber, soberly
If richly furnished in ar outaged mode
and dominated by a massive chimney
piece of marble deliberately carved.
Parr, however, only subconseiously reg
istered an impression of its character.
His interest conferred upon the body
of a gentleman of advanced years that
occupied an armchair at one end of the
table. And it needed no more than a
glance to assure him that the man was
dead beyond dispute.
His head and arms rested upon the
table. One hand ST." gripped an auto
matte pistol. Near his head rested an
overturned telephone instrument, the
receiver dislodged. He had been muir
dered-Shot down while te~lephoning.
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 a dozen feet aside the corpse of
the assassin law asprawl-in the cast
of those dead features Parr read ire
futable confirmation f his grimmest
odpIASICDS IN oooc-1Slh hdo u
been-a Japanese.
Turning on the servant sharply, Parr
stilled his lamentations with a brusque
command.
stop that horrible noise, Martin
Do you wish Miss Claiming to hear
you? Now tell me: where can
we put these bodies out of her sight?''
The negro designated the drawing
room which communicated with the Ii
brary by sliding doors; thither they
bore and there left the bodies. Then
returning, Parr ordered the communi-
eating doors closed, and for a 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.
1t was superScribed in the firm, min
ute writing of a strong old hand: "For
Miss Patria Channing-Private & Con-
fidential.'
He returned to the hallway. At sight
of his gravely troubled countenance
Patria rose quickly from a 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 it
explains. . . ;"
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL.
My Dear Ward: Tomorrow, your
twenty-first birthday, will find you the
last of 1.-THE Fighting Ch~annings." On
that day you will legally become your
own mistress and l will be relieved of
the guardianship of yourself and your
fortune-one of the greatest fortunes
in the United States if not in all tho
world.
1 write, rather than wait to COM
municate what l have to say, because I
live in the shadow of death. l may
not live to see you, personally to ac-
count to you for my stewardship
may not live to see tomorrow's dawn.
My life Is strangely menaced-even as
1900