Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-01-21
EpI>uDt: TuREE.
..lIIE SEALED rtth
Uhe House 81 >"rr"".

,hs ii,,ie space Of limpid light created
nv The four tall candles at the your
corners ~ tine single bed wherein re
Ter Barr slept his last sleep.
Hcsj,ic that bed Philip Barr '>nelt IN
rrayer for tin. soul nf one whom ne ma"
,allcd father OrpoSIt" ru"lt that one
who had introduced himself; - ramp
as the son ~ IN I'D servant 81 f-'~i
Barr. Uy name, Juan !.op:z
Philip had not questioned this claim
though he had ucNer 50 much as seen
tho man uutil tho Instant o' ms ia'h-
as death But rctcg Earr had neen
wiling 10 GASP out his dying breath
i'm The arms of Juan Lopez ma fhinp'
Fastening back 10 tn" room ai'cl P".
tinr on, The self.styled Madame fereH.
mad ,c-eutclcd i'm tim" "a ovtrhear the
old mans lasr words parting adnnoh ,
;,ion 20 Juan Lopez which indicated
close Intimacy between the Two
tnven now despite his great srlei.
philip Was troubled 10y the memory %
those words which wrought upon ms
understanding wlin an effect as ""rie
,.s that which mlGht "ssaii one VINO
iournevinc through a Mild land alone
feels the hind fingers ~ strange
night wind fumhunc about ms ace.
Never lot rhiIip know u" = Nihs
King, King Of what re'Pi barr
had no. said. with that revelation trem.
bling upon his lips he Mad noaned "nd
dicr tho inviolah IA, s.al OF death GUARD
cd that lnystery tron tn" "how'e"se
,f him whom II most concerned.
Nor could he hon" I" learn ~ from
Tho living lipS Of tho partner :" that
secret who knclt on the iar side OF
fhc bed rhiljp had owed his father
too dearly not I" respect e '"nU0"i!."
which NC had rcposed ~ another
his hearing nad not deceived NM u
rc,cr Barr hno really uttered those
cui:.n1aiic words philip must solve the
riddle Of ms identity with TIA" aid "'
on. uthcr than this Juan l.opeZ pre-
Sumiu= he were over 20 soiNe IL
Meantime. ne could hardly do other
wise than t1uSt tn" man who Nad de
.er>cd his fathers trust vino seemed
.tu mourn lis fathers death with IA
grief lt,lo loss profound than The son $
\nd when Juan Lopez had named min
.rlt .nd announced that. as the son
III one who once hnd been servant 20
rrtc, Earn i, was his right and prone,
- constitute himself the body servant
Of rhilir. the latter had accepted MIN
witir"ut dcnur
There is mo sorrow. however great,
thai ohlitcratcs an else from the
mourn"r's consciousness. WiliN-ni!iN'
rhilip's mind from time TO Time en-
.urcd itself witli tho mystery Of his
life as he kuct ON. hour after h"wi.
10y tho bedside.
ur q sudden there crept 10 the sun
ten conversation which he had held
with his father :, month since In which
Peter Rarr. perhaps influenced 10y pre-
monitjOn, had spoken OF the possibility
OF his death and mad advised Philip
that in such event. he must leave Red
Ming Ranch and journey 10 Paris to
deliver certain sealed letter INTO me
hands OF orc Juan Lopez.
Then This must bc that same man
lnvolun,arily, rhiip lif,ed his face
from his hands and looked across the
bed
Juan Lopez MAS no more There
WonderiuG--since he had not heard
the man st-rhilip cooked round the
COON Ru, he was quite alone with
hi. dead
bowed his head - mis- hands anew, his
lips resumcd their inaudible petition
inc without effort he dismissed the
matter from his mind and again was
hut i simple hearted young man hard
ii' by bereavement
i'ivc minutes passed Then. without
INC least warning. wonans scream
hrckc tho profound silence that for
hours h"d obtained in the house o
mouruinr
pbiNp started 10 his feet. ana tor 81
instant stood a. pause. listening
There Was only ono woman in Zee
Ming ranch house that night It'll
widow ~ ,hc man Perez. whose IN
provoked attempt 10 "ssnssiuat" i'hih
mad resulted ~ MS own death as "cl
THAT f.pcier Barr.
Bu, these screams cnandlcd from TIA
living room. directly beneath the ROOF
wherein philip stood whereas Madam
Perez vas prcsumHbiy where rhili
had lott hcr, where d stricken widuS
Should be IN Inc bcd-chambel whcr
lay tho pody Of hen husband. praNin
for the peace 90 has soul
DO