Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-04-16


ant 10 il with an imperative hand.
There's a light burning in there STILL"
he said: you can see 1t beneath the
door. Better see IL perhaps Mr.. Rip
ley hasn't fallen asleep over his work.
Martin. No-go ahead; Ill an
swer this"
The doorbell had just rung. As the
aged negro scufiied of toward the IL
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 nonsensel Captain Parr-will
you please look ut thisT"
He took the telegram from her quiv-
cring hand-and knitted annoyed
brows over II.
Newport. June 10. 1918
Miss Patria Claiming.
3 East Tenth Street. ~. 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 1t up ana 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 Its bronze.
"Miss Patty! o Lawd, my
Lawd!"
: PARIS fingers closed ~imperatively up
on the servants wrist.
"what Is 1t? What's happened? Stop
that bowling and tell u.s."
ITS Mistuh Ripley daid In there
y. :"
Common impulse moved the two
young people. toward the rea Of the
hallway. but half way to the library
door Parr checked the girl.
oDdEt NOuf Sell. MISS &tl4AiiliiiS. Astt
me go first and have a look around
please!"
1t was a spacious chamber. soberly
IL richly furnished In an outaged mode
and dominated by a massive chimney
piece of marble deliberately carved.
Parr. however. only subconsciously reg
istered an Impression Of Its character.
His interest conferred upon the body
OF a gentleman Of advanced years that
occupied an armchair mt one end Of the
table. And Ii needed no more than q
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 MUIR
dered-shot down while telephoning.
But he had not died so quickly as 10 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 Of his grimmest
suspicious; the assassin was-had
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 IL
! 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-
lfidential."
He returned to the hallway. At sight
OF his gravely troubled c~ountenance
Patria ross 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 II
explains. . . :"
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL.
My Dear Ward: Tomorrow, your
twenty-first birthday, will find you the
last OF THE Fighting C~hannings." On
that day you will legally become your
own mistress and / will be relieved of
the guardianship OF yourself md your
fortune--one OF the greatest fortunes
In the United States IL not in all the
world.
i write. rather than wait to com
municate what / have TO say. because I
live In the shadow of death. / 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
your life may be when you have taken
over sole control Of your inheritance,
your lands and estates. Channings, Inc,