The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-11-02
The young man went on with his !

Inc young man went on WIN his
We'll, it was the beginning of "a
when my father came to live at Hors-
ham, and all went as well as possible
with us until the January of "S5. On
the fourth day after the new year
l heard my father give a short cry o.
surprise as we sat together at the
breakfast table. There he was, sit
ting with newly-opened envelope ir
one hand and five dried orange pips
in the outstretched palm of the other
one. He had always laughed at what
he called my cock-and-bull story about
the Colonel. but he looked very scared
and puzzled now that the same thing
had come upon his self
why, what on earth does this
mean, john he stampered
MY heart had turned to lead. 1T is
X. X. k said l.
He looked inside the envelope. so
it is he cried Here are the very
letters. But what is written above
them?
Put the paper on the sundial,'
read, peeping over his shoulder.
What paper? What sundial?' he
asked.
The sundial in the garden. There
is no other said I; but the papers
must be those that are destroyed
POOH said he, gripping hard at
his courage. We are in civilized land
here, and we can't have tomfoolery OF
this kind Where does the thing come
from?'
From Dundee. answered, glanc-
ing at the post-mark.
Some preposterous practical joke,
said he. What have l to do with sun
dials and papers? | shall take no no.
tice of such nonsense
81 should certainly speak to the
police, I said
land be laughed at for my pains.
othing of the sort
Then let me do so?'
"'No, | forbid you. ! won't have
fuss made about such nonsense
at was vain to argue with him,
for he was very obstinate man. l
went about, however, with a heart
which was full of forebodings.
"On the third day after the coming
of the Letter, my father went from
home to visit an old friend of his
Major Freebody who is in command
of one of the forts upon PortsdoWn
Hill. | was glad that he should go,
for it seemed to me that he was FAR
Their from danger when he was away
from home In that, however. / was
in error. Upon the second day OF his
absence | received a telegram from
the Major, imploring me to come IT
once Ny father had fallen over one
of the deep chalkpits which abound
in the neighborhood, and was lying
senseless, with ashattered skull
hurried TO him, but he passed away
without having ever recovering his
consciousness. He had, as it appears
been returning from Farehame in the
twilight, and as the country was UNI
known to him, and the chalkpit un
fenced, the jury had no hesitation in
bringing in a verdict of Death from
accidental causes Carefully as l eN-
amined every fact connected with his
death. was unable to find anything
which could suggest the idea of muir
der There were no signs of violence.
no footmarks, no ROBBERY, no record Of
strangers having been seen upon the
roads And yet | need not tell you that
my mind was far from at ease, and that
| was wellnigh certain that some fou
plot had been woven round him.
in this sinister way | came into my
inheritance. You will ask me why
did not dispose of it? ! answer, be
cause | was well convinced that oul
troubles were in some way dependent
upon an incident in my uncle's life
and that the danger would be press
ing in one house as IN another
1T was in January. 'S5 that my poo
father met his end, and two years anC
eight months have elapsed since then
During that time | have lived happily