The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-09-23

Her efforts to move silently were
defeated. for half way down the
stairs a board creaked loudly. Then
the tall door into the library stuck,
and not until Ruth had hurled her
self against it several times did it
yield.
L thought this was standing
OPEN she told herself. idly sur
prised.
She entered the room and set
her candlestick on the long read
ing table that stood near the book
cases.
The table was Of blackened oak.
heavily carved and looking as if it
had seen service in some English
castle long before finding its way
into this room. Its top was worn
smooth by use.
, Ruth thought, Maybe some
knight sat here long ago, reading
an illumined manuscript before he
went of to var maybe some
wealthy squire kept his accounts
here or an eXtravagant young
nobleman may have had to part
with it to raise money for taxes or
debts. All that could have hap
pened before Silas Hunter bought it
for this room in this housed"
A SHARP little rustic cut into
L = her thoughts and she jumped
nervously. "A mouse!" she breathed
with a shudder.
The noise had come, apparently,
from the bronze waste basket under
the table She gingerly pulled it out
to investigate.
There was no mouse there. There
was nothing at all in the basket
but one cITmpled piece Of heavy
writing paper.
1T must have been the paper
moving" Ruth decided. Sometimes
it dies when it's crumpled into a
knot that way"
Then her mind came alert with a
sort of jerk. She thought, Paper
only makes that noise just after it's
been crumpled!"
1t seemed as if every hair on her
head was prickling now. She knew
Bertha was in her bedroom. She
had heard the old servants aSth-
matte shores as she passed through
the hall. Yet some one had been
in this room so recently that paper
still cracked from an unknown
hand.
I'm being silly" Ruth told her
self firmly. Whats all this scare
about, anyway" She took the
crumpled paper from the big bronze
basket and laid it on the table. She
sat down in a chair which was con-
veniently placed there, and with
fingers that shook hardly at all she
smoothed open the sheet. These
are the words that her astonished
eyes read:
when a person decides to end
his or her life it is no concern Of
tie worlds. Yet it is generally
advisable to leave a letter behind in
order that no suspicion may fall
unjustly On any human being.
Therefore, in going out of this
wretched and highly overrated
world. I pause to say that my going
is entirely a matter of my own
choice and my own accomplishment.
I am going merely because life is
no longer worth the struggle and
the effort to sustain it. Somehow
have missed peace. Perhaps I
shall find it beyond.
Concerning my family, I have
this to say"
The sentence ended in a large
blot, at which Ruth stared in fas-
cination. Its just been written!'
she breathed shakily. Yes, there on
the desk lay a pen with the point
still family moist with ink.
cts just been writtenw Ruth
whispered again.
Into the great, dark drawing room
the door stood open. Ruth looked
at the dim void intently.
"The person who wrote it went
through that door when I came
in from the hall. Oh, I've stumbled
on something terrible"
ITO Be Continued