CHAPTER 1
Father of all surveyors, Time drags his chain of rust through every life, and only Love - unaging God of the Ages - immeasurable, keeps his untarnished youth.
Maitland carried the unconscious girl into the study, and for some time we busied ourselves in bringing her to herself.When this task was accomplished we did not feel like immediately putting any further tax upon her strength.Maitland insisted that she should rest while he and I ransacked the desk, and, ever mindful of her promise to obey his instructions, she yielded without remonstrance.Our search revealed the insurance policies, and a sealed envelope bearing the inscription: "To Miss Gwen Darrow, to be opened after the death of John Darrow," and three newspapers with articles marked in blue pencil.I read the first aloud.It ran as follows:
I have reason to believe an attempt will sooner or later be made upon my life, and that the utmost cunning will be employed to lead the authorities astray.The search for the assassin will be long, expensive, and discouraging - just such a task as is never successfully completed without some strong personal incentive.
This I propose to supply in advance.My death will place in my daughter's hands a fund of fifty thousand dollars, to be held in trust by her, and delivered, in the event of my being murdered, to such person or persons as shall secure evidence leading to the conviction of the murderer.
(Signed) JOHN HINTON DARROW.
I glanced at the other two papers - the marked article was the same in each."I wonder what your friend Osborne would say to that," Isaid to Maitland.
"How old are the papers?" he replied.
"March l5th, - only a little over a month," I answered.
"Let me see them, please," he said."Hum! All of the same date, and each in the paid part of the paper! It is clear Mr.Darrow inserted these singular notices himself.I will tell you what Osborne will say when he learns of these articles.He will say they strengthen his theory; that no sane man would publish such a thing, except as a weak attempt to deceive the insurance companies.
As for the money all being paid to the discoverer of the assassin, instead of to his daughter, he will simply dispose of that by saying: 'No assassin, no reward, and the fund remains intact.' If now, the other papers permit Miss Darrow to use the interest of this fund while holding the principal in trust, we do not at present know enough of this matter to successfully refute Osborne's reasoning.
This mystery seems to grow darker rather than lighter.The one thing upon which we seem continually to get evidence is the question of sanity.If Mr.Darrow's suspicions were directed against no one in particular, then it is clear his dreams, and all the rest of his fears for that matter, had a purely subjective origin, which is to say that upon this one subject, at least, he was of unsound mind.""I cannot think so," Gwen interrupted."He was so rational in everything else.""That is quite possible," I replied."I have known people to be monomaniacs upon the subject of water, and to go nowhere without a glass of it in their hands.There is also a well-authenticated case of a man who was as sane as you or I until he heard the words 'real estate.' One day while quietly carving the meat at a dinner to which he had invited several guests, a gentleman opposite him inadvertently spoke the fatal words, when, without a word of warning, he sprang at him across the table, using the carving-knife with all the fury of the most violent maniac; and yet, under all other conditions, he was perfectly rational.""If, on the other hand," said Maitland, continuing his remarks as if unaware of our interruption, "Mr.Darrow's suspicions had any foundation in fact, it is almost certain they must have been directed against some specific person or persons.If so, why did he not name them ? - but, stay - how do we know that he did not? Let us proceed with our examination of the papers," and he began perusing the insurance policies.Neither Gwen nor I spoke till he had finished and thrown them down, when we both turned expectantly toward him.
"All in Osborne's favour so far," he said."Principal to be held in trust by Miss Darrow under the terms of a will which we have yet to find; the income, until the discharge of the trust, to go to Miss Darrow.Now for this," and he passed Gwen the sealed envelope addressed to her.
She broke the seal with much agitation."Shall I read it aloud?"she asked.
We signified our desire to hear it, and she read as follows:
MY DEAR GWEN:
My forebodings have seemed to you strange and uncalled for, but when this comes to your hand you will know whether or not they were groundless.Of one episode in my career which shook the structure of my being to its foundation stone, you have been carefully kept in ignorance.It is necessary that you should know it when I am gone, and I have accordingly committed it to this paper, which will then fall into your hands.My early life, until two years after Imarried your mother, was spent in India, the adult portion thereof being devoted to the service of the East India Company.I had charge of a department in their depot at Bombay.You have seen Naples.
Add to the beauties of that city the interesting and motley population of Cairo and you can form some idea of the attractions of Bombay.I was very happy there until the occurrence of the event Iam about to narrate.
One morning, my duties calling me to one of the wharves, my attention was attracted by a young girl dancing upon the flags by the water's edge.The ordinary bayadere is so common an object in India as to attract but little notice from anyone of refined tastes, but this girl, judging from the chaste beauty of her movements, was of a very different type.As my curiosity drew me nearer to her she turned her face toward me, and in that instant I knew my hour had come.
Though many years her senior she was still my first love, - the one great passion of my life.
