much stunned and bewildered to realize
what had happened, but a glance at my opponent revealed the
situation. He lay motionless where he had fallen, and a ghastly
wound over the right eye told the terrible story. Dazed with
horror, I placed my hand over his heart, but there was no motion,
no life,--he was dead! The awful truth forced itself upon me.
Mad and blind with rage, I had turned the weapon upon him and it had
discharged,--whether by some sudden movement of his hand, or by
the accidental pressure of my own fingers upon the trigger, God
alone knows, I do not! One fact I could not then, nor ever can,
forget; it was my hand that gave the weapon its deadly aim, however
blindly or unwittingly, and the blood of my brother whom I had
wronged and defrauded now lay at my door.

"The agony of remorse that followed was something beyond description,
beyond any suffering of which I had ever dreamed; but suddenly a
thought flashed upon me which added new horror, causing me to spring
to my feet cold with terror, while great beads of perspiration
gathered on my brow. When that terrible scene should be revealed,
not alone in the approaching morning light, but in the light of past
events which, if the last words spoken by those lips now sealed in
death were true, could no longer be kept secret, what would be the
world's verdict?" Murder! fratricide! and I? Great God! of what
avail would be any plea of mine in the face of such damning evidence?

"I rushed to the tower-room, and hastily opening my safe, took from
a private drawer therein a key and with trembling fingers fitted it
into the lock of a large metallic box which contained the family
jewels, and which for more than twenty-five years had held the old
will executed by my father on his death-bed. I had seen it there
less than forty-eight hours before, and in my desperation I now
determined to destroy it. My very haste and eagerness delayed me,
but at last the cover flew back, revealing the gleaming jewels,
but--the will was not there! Unable to believe my own eyes, I
drew my fingers carefully back and forth through the narrow
receptacle where it had lain, and among the satin linings of the
various compartments, but in vain; the will was gone! My brother
had spoken the truth, and the will was doubtless in the possession
of his son, who, under its terms, was now himself heir to the
estate. The room grew dim and the walls themselves seemed to whirl
swiftly about