Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-08-04

race for the 1.-TWO Thousand Guineas," when Robert
Der OF oooknakers, Mrs. Oswald received q let
ter from her st0ckoroker, saying tnat ne would
IKE 70 see ner at her earliest c Ssrs S c
learned that the two American railways In which
nearly all her money was invested mad ceased 70
pay dividends. That, In short, the snares were
almost unstable as IL was highly probable that
the concerns would be sold under foreclosure OF
the circumstances. she gave up her house in
Dorchester Terrace and took lodgings In 81 PauIs
road, Camden Town, where sne deVoteo nersen 10
the task or nursing her son, VINO was now last
sinking In consumption.
| PART IL
| In the second week OF the following June Mr..
Heath, who had q small house In Noting Hill,
was sitting In his parlor at little after o'clock
| In the evening, when the servant came In TO say
| that Mr. Bailey wished TO see him.
| "Show him In at once" said Heath, who rose
from his seat and went TO the door to meet him.
shabbny dressed little man, who looked some
thing like lawyers clerk out OF employment,
| "Well," said Heath, in his usual grun way when
| he had closed the door, which he did very care
fully, as II he were afraid that somebody might be
"Mr oswald's dead. sir. Died at s O'Clock this
evening. only heard OF It within the last hour,
| and came on at once 10 tell you"
For moment there was silence, during which
the little man stood twirling his hat In his hands
AT last Heath said: "Are you quite certain OF
/ this?"
"Quite certain sir" was the answer. al have
It from the servant In the house. 1 had been ex-
| mot told me thought I'D make assurance douby
| sure by seeing the servant myself As told YOU
knew her d, before she went TO live IN St; Paups
everything that went on In the house."
swell, well, that will do. Here Is a sovereign
for your trouble In coming here. Look into my Of
fce next week and shall pay you what we nave
arranged, when have the formal proofs OF his
death. Goodnight"
Goodnight, sir; thank YOU" said Bailey, as he
LETT the room.
Bailey was nondescript character who was oc-
casiOnally employed by Heath, sometimes as a
broker, sometimes as private detective. In the
present instance, by virtue OF his having some rel
atlyes living In st. Paul's road, he had been en-
gagged 10 bring Mr.. Heath the earliest Intelligence
OF Robert Oswald's death. When he had gone
Heath walked up and down the room for some min
utes In silence AT length he muttered to himself:
zone hundred and two thousand pounds in marc
cash, made at last! j shall sell everything own
within fortnight's time-furniture, bills, pict-
ures all They Will fetch another six thousand;
but, whatever they bring, they shall be sold at
once. am determined 10 enjoy my wealth while
have been leading at once Yes, my pile is made
nave at last what years ago said would make
and shall be out OF England this day fortnight
what may not do yet, with over hundred thou.
sand pounds and the brains and knowledge which
possess! Good heavens, how suddenly the last
ten thousand has come! What lucky chance it
was that threw the young fool into my ciutchesi
managed him properly, there's no doubt. But
yet 1t was lucky chance that brought MIN to
always had about him. Oh, bother such pOnsense!
what have TO do with presentimenJs? l shall be
seem TO be sorry instead OF glad and there is that
fear OF some impending evil which l seemed TO
have every time 1 saw him. What on earth can
this BET"
The last question waNcaused by sharp knock
and ring at the hall door. In a few seconds the
Svas came in with a telegram, Mr. Heath
IL. As last he took out the telegram, which ne
read two or three times over as II he doubted the
evidence OF his eyesight. Then he put the tele-
gram In his pocket, whispering to himself in a
trembling voice as he did So
"What can IL be? What can 1t be?,
The telegram which evidently caused him 30
much uneasiness was as follows:
Mrs; Oswald. To James Heath, ESQ.,,
81. PauIs Road, Stanhope Terrace,
Camden Town, Noting Hill
sit Is OF great importance that should see you
tonight Robert oswald died at 5 O'Clock this
! this telegram"
Gould IL be some conspiracy to get me into the
mouse ana murder me?" thought Mr.. Heath. as be
pocket ION, nonsense! / need not be afraid of
that. They are very respectable people in the
house. No, depend upon 1t, 1t is either that the
mother wants TO beg or borrow from me, or that
there Is some screw loose about the policy OF as
surance. Curse It'll Like my usual luck But
had better be on there at once. What a curious
authoritative way she telegraphs In, though"
He left the house, and, hailing the first hanson
servant opened the hall door before he could
knock, and, having asked II he was Mr. Heath con-
Quoted MIN up stairs to the drawing room.
Thought II was just $3.50 O'Clock, and getting rather
dark, no lamp or candle was lighted In the ROOM
and as Mr.. Heath entered he could Just discern
through the deep twilight the figure Of a tall
woman who was sitting by one OF the windows
dressed In black She rose he entered and
asked MIN TO take a chair which was few yards
from where she was sitting From the position in
which she sat, and the darkness Of the room Mr.
Heath could not discern her features very clearly
sna 70 5e the truth ne felt exceedingly un
hardened OF course; few men had had more
curious experiences, and some OF the scenes ne
had witnessed In the pursuit Of his vocation were
not little appalling. But just one OF the first
things that Is taught to every medical student is
that he must disregard the pain which he has to
infiict on his PATIENTS So from the very outset OF
his career, Mr.. Heath mad trained himself TO be
perfectly calious about the feelings and interest of
| the people Win whom he was brought ia contact,
Still, all the teaching In the world cannot make
surgeon lnsensibe TO pain which is Inflicted on
sive that some calamity was about to ran upOn
him that Mr. Heath felt on the present Occasion a
sense OF fear which almost amounted TO terror
| You have been prompt In responding to nv
| telegram" said the lady in hard, defiant voice
my son, as told you. is dead. You have stripped
| him OF his little property. You make clO 600 by
his death. have lately lost nearly all that was
worth l. have spent pretty nearly the rest In
nursing him through mis- last illness. l want
| twenty pounds In ready money 10 pay his funeral
| expenses You are the proper person TO give 1t to
me. Do you refuse?"
twenty pounds or more for the relief he expert
enced when he heard this speech. So 1t was only
/ a begging appeal after ALL "Thank heavenSiv he
muJtered TO himself and for the FIRST time since he
heard OF Robert OswaldS death he felt really easy
| in his mind.
"My good madam" he said in his usual tone OF
| grun determination, "your son sought me volun-
tarily. He had ample value for what he sold me-
nave nothing more TO say on the matter, and
must wish you goodnight"
| but have something more to say to you,n SAID
| the lady, who rose from her chair at the same
| time that ne did. Had you given me the twenty
| pounds would have been content to let you
| go In peace. AS 1t is you must hear why you are
the proper person TO pay for the funeral OF my son.
you viii remember TO the last day OF your life
| See
| She threw open the folding doors that separated
the drawingroom from a bedroom which was bril-
| nantly lighted with candles. On q bed lay the
| body OF Robert OSWALD. His mother went r. und
and stood at the FAR side OF the bed, facing Heath
| who advanced a little way into the inner room as
II he were drawn by spell.
me?r
Il can't say / do, madam" said Heath whose
eyes were fixed on the face OF the CORPSE ana who
| hardly looked at her.
| twenty-five years make q difference no
douot, she said as she removed a scarf which was
| tle1 round ner head and let her long auburn hair
lall ABOUT her shoulders snow, Philip Arnott,
look at me again and see II you recognize the face
| mat ped ana see II you recognize your own feat
| ures In the face OF your dead son.
my son" exclaimed Heather Arnott, as he
really was. 49,
"ies," said his wife. sit Is not many days since,
| oy an accident, found out that you, whom
knew 10 nave ruined him and from whom tried
70 save nit were also his father. When you