Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-09-06

within the last hour, and 1 cane on at once
to tell you"
For moment there was silence. during
which the little man stood twirling his hat
! in his hands
At last Heath said: care you quite GER
| tain of thisi"
Quite certain, sir" was the answer. 81
| have it from the servant in the house.
| had been expecting the news all day. and
directly Mrs. Wilmot told me thought I'd
make assurance doubly sure b. seeing the
servant myself. As told you, knew her
before she went to live in st. auls road. /
told you how / heard from Mrs. Wilmot
every thing that went on in the house"
"Well. well, that will do Here is a SOW
ereign for your trouble in coming here.
Look into my Office next week, and shall
pay you what we have arranged, when 1
have the formal proofs OF his death. Good
night"
Goodnight, sir, thank you," said Bailey,
as he left the room.
Bailey was a nOndescript character who
was occasionally employed by Heath, some
times as broker, sometimes as a private
detective. In the present instance. by viz
tue of his having some relatives living in
st. PauPs road, he had been engaged to bring
Mr.. Heath the earliest intelligence of Rob
ert Oswalds death. When. he had gone
Heath walked up and down the room for
some minutes in silence. At length he NUT
tered to himself:
Zone hundred and two Thousand pounds
in hard cash made at last! shall sell
every thing own within a fortnight's time
furniture, bills, pictures, all They will
fetch another six thousand; but, whatever
they bring, they shall be sold at once. am
determined to enjoy my wealth while l
have time, and to do that | must cut the
life have been leading at once. Yes, my
pile Is made. l have 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 thousand
pounds and the brains aud knowledge which
l possess! Good heavens, how suddenly
the last ten thousand has come! What
lucky chance it was that threw the young
fool into my clutches 1 managed him prop
erly, there's no doubt. But yet it was
lucky chance that brought him to me. Still
it's strange the presentiment have always
had about him. o, bother such nonsense!
What have l to do with presentiments!
shall be believing in ghosts and hobgOblins
next! Yet l seem to be sorry instead Of
glad, and there is that fear of some impend-
lug evil which | seemed 70 have every time
saw him. What on earth can this be9''
The last question was caused by a sharp
knock and ring at the hall door In a few
seconds the servant came in with tele-
gram. Mr. Heath looked at the envelope
nervously before he opened it. At last he
took out the telegram, which he read two
or three times over az if he doubted the
evidence of his eyesight. Then he put the
telegram in his pocket, whispering TO him
self in trembling voice as he did so:
"What can it be? What can it be!n
The telegram which evidently caused him
so much uneasiness was as follows:
." Mrs. Oswald, To James Heath ESQ,
st. Pauls Road, Stanhope Terrace,
Camden Town. Noting Hill.
TT is OF great Importance that should see you
tonight Robert Oswald died at five o'clock
this evening. Please come here at once on re-
ceiving this telegram"
''Could it be some conspiracy to get me
into the house and murder men' thought
Mr.. Heath, as he walked about the room
with the telegram in his pocket. 80, non
sense l need not be afraid of that. They
are very respectable people in the house.
No, depend upon it. it is either that the
mother wants 20 beg or borrow from me, or
that there is some screw loose about the
policy of assurance. Curse it Like nv
usual luck. But had better be off there at
once. What a curious authoritative way
she telegraphs in, though"
He left the house, and, hailing the first
hanson he met, was driven radidly to ST.
Pauls road. a servant opened the hall
door before he could knock, and, having
asked if he was Mr.. Heath, conducted him
up stairs to the drawing room. Though it
was just 9:30 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 as he entered and asked him to take a |
chair which was a 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, and to tell the truth he felt exceed |
ipgiy uncomfortable. He was pretty well |
se-hardened of course; few men had had |
more curious experiences, and some of the |
scenes he had witnessed in the pursuit of |
his vocation were not little appalling. But |
just as one of the first things that is taught |
to every medical student is that he must |
the pain which he has to infic. |
on his patients, so, from the very outset Of !
his career, Mr.. Heath had trained himself |
to be perfectly callous about the feelings |
and interests Of the people with whom he |
was brought in contact. Still, all tn e teach
ing in the world can not make a surgeon in
sensible to pain which is inflicted on himself, i
ard it was just because he Was apprehensive |
that some calamity was ABOUT to fall upon
a hot rTr n falf IN
casion a sense of fear which almost |
amounted to terror.
You have been prompt in responding to
my telegram said the lady in a hard. de-
FAINT voice. "My son, as told you, is dead.
You have stripped hin of his little prop
erty He died pauper You make el0.0O0 |
by his death. have lately lost nearly all
hat was worth l have spent pretty nearly
The rest in nursing him through his last i'll
ness. l want twenty pounds in ready money
10 pay his funeral expenses. You are the
proper person to give 1t 10 me. Do you re-
'user
dare say that Mr. Heath would gladly
nave paid twenty pounds, or more, for the
,e,ief he experienced when he heard this
speech. SO it was only q begging appeal
after all. Thank heavensi' he muttered
o himself and for the first time since he
heard of Robert Oswd!ts death he felt
'eally easy in his mind.
"My good madam" he said, in his usual
one OF gruif determination. ''your son
sought me voluntarily. BE had ample value
or what he sold me. have nothing more
o say on the matter, and mus wish you
but have something more TO saT to
-ou," said the lady, who rose from her