Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-11-17

!
of Robert Oswald's death. When he had
gone Heath walked up and down the room
for some minutes in silence. At length he
muttered to himself:
"One hundred and two thousand pounds
IN hard cash made at last | shall sell
everything / own within a fortnight's
time-furniture, bills, pictures, all. They
will fetch another six thousand; but, what
: ever they bring, they shall be sold at once
| am determined to enjoy my wealth while
| have time, and to do that must cut the
| life have been leading at once. Yes, my
! pile is made. have at last what years ago
] said | would make, and shall be out OF
| England this day fortnight. What may |
not yet do with over hundred thousand
! pounds and the brains and knowledge
which possess Good heavens, how sud
denly the last ten thousand has come?
What lucky chance it was that threw the
young fool into my clutchesl | managed
him properly, there's no doubt. But vet
it was a lucky chance that brought him to
me. Still, it's strange the presentiment |
have always had about him. Oh, bother
| such nonsense! What have | to do with
presentiments / shall be believing in
ghosts and hobgoblins next. Yet | seem
to be sorry instead of glad, and there is
that fear of some impending evil which |
seemed to have every time | saw him.
What on earth can it be %
The last question was caused by a sharp
knock and ring at the hall door. In 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, as if he doubted the
evidence of his eyesight Then he put the
telegram in his pocket, whispering to him
self in a trembling voice as he did so:
"What can it be? What can it be?"
The telegram which evidently caused
him 50 much uneasiness was as follows
"Mrs. Oswald, st. Paups Road, Camden
Town, To James Heath, Esq, Stanhope
Terrace, Noting Hill.
at is of great Importance that should
see you tonight. Robert Oswald died at 5
o'clock this evening. Please come here at
once on receiving this telegram
could it be some conspiracy TO get me
into the house and murder me" thought
Mr.. Heath, as he walked about the room
with the telegram in his pocket ''Oh nom
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 to beg or borrow from me, or
that there is some screw loose about the
policy of insurance. Curse it, Like my
usual luck. But l had better be off there
at once. What curious authoritative way
she telegraphs in, though"
He left the house, and hailing the first
hanson he met was driven rapidly to St.
Paups road. A servant opened the hal
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 $50 o'clock, and getting rather
dark, no lamp or candle was lighted in TIE
room, and as Mr.. Heath entered he could
just discern through the deep twilight the
figure of the widow dressed in black. She
rose as he entered and asked him to take
chair, which was few yards from where
he 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 exceedingly uncomfortable. He
was pretty we'll case-hardened, of course
few men had more curious experiences,
and some of the scenes he had witnessed
in the pursuit of MS vocation were not a
little appalling. But just as one of the
first things that is taught to every medical
student is that he must disregard the pain
which he has to infict 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 the teaching in the
world cannot make surgeon insensible to
pain which is inflicted on himself, and it
was Just because he was apprehensive that
some calamity was about to fall 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 my telegram said the lady, in hard,
defiant tone. My son, as told you, is
dead. You have stripped him of his little
property. He died a pauper. You make
10000 by his death. | have lately lost
nearly all that | was worth. | have spent
pretty nearly the rest in nursing him
through his last illness. | want EGO in
ready money to pay his funeral expenses.
You are the proper person to give it to me.
Do you refuse~
dare say that Mr.. Heath would gladly
have paid e20, or more, for the relief he
experienced when he heard this speech.
So it was only begging appeal, after all.
Thank heayensw he muttered to him
self, and for the first time since he heard
of Robert Oswald's death he felt really
easy in mind.
my good madam" he said in his usual
tone of gruff determination, "your son
sought me voluntarily. He had ample
value for what he sold me. have nothing
you good night"
But / have something more to say to
you," said the lady, who rose from her
chair at the same time he did. "Had you
given me the twenty pounds would have
been content to let you go in peace. AS it
is, you must hear why you are the proper
person to pay for the funeral of my son.
Come here; / have something to tell you
which you will remember to the last day of
your life. See"
She threw open the folding doors that
separated the drawing-room from the bed
room, which was brilliantly lighted
with candles. On a bed lay the body Of
Robert Oswald. His mother went round
and stood at the far side Of the bed, facing
Heath, who advanced a little way into
the inner room as if he was drawn by a
spell.
"Now, sir" she exclaimed, 'do you
recognize me?"
~ can't say do, madam" said Heath,
whose eyes were fixed on the face of the
corpse, and who hardly looked at her.
twenty-five years makes difference,
no doubt" she said, as she removed a scarf
which was tied round her head and let her
auburn hair fall about her shoulders.
"Now, Philip Arnott, look at me again and
see if you recognize the face of the wife
whom you force to leave you. Look on
that bed and see if you recognize your
own features in the face of your dead son.. y
I" Ny son p exclaimed Heath-or Ar.