The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-06-28

I. The name Was entirely unknown to
me, as also the purport and occasion
whether should send Alice in search
Of Mrs. Climber-who was, l believed
writing in her own room-or whether
l should myself assume the RESPONSE
bility of confronting the stranger.
This question was decided for me.
On the heels of the domestic advanced
Mr.. Lidaw; he, at least, appeared to
have no doubt as to the course to
follow. Under sized, middle aged,
clean shaven, gray-this is t!,s Hest
and fullest description which l could
have given at the moment of the easy
going intruder. and it will suffice tor
my narrative.
"Ah, three of youp' he said. my
old triends's daughters and son, l
presume. / wasn't aware he was so
favored"
The human voice is q wonderful
instrument. In one case it shall OF
itself convey suspicion; in another,
reinsurance. It was the lattet Here.
A tyrannic.! Imagination had painted
before my mental vision wish swift
brush the portrait OF q dangerous
conspirator. The living enigma spoke,
and however puzzling and mysterious
his presence continued to be nv
courage revived. The circumstance is
as state; the explanation leave to
others.
"My name is Escott; this is nv
brother-and my sister," | stammer.
insly answered. "But who-to what
do We owe" was pitlfully poor
inquisitor. Before had framed my
query. was stepped.
"Nho am II" the CHEEKY stranger
! said. "WclI, l suppose one can t
claim universal fame; but it certainly
should have te asl.: As Is nv
erri.nd, that iss just pleasure and the
tesnscitatioh Of old memories. Your
father and used to be stanch friends.
You're not very like him, young gen.
tleman." The latter sentence was, of
OF course, addressed to my brother
Valentine.
"1ndeed," the boy said laconi;ally.
The strangers glance had fallen up.
on the strange medley that decorated
| our center table. "Some one here is a
collector Of autographs, I see," he
went on gayly. MAY I inspect them?
THANK you. 1t is pursuit OF great
interest to me; | sometimes have to
study-ahem-in a professional ca
pacity contrast and likeness in pen
manship." He bent over Val's speci.
mems, among which were included
examples OF the hand OF nearly all the
boys acquaintance; for Val played
havoc very impartially with charac.
tiers ancient and modern. great and
small, famous or obscure. And by
and by noticed queer little start,
seemingly of recognition: Mr.. Lidlaw
looked up. "Who wrote this?" ne
said: 1t was a couple of lines-a quo
tation from Tennys beneath,
the signature of Mrs. Climber.
1t was Alice who replied. '.That's
the writing Of our housekeeper," said
she. wonderingly. ''Do YOU know Mrs.
Climber: She came to us from Leeds.
like her hand, it is so neat and pref
ty."
"And it bespeaks strong will, de-
cision, and perhaps fnesse," said Val,
sententiously, quite in the style OF the
lecturer.
But felt it was time to know more
OF the visitor who seemed to be talk
ing his footing in our midst 80 much
for granted. broke in with direct
demand: Il have never heard papa
speak OF you, so far as c;tn recollect.
Mr.: Lidlaw. and he is not at home.
Did he expect You to .night?"
Mr.. Lidlaw awoke as from a reverie.
"Capt. Escott not OF home!" he re-
peated. Expect ;ne! / am here in
response to his pressing invitation"
Val and had the clew to the riddle
simultaneously.
"You are wanting Valent;a Lodge
Walnsey Cross" said.
ut is M: John Escott who lives
here; there's been a mistake" cried
Val.
Mr.. Lidlaw stood as though paralyz-
ed by the revelation Of his blunder;
then q shadow OF intense vexation
| passed over his features; and this in
turn yielded to a smile at his own OK.
pense. "Whew! This comes OF not be.
ing sufficiently precise in Investigation;
q lesson l hardly ought to need to
learn, after all these years." he grmly
soliloquized. Then he bowed depre-
catingly to us, and proceeded: 1.-THE
storm was raging so tiercely that was
content in the station yard with little
delay and few words. I asked the
coachman who was handiest if he
could drive me to Capt. Escott's,
! Walnsey, and he said Yes SUP.
pose he did not catch more than the
surname; and / was ignorant that
Walnsey and Walnsey Cross are not
Identical places"
'They are three miles apart" said
Val.
Mr.. Lldlaw carefully inquired his
| way, and announced that he should
walk. He asked, too-very oddly, as
thought, with new twinkle of doubt
the nearest route back to Daleford
| village. Walls directions were clear and,
full, and if the stranger obeyed them
he could not possibly go ast:ay III
either direction. 1t seemed inhospit-
! able to permit him to turn out unat-
! tended in the night; but could per-
ceive no alternative, and Ihave reason
to think that he would have overruled
any anG every objection. Mrs. Climber
had not appeared. This struck us
afterward as strange. However busy
she might be with her correspondence,
it was curious that she should have
heard nothing OF the arrival.
or that, hearing, she should
have kept away. Some twenty min.
utes after Lidlaw had lett she entered
the drawing room and listened to our
JOINT narrative of what had happen.
ed. l fancied that she was preoccupi.
ed to the visitors inspection of her
handwriting. and that. then her man
ner changed, and she listened with
more interest-even anxiety-than
she cared for us to observe. From
this fact-if such it were-I was, how.
ever, at loss to draw any particular
deduction.
pass over the hours that elapsed
between this episode and midnight.
We had retired early, and the house
ought to have been as dark and still
as if inhabited. Older friends tell me