Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-03-17
(ooNr,NusD.)

It, however, he did Mrs. Rutland in
formed him that Mabel had gone out on
the evening Of the 25th of March, and did
not return home until nearly O'Clock In
the morning Mr.. Rutland was not aware
Of this. Mrs. Rutland had stopped mp for
her daughter, and had let her in quietly
and secretly. The young girl wos pale
and greatly agitated, but she said nothing
to her mother. She kissed her hurriedly,
went to her bedroom, and wns found the
next morning in the condition Mrs. Rut-
land had described.
.Being in fever from that day" said
Dr. Daincourt to the mother, ''your daugh-
ter has seen no newspapcrsf''
"No"
'And she is ignorant Of the peril
through which her former lover, Edward
Layton, has passed, and in which he still
standss" ~
"she is ignorant Of it," said Mrs Rut-
land.
"Have any letters arrived for her dur
ing her illness'"
Eyes, two. One in the handwriting Of
Mr.. Layton, the other from my dear boy
Eustacc."
..H, Have you those letters'
''Have you opened thems''
mo. My daughter made me give her
a solemn promise that would never open
one Of her letters, and have not done
So"
"But,n said Dr. Daincourt, athis is a
matter Of life and death. must ask you
to give me those letters, and will take
upon myself the responsibility of opening
them. must ask you for something
more. Your daughter has desk?"
''Yesn
''The key Of which is in her rooms'
"Yes.n
Bring down the desk and the key.
Ask me no questions concerning my mo-
tives. am in hopes that / shall be able
TO discover the true cause of your daugh-
ter's illness, and that will enable me to
adopt toward her the only treat
ment by which IL is possible she can re-
cover"
Mrs. Rutland brought down the desk
and the key. In the Mother's presence
DIR. Daincourt opened the desk. There
were in it no letters from Edward Layton,
but it contained two Of what Mrs. Rut-
land called the mystery letters which
Eustace was in the habit of writing to his
sister. These letters were in their en-
velopes, the post marks upon which indi-
Gated their order Of delivery.
DR.. Daincourt could mako nothing of
them, and Mrs. Rutland could not assist
him. They were written upon small single
sheets Of note paper, and appeared to be o
perfect tumble of incomprehensible words.
Around the margin of these words were a
number Of figures and alphabetical letters
as incomprehensible as themselves.
Searching further in the desk, he made a
startling discovery-three playing cards,
each of them being the nine of hearts. He
asked Mrs. Rutland-who appeared to be
almost as startled as he was himself by
the discovcry--whether she could give
him any explanation of the cards, and she
said that she could not. Then DIR. Dain-
court said that he would take the
playing cards and the letters away with
him.
Sat the same time" he observed to
Mrs. Rutland, ''if it is any consolation to
you, undertake your daughters case and
will do the best for her that lies within
my skill and power
He then went to see Miss Rutland in
her bed, wrote out prescription, gave
certain instructions and then left the
house.
II have come to you," said DR.. Dain-
court to me, with these letters and the
playing cards; I will leave them with
you. You said that the nine of hearts
was n tangible link in the chain Of Ed
ward Layton's innocence. Is it not most
mysterious and strange that three of these
identical cards should be found in Miss
Rutland's desk and that one should be
found in the pocket of Edward Layton's
ulster which he wore Oh the 25th Of
March? Does not this circumstance,
in connection with what you now know
Of Mabel Rutland's movements on that
night, 60 far to prove that the lady whom
Edward Layton met in Bloomsbury square
was none other than his old sweetheart'
Heaven knows what conclusions are to be
drawn from the coincidence. ] will make
no comments; indeed, l almost trcmble to
think of the matter. Your legal mind will
perhaps enable you to deduce something
from Eustace's letter to his sister which
may be Of service to you and Edward
Layton. To me they are simply incom-
prehensible. Before visit Miss Rutland
tomorrow will call on you. You may
have something to say to me. ] sincerely
trust shall not be the means Of bringing
fresh trouble upon her and hers"
With that he wished me good night, and
was left alone.
! set myself sedulously to the task Of
discovering the key TO these mysterious
letters.
DR.. Daincourt had not opened the two
sealed letters which had arrived during
Miss Rutland's illness, and l did not i'm
mediately do so.
felt a delicacy with respect to Edward
Layton's letter to the young lady which
he had given me in prison to post fol
him.
Iput them aside, and selecting the first
Of the two letters from Eustace Rut
land which had been found in Mabel'i
fpIr frav hha rI-e
their envelopes which Of the two
she had first received, for they bore
no date), devoted myself to a study o.
1t.
This Is an exact copy Of the singular
communication, the size Of the paper and
tho arrangement Of the words, and of The
figures and alphabetical letters, bein;
faithfully followed: 49,
go X 2 G Il H e
: 49, So - .
g face birds the stares
in runs back got I
-r,,,,C - - .
in your hundred sena
= =. VI, -, y I
trees the money won are
death river diamond gayly .ae
on bracelet four singing
"i'E e..
instantly CHERRY tho the
-at;> .. ..
= Il g N OF d CT A
1t appeared to me that the first thing
had to consider was the relation, If an!