, 1888-03-30

in after days I recalled how strangely
unlike himself he was that night Not
at all like the happy lover-but restless,
moody and preoccupied before he made
his announcement, oddly hesitant and
ofThand when he did so, and feverishly
laxative afterward. Often and often
since then the interview, gone over in
mind, has resulted in n sense OF strange
dissatisfaction. There were times when
| could swear that something was wrong,
but what that something was ever re-
maine an unsolved enigma.
For the remainder of the evening
Lloyd, oddly enough, talked Australia
a letter from an old chum, one Bennett,
there settled, gave him material for a
general laudation of everything Austria
liam. Capitalists were wanted, " he said,
Ito develop the of the
try Bennett mentioned me as one of
the aforementioned capitalists who would
do well to invest their spare cash in the
gold bearing hills-'protits sure TO be
enormous, etc"
"Why not go yourself, " rather caustic-
ally; you nave the cash and need not
go alone, either. 1 don't want to go to
Australian Whereupon Lloyd, with an
| tAAAlfiAlAlN lfJtNNlOA VI my Dull plODboiA
on his own part, suddenly took his leave.
Why multiply words2 What was to
be, was, and there was an end of it. On
one thing, however, / resolved. l would
not stay to see Lloyd's final triumph.
Nay, l dared not stay, and the sooner I
left the better. Then it was hat the idea
of Australia presented itself in a new and
attractive light.
1aJIa,a ,nVr ~ ra0nrta1 Gtia {. pIaprn
for relief. Here is an open door for es-
cape, and no n woU'd be the wiser if l
chose to avail myself of it."
The upshot was that before morning /
had formed a hasty, but definite, resolu-
ton. And having DO one to consider in
the matter save myself, it took but
twenty four hours more to carry it out.
And here l am.
Panorama like, it all passed before me
as l sat there that wild Australian night.
Lloyd's face especially stood out wildly
as the menta canvas unrolled. His was
the last familiar face l saw, for he in
sisted upon accompanying me to New
York and remaining by me to the end.
Send me your address soon," were
his last words, AZ he turned to leave the
steamers deck. / promised, but l never
sent any address at all. Somehow Inever
could bring myself to do so. 1 had a
morbid desire to forget and be forgotten.
I've had the last wish by this time, at
any rate, l SUPPOSE was my concluding
thought.
"You are wrongN'
l started. Not a soul was in the house
except Wagra, the cook and myself.
And yet, some one had spoken, and in
English, tool Iscanned the room eagerly
but no, l was its sole occupant. Could
any one ave entered the hall without?
But no, again. On such a night the
thing was utterly improbable, let alone
the fact that the hounds would have
given warning. Nevertheless l went to
the door, opened it and looked out. The
dogs were lying quietly on the hearth
and Wagra was sound asleep noar them.
And NOW, it suddenly flashed over me
hat my outspoken thoughts had been
answered. Greatly puzzled and with a
feeling Of perturbation not exactly pleas
ant, l turned back into my den. And
there l was most unexpectedly con-
fronted by the spectacle of a man stand
ing leisurely before the fire and looking
apparently very much at home.
who the devil are your" l cried, strid-
ing up to him as 1 spoke. The fellow, SO
far, had had his back to me-; but now he
turned slowly round and faced me with
out a word. l recoiled, as if struck by
an invisible hand. 1t was the face of
Lloyd Garrisoni
"Youi'-hardly able to credit the evil
dence of my senses-"How in the name
of heaven came you here2" and then,
mechanically enough, l held cut my
hand. But Lloyd, with a strange shrink
ing, drew back.
mo, Georgel' with a gesture as if to
repel all further advance, mot that
Not until / ave told you ALL"
Good heavens, Lloyd What do you
mean? Not shake hands with me? Why,
old friend, what has come over your and
then, i%nvoluntarily, "How ill you lookl'
He was indeed frightfully wasted and
worn, and haggard beyond belief. A
sudden fear sprung up in my heart-was
Alma dead2
"Nol' said he, again answering my
unspoken thought, ''she is all right. 1
came for another reason"
you came you camel" 1 re-
peated, impatiently, more and more be-
wildered. Explain, Lloyd How did
you GOMEZ And herel' and then, as the
strangeness of it all broke upon me,
''Why, man alive, a native ever could
not make his way through such a storm
as thisl And yet you
He stopped me with a gesture. Draw
ing himself up to his full height, he fixed
his melancholy eyes on mine, with a
certain somber power in their depths
that moved me strangely. l felt awed.
I knew no why, and expectant of
knew not what.
Look, Georger' he said, land you
will seer'
l looked, unable, indeed, to do other
wise, so strangely mesmeric was his gaze.
My eyes rested mechanically upon his
face, and Travelled slowly downward as I
took him in from head to foot, and, as 1
did so, my knees began suddenly to bend
under me, a cold perspiration broke out
on my forehead, and for a moment 1
thought 1 must be surely going mad.
For this is what 1 had discovered: By
looking close at him l found that l could
also see through himl There was no
ignoring the fact. The fire, the mantel,
the clock, as well as every other object
directly behind him, were defined,
though somewhat obscurely visiblel 1t