The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-26

conversation .uptilS the host and hostess
appeared from .tne iarger drawing room.
Mr.. Heaphey ationee advanced to greet
them and fell into conversation with the
hostess. ,Hewas o tiASurpFs though
| not particularly, to Gnd that neither OF
them made any oRerto present-himto the
lady, who still stood, in NO way recogniz-
ing their presence, BY thefireside. Dinner
was almost Immediately announced The
host invited Mr.. Heaphey to give his arm
to his hostess. and they passed into the
dining room
you see," said the hostess, as they took
their seats at the table, I'VE have no one
| here, and it is very kind Of you TO come
and give US your company"
As the lady of the hreside had entered
the room with them, apd was at that
moment sitting directly opposite to Mr..
Heaphey, all these remarks seemed to him
most extraordinary. He affected, how
ever, not to perceive anything strange il
this conversation, and dinner went on, the
mysterious lady taking no part whatever
n the talking and, SO far as Mr.. Heaphey
could see being IN no wey recognized by
the host, the hostess or the servants who
waited at the table. As may be imagined
all this did not tend to enhance Mr..
Heaphey's comfort at dinner. It was i'm
possible for him to allude TO person who
seemed to exist only in his own perceP-
tons, and yet who manifested in the ex-
preston of her countenance no sort Of con-
sciousness Of this extraordinary neglect.
| When they retired to the drawing room
after dinner, one or two persons coming in
from the neighborhood, conversation be-
came general. The mysterious lady moved
about from point to point, once or twice
speaking with Mr.. Heaphey, but never,
SO far az he could see, eIchang-
ing a word with any other person
present By the time that he retired
TO his room, Mr.. Heaphey was profoundly
upset by this most understandable of all
the experiences through which he had yet
passed in connection with his mysterious
visitant of the summer. Determined, II he
could, to satisfy himself whether he was
or was not the victim of hal1ucina6on,
he made some excuse for speaking TO the
footman, who was arranging his clothes
before leaving him for the night, about the
lady who had dined there. The footman
looked at him inte0igently at first, and
then with a curious, almost quizzical eX
preston informed Mr.. Heaphey that he
had not the least idea what he was speak
ing of, as he didn't know that any lady was
staying in the house, and as the one or two
ladies who had called during the evening
had driven home to their residences. See
ing that he was to get no light from this
quarter, Mr.. Heaphey was silent, remained
in the house two or three days, finished
the portrait which he. had undertaken TO
paint in water colors, and left.
From time to time ALI the circumstances
Of this strange acquaintance would recur
to him, but he never cared to dwell upon
them In his own mind. Still less did he
dream of communicating them to any one
else.> He could not regard them as purely
a delusion Of his own imagination, for
there in his dispatchibox was the engrav-
ing from HeaSh's 'tBook of Beauty" there
swas the half finished sketch Of a face
which had imprinted itself with an almost
terrible distinctness upon his memory; and
yet he felt that.to hint at7 any Of the cir
cumstances of his unparalleled adventures
would expose him in the minds Of other
people to suspicious which, but for the
material evidences there before him, he
would be very apt t6 entertain Of himself.
So the time spassedfon. Once or twice,
taking the sketch, up;g Mrs Heaphey had
worked upon it until it was'well advanced
to completion. He never took it up ex
ceptiHg under a stress of feeling which he
could never define nor resist; he never laid
1t away again except with a sense of rehef
and satisfaction. u. Early in the ensuing
winter Mr.. Heaphey was called to the west
of England to keep an engagement made
long before with friend who resided,
think, somewhere in, the marches Of
Wales. Hestarted upon this journey from
some point the, name Of which cannot
now reoall-for it Is many years since Mrs.
Murray told me this story-in the eastern
or midland counties. At'all events he left
this point on Saturday, and his route led
through the ancient little cathedral city of
Lchfeld. On reaching Lichfeld great was
Mr., Heapheyis disgust to ind he could
make no connection westward until Mon
day morning. This condemned him to
pass Sunday at biohfeld, & prospect which
he was, not enough, of philosopher to &C
cept with satisfaction.
There are two or three very decent inns
in Liohfeld, however, and in one Of these
i think the Swan--Dfr.' Heaphey made
himself as comfortable az circumstances
would permit. Heordered the usual Brit
ish dinner, with the usual soup, the usual
fish and the usual joint, enliyened it with
a pint of dry champagne, picked up the
county history, and settled himself for
quiet evening and sedative smoke. He
had hardly got through with his dinner
when the waiter to his establishment, cane
in with a card on saiver. Taking up this
card, Mr.. Hesphey read on it the name of
a gentleman who many years before had
been one of his school fellows, but of whom
he had seen and heard nothing since he
came to years ofsrpanho God. He had forgot
ten, in fact, the very existence OF the man,
and he was entirely at a loss TO imagine in
what possible way his arrival and his pres
ence in this quiet little inn could have
come to- the ears OF his qsiSn0am boyish
companion He babe the waiter, however,
show him up at once When the door
opened he weloofned-net a man Of his
own years, but aQnlet and rather serious
looking, very courteous young gentleman
of . or %, who prefnptly explained that
he was the son and paDesake OF Mr..
Heaphey1e old school fellow; that he had
been sent by his father with carriage TO
find Mr. HeapheFat the inn, his father be
ing confined to his room with an Illness,
and that his father insisted on Mr.. Hea-
phey's leaving che Inn and coming 10 pass
his Sunday In Lichfeld in their house
Mr.. Heaphey, overwhelmed sSthis civihty,
could not resist expressing his surprise and
asking the young man how ia the world
his father came to know OF his entirely &C
cidental visit TO Lichneld.
THAT l can't tell you" said the young
man, ''hut he has been expecting you all
day"
Well, this passes all comprehension
ssid Mr.. Heaphey. And I should BE- very
glad 60 find OUS how II came TO pasa" BE
underworld, however, 60 excuse himself