The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-08-09

only because, as tell you, # exhilar-
ates me to rouse the passions of several
| thousand fools. / couldn't rouse anybody's
| passions by talking Toryism, you see, and
have the comfort of knowing that do no
| body the slightest harm by my extravar
| gance- The rule of democracy is Quite
certain to come; all the oratory in the
| world won't check or hurry its advance,
| and as for me, my strutting and shouting
| will have been forgotten long before the
last act has begun"
need not relate more of the protracted
conversation which eusued. 1t was a con-
versation which interested me very much
| at the time, though less, perhaps, on 40
count of it's intrinsic merits than of the
light which 1t threw upon the character of
my interlocutor.
saw no more of him for some months
after this. Toward the end of the sun-
mer, when parliament had risen, be came
down to address his constituents once
more, and l had promised myself the pleas
ure of listening to him again, but was pre-
vented from doing so by professional en-
gagements. l was walking homeward,
late on the evening which had seen adver-
tised as appointed for his meeting, when a
poke in the back from a walking stick
made me turn around, and there was Sir
Horace himself.
You're the very man / want, DOCTOR"
he called out cheerily. care you too busy
to drive home with me and make an exam
ination of this troublesome heart of miner
/ don't believe there's much the matter,
but T've had some uncomfortable symptoms
today"
I COT T n11;f oS Arla
presently was seated beside him in his
brougham, which took US out of the town
at high rate of speed On the way be
told me that he had been consulting some
of my London confreres, who had dons
their best to brighten him.
"As if getting into funk was likely to
prolopg ones lifel However, I think I
should like just to hear what you think of
me. There are one or two n alters which
ought perhaps to see to in case of acci-
dents"
The coachman did not turn In at the
gates of cambridge park, as I had expected
him to do, but, wheeling abruptly to the
right, conducted US along lane running
parallel with the paiing and pulled up be-
side small iron gate.
II dare say you didn't know that have
a tiny abode here which belongs to me ex-
clusively," said Sir Horace, as he jumped
out. "Well, can take you into it, but I'll
lay you ten to one in anything you like
that nobody else can"
He dismissed the carriage and led the
way into what, so far as l could see in the
darkness, was a small circular building,
surrounded by classic columns and sur
mounted by dome. 1t dated, no doubt.
from that Eighteenth century period when
such constructions were fashionable.
followed Sir Horace into dark vestibule.
and thence through door which he opened
into a brightly lighted and comfortably
furnished study. While l was glancing
around it heard the click of closing lock
behind me.
'Now," said Sir Horace, triumphantly,
show did we get in here2"
The room was paneled with oak and had |
neither door nor window, only cupola in |
the roof to admit the daylight. Opposite !
to me hung a red curtain, but it was OBJ |
vious that we had not entered that way,
WELL" answered, 81 suppose we got
in by opening one of those panels"
quite SO, my dear sir; but which of |
them2 And if you were to hit upon the |
right one, do you think you would hit
upon the dodge of making it yieldP Sim
pie though the trick is, doubt whether
you would discover it, because nobody has |
done so yet And l have every reason to
added Sir Horace, with twinkle |
in his eye, that some people have tried .
their best. By the way, hope you don't
mind walking back with me to Working
ham. It's fine night, and there's a short
cut across the fields, you know"
l said ! should enjoy the walk; and then
be made me sit down in an armchair, and
gave me cigar and fetched decanters and
glasses from a cupboard. He was in the
act of opening bottle of soda water when
le suddenly started, staggered forward
and fell heavily to the ground. | was not
surprised, for knew that in his condition |
1 very slight strain will suffice 20 bring on
IN attack of syncope, and the exertiou of
1rawing cork was quite enough to &C.
count for it; but the look Of his face when
stopped down over him frightened me,
Ind few moments later l became aware
hat great misfortune bad happened.
There could be no doubt about it. Sir
Horace Sibthorp was stone deadl
| hardly know how long it was before
he awkwarduess of the position in which
was placed dawned upon me, but dare
ay it may have been some little time, for,
# course, | was very much shocked and
distressed, and had not all my wits about
ne. believe 1t was the necessity of raising
,oor Sir Horace's body from the floor and
he difficulty of doing so without help that
lrst enlightened me. Help there was not
within reach, and, what was worse, l knew
lot how to get out and give the alarm. |
made long and laborious examination of
he panels, but could not discover that any
ne Of them differed from its neigh bors
| shouted once or twice with Just a faint |
ope of receiving some response, and then
resigned myself to the inevitable |
hould be able, no doubt to make myself
eard in the morning even If | did not,
With the aid of daylight, find some means I
f exit; meanwhile | managed by using all
ny strength to drag the dead man into the
doing bedroom and to stretch him out
ecently upon the bed. | have seen and | .
apdled too many corpses to be affected
y the repugnance and terror which seem
D be the instructive sensations both Of
uman beings and of the lower animals
7hen brought into contact with the dead
f their species; yet | must confess that
hat night appeared to me very long and
ather specially after the
amps went out. | neither slept nor at
empted to sleep; my one anxiety was for
be day to dawn.
But when the first gray light OF dawn
anne, and when, little later the sun
ose, and when, later still, his rays began
, stream down through the cupola l was
0 better of than had been in the dark.
D vain searched and sounded the walls
{ my prison; in vain | hsllooed at the top