, 1891-02-18
catching up a candlestIck, be led the way

catching up a candlestIck, he led the way
from the room.
Picking up my boots 1 followed him
along the passage and down the silent
staircase. In the hall he paused to stand
on tiptoe and turn up the lamp, which was
burAing low. As he did 50 l found time to
flint = glance at my old enemy, the mastif.
He lay as 1 had first seen bim-a stuffed
dog. II ever there was one. Decidedly"
thought !, my wits are TO seek tonight"
and with the same a sudden suspicion
made me turn to my conductor, who had
advanced to the left hand door and was
waiting for me, with hand on the knob.
"One moment" / said; "this Is all very
pretty, but how am l to know you're not
sending me to bed while you fetch In all
the countryside TO lay me by the heelsf"
I'm afraid" was bis answer, you must
be content with my word, as a gentleman,
that never, tonight or hereafter. will 1
breathe a syllable about the circumstances
OF your visit. However, II you choose. we
will return up stairs"
mo; III trust you" said /; and he
opened the door.
1t led into a broad passage, paved with
slate, upon which three or four rooms
opened. He paused by the second and
ushered me into a sleeping chamber,
which, though narrow, was comfortable
enough-a vast improvement at any rate.
on the mumper's lodgings 1 had been used
to for the many many months past.
you can undress here" he said. THE
sheets are aired, and III fetch a nightshirt
one Of my own"
"Sir. you heap Goals of fire on me-"
Believe me nat for ninety-nine of your
qualities l do not care a tinker's curse; but
as a man who after two tumblers of neat
brandy can tell Marsala from Madeira you
are to be taken care Of"
He shufled away, but came back in a
couple OF minutes with the nightshirt.
Good night" he called, hinging it in
at the door, and without giving me time
TO return the wish went his way up stairs.
Now II might be supposed / was only
too glad to toss off my clothes and climb
into the bed / had so Unexpectedly &C
quired a right to. But as a matter OF fact
/ did nothing OF the kind. Instead 1 drew
on my boots and sat on the beds edge,
blinking at my candle till It died down in
Its socket, and Rfterward at the purple
square OF window as 1t slowly changed to
gray with the coming OF dawn. 1 was cold
TO the heart, and my teeth chartered with
an sgue. Certainly never suspected my
hosts word, but was even occupied In
framing good resolutions and shaping out
an excellent future when / heard the front
door gently pulled to and a mans foot
steps moving quietly to the gate.
TIT treachery knocked me In a heap for
the moment. Then leaping up and fling
ing my door wide 1 stumbled through the
uncertain light Of the passage into the
front hall.
There was a fanshaped light over the
door. and the place was very still and gray.
A quick thought, or rather a sudden,
prophetic guess at the truth, made me turn
to the figure of the mastih curled under
the hall table.
/ T laid INV hand nm fha acruH If hIa narL
He was quite limp, and my fingers sank
into the flesh on either side OF the verte-
brR. Digging them deeper, 1 dragged him
out into the hall and pulled the front door
open to see the better.
His throat was gashed from ear to ear.
How many seconds passed after I drop
ped the senseless lump on the floor. and
before | made another movement, IL would
puzzle me to say. Twice / stirred a foot as
II to run out at the door. Then, changing
my mind, / stepped over the mastiff and
ran up tho staircase.
The light no longer shone out into the
left hRnd passage. but cropping down IL I
found the study door open as before and
passed in. A sick light stole through the
blinds-enough for me to distinguish the
glasses and d~ecanters on the table, and
find my way to the curtain that hung be-
fore the room where the light had first at
tracted me.
l pushed the curtain aside, paused for a
moment, and listened to the violent beat
Of my heart, then felt for the door handle
and turned 1t.
All 1 could see at first was that the
chamber was small; next, that the light
patch in q line with the window was the
white coverlet of a bed, and next that
somebody or something lay on the bed.
listened again. There was no sound In
the room, no heart beating but my own. 1
reached out a hand to pull up the blind,
and drew IL back again-I dared not.
The daylight grew minute by minute on
the dull parallelogram OF the blind. and
minute by minute that horrible thing on
the bed took something of distinctness.
The strain beat me at last. l fetched a
veritable yell to give myself courage, and
reaching for the cord, pulled up the blind
as fast as it would go.
The face on the pillow was that OF an
old mana face waxen and peaceful, with
quiet lines about the mouth and eyes, and
long lines of gray hair falling back from
the temples. The body was turned a little
on one side, and one hand lay outside the
bed clothes in a very natural manner, but
there were two dark spots on the coverlet.
Then l knew l was face to face with the
real householder, and 1t flashed on me
that 1 had been very indiscreet in taking
service as his butler, and that l ! knew
The face his ex-butler wore.
And being by this time awake to the re-
sponsibilities of h post, l quilted three
steps at a time, not once looking behind.
Outside the house the storm had died,
and white sunlight broke over the sodden
moors.
But my bones were cold. and 1 ran fast
er and faster.-Memoirs of Gabriel Foot,
H~iRhwayman, by 20"
A .PunkIn Head,