Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1891-12-10

found time TO ming Slanco at my ola
enemy, the mastlff He lay as | had
first seen nina stuffed dog, if ever
there was one. "Decidedly,' thought
I. "my wits are to seek tonight" and
with the same sudden suspicion made
me turn to my conductor, who had adj
vanced to the left-hand door and was
waiting for me with a hand on the
knob.
lone moment" 1 said; "this is all
very pretty, but how am [ to know
you're not sending me to my bed while
you fetch in all the countryside to lay
me by the heels?"
I'm afraid" was his answer, "you
must be content with my word as gen.
tleman that never, tonight or hereafter,
will breathe syllable about the cir
cumstances Of your visit. However,
if you choose, we will return up
stairs"
"No; I'll trust you," said I; and he
opened the door.
It led into a broad passage, paved
with slate, upon which three or four
rooms opened. He paused by the
second and ushered me into sleeping
chamber, which, though narrow, was
comfortable enough = q vast improve
ment, at any rate, on the mumper's
lodgings l had been used to for many
months past.
"You can undress here" he said; "the
sheets are aired"
"Sir, YOU heap Goals of fire on me-"
Now it might be supposed I was only
too glad to toss off my clothes and climb
into the bed I had SO unexpectedly
acquired right to. But, as a matter Of
fact I did nothing of the kind. Instead
[ drew on my boots and sat on the beds
edge, blinking at my candle till it died
down in its socket, and afterWard at the
purple square of window as it slowly
changed to gray with the coming of
teeth chartered with an ague. Certainly
| never suspected my hosts word, but
was even occupied in framing good res
olutions and shaping out an excellent
future, when [ heard the front door
gently pulled to and mans footsteps
moving quietly to the gate.
The treachery knocked me in a heap
for the moment. Then, leaping up and
1inging my door wide, [ stumbled
through the uncertain light of the pas
sage into the front hall.
There was a fan-shaped light over
the door, and the place was very still
and gray.
The light no longer shone out into the
le1l-Ldilu peSsdSe, OuI, S1opIHS w" III,
[ found the study door open, as before,
through the blinds-enough for me to
distinguish the glasses and decanters
on the table and find my way to the
curtain that hung before the room
where the light had first attracted me.
| pushed the curtain aside, paused for
moment, and listened to the violent
beat of my heart, then felt for the door
handle and turned it.
All could see at first was that the
chamber was small; next, that the
light patch in line with the window
was the white coverlet Of bed; and
next, that somebody or something lay
on the bed.
I listened again. There was no sound
in the room, no heart beating but my
own. | reached out hand to pull up
the blind, and drew it back again. [
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 dis
tinctness.
The strain beat me at last. I fetched
a veritable yell to give myself courage,
and. reaching for the cord, pulled up
the blind as fast as it would 60.
Inc face on the pillow was th2t or an
old man, a 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 little on one side and one hand
lay outside the bed-clothes in a very
natural manner. But there two dark
spots on the coverlet.
Then | knew [ was face to face with
the real hOusa- holder. and it flashed on
me that I had been indiscreet in taking
service as his butler, and that I knew
the face his ex-butler wore.
And, being by this time awake to the
responsibilities of the post, I Quilted it
three steps at time, not once looking
behind me. Outside the house the
storm had died, and white sunlight
broke over the sodden moors. But my
bones were cold, and l ran faster and
faster.-Arthur Quir1Ier Couch, London,
Eng.