The morning call., 1892-04-06
SHROUDED IN MYSTERY.
CONTINUED

ana what had produced thlS change In
my plans? The lOok of a woman whom |
met on the stairs. I did not know her, but
when encountered her glance / felt that
there was some connection between US. and
l was not at all surprised TO hear her ask:
And how is Miss Wilcox to-day?"
Miss Wilcox is very low" l returned
'The least neglect, the least shock to her
nerves. would be sufficient to make all my
efforts useless. Otherwise
''She viii get wel?"
nodded. | bad exaggerated the condi-
ton OF the sufferer, but some secret instinct
compelled me TO do so. The look which
passed over the wOmau's face satisfied me
that l had done WELL and though | left the
house, it was with the intention of speedily
returning and making inquiries into the
wOman'S character and position Ia the
household.
/ learned little or nothing. That she
occupied good room and paid for it regu-
larry seemed 10 be sufficient to satisfy Mrs.
Dayton. Her name, which proved to be
Leroux. showed her to be French, and LEI
promptly paid SO a week showed her TO be
respectable; what more conld any hard
working lHndlady require? But | was dis
tTusffuI Her face, though handsome.
possessed an eager, ferocous look which
could not forget. and The slight gesture
with which she had passed NE at the close
Of the short ,onYeTsation | have given
above had a suggestion of triumph in il
which seemed t. contain whole volumes of
secret and mysterious hate. | went into
Miss Wllcox's room very thoughtful.
Il am going"
But here the nurse held up her hand.
"Hark! she whispers d !; she has just set
The clock, and was listening to ii striking.
did bark, but not to the clock.
Whose step is that?" l asked, after she
had left the clock and sal down
"Ob, some one In the next room. The walls
heEe are very thn-Only boards n places"
did not complete what | had begun TO
say. II | could hear steps through the par
tltion then could our neighb0rs hear Us
talk, and What l had determined upon must
be kept secret from all outsiders | drew a
sheet Of paper toward me and wrote:
shall stay here tonight. Something
tells HE that in doing this shall solve this
mystery. But l must appear to 20. Take
my instructions as usual and bid me good
night. Lock the door after me, but with a
turn of the key instantly unlock it again. l
shall 20 downstairs, see that my carriage
drives away and quietly return. On my re-
entrance / shall expect 10 find Miss Wilcox
on the couch with the screen drawn up
around il, YOU in your big chair and the
light lowered. What l do thereafter need
not concern you. Pretend to 20 to Sleep"
The nurse nodded and Immediately en-
tered upon the programme had planned.
prepared the medicine, placed it in / IS
usual glass, and laid that glass where it had
always been SET, Oh small table at the far
Their side of the bed. Then | said Good
night" and passed hurriedly out.
was fortunate enough TO meet no one
going or coming. | regained the room.
pushed open the door. and finding every
thing in order, proceeded at once to the
bed, upon which, after taking off my hat
and cloak and carefully coneealing them, |
lay down and defuy covered myself up.
My idea was this: that by some mesmeric
Influence Of which she was ignorant the
nurse had to either poison the glass her
self or open the door for another to do it
Ii this were so, She or the other person
would be obliged to pass around the loot Of
tie be0 in order to reach the glass, and /
tend TO sleep. By the low light enough
could be discerned for safe movement about
the room. and not enough TO make apparent
the change which had been made In the oc-
eupant Of the bed. / waited with indescrib-
able anxiety, aid more than once fancied |
heard steps, If not feversh breathing
close to my bedhead; but no one appeared
ana the nurse IN her big chair did not stir.
AT last grew weary, and, fearful of los
Ing control over my eyelids. ! fixed my gaze
upon the glass, as If in so doing / should
find q taliSman to keep ME awake when
great God! what was that | saw? a hand.
creeping hand coming from nowhere and
Joined TO nothing, closing about that glass
and drawing it slowly away till it disap-
peared entirely from before my eyes!
1 gasped-l could not help it-but did
not stir. For now knew l was asleep and
dreaming. But ne, l pinch myself under
the clothes, and find that | am very wide
awake indeed; and then-looki look the
glass is returning; the hand-a woman's
nan hands slowly setting it BACK in its place.
With a bound l have that hand in nv
grasp. 1t Is living hand, and it is very
WARM and strong and fierce. and the gias q
has fallen and lies shattered between IA.
and double cry is heard. one from behind
the partition, through an opening In which
this hand has been thrust and one from the
nurse, who has jumped to her feet, ana is
even now assisting me in holding the strur-
CLING member, upon which l have managed
to scratch tell-tale mark with a piece of
the falling glass. At the sight of the IRON
like grip which this latter laws upon the in
truding member, at once release my own
grasp.
Hold on" cried; and, leaping from til
bed. fastened first to my patient, whom |
carefully reassured, and then into the hall.
where i found the landlady running to see
what was the matter. 81 have found tho
wretch, l cried, and, drawing her after me,
hurried about 10 the other side of the par
titioD, where / found a closet, and ia ID the
woman had met on the stairs, but glarine
now like tiger ia her rage, menace and
fear.
That woman was my humble little pa
fleDts bitter but unknown enemy Enam-
ored OF a man wisely, perhaps
expressed In ner hearing his admiration for
inc pretty typewriter, she bad conceived
the idea that he intended 10 marry the lat
ter, ana. Vowing vengeance, had taken I'D
her ABODE IN the same house with the inno-
cent girl. where, had it not been for the for
tunate circumstance of my meeting her on
the stairs, she would certainly have carried
out her scheme Of vile aud secret murder.
The poison she had bought in another CITY.
ana the hole In the PARTITION she had herself
cut. This had been done at first for tbe
purpose oil observation, she having de-
tected in passing by Miss Wiicox's open
door that banner of painted silk hung
over that portion Of the wall In such
way as to hide any aperture which
might be made there. Afterward, when
Miss Wilcox fell sick, and she discovered
BY short glimpses through her loophJle hat
the glass OF medicine was placed Cd a table
just under this banner, she could not resist
the temptation to enlarge the hole to size
sufficient TO admit the pushing asiie of the
banner and the reaching through OF her
murderous hand. Why she did not pui
poison enough in the glass to kill Miss Will
cox at once l have never heard. Prob.
ably she feared detection. That by doing
as she did she brought about the very event
she had endeayored to avert Is the most
pleasing part of the tale.
When the gentleman Of whom l haye
spoken learned of the wicked attempt
which had been made on Miss Wilcox:
life. bis heart took pity upon her, and q
70 believe|is happy one. - Lippincotts
Magazine.