Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-01-15
wHFELTNG REGISTER SUNDAY. JANUARY 1so3TEN PAGES

|
"Was she anything like that por-
trait?"
l Laughed. The idea Of instituting
any comparison between the horror n
the portrait and that vision OF health
and loneliness was too ludicrous.
"She was lady who Is stopping In
the hotel, with whom already had
had some conversation, aud who is
about as unlike that portrait as any
thing could possibly be-a Mrs
Jaynes."
IJaynesq A Mr.. Jayness." The de-
tective bit his finger nails. He seemed
to be turning something over In MS
miud. "And did you see the man?'
"That is where the oddness OF the
thing comes in. She declared that
there was no man"
| what do you mean?"
"She declared that no one had been
near her bedroom while she had been In
IL. That there was no one In at that
particular moment is beyond doubt,
because she opened the door to let me
see. am inclined to think, upon re-
fectIon, that after all the man may
have BEEN concealed in the outer room,
that overlooked him in my haste, and
! that.he made good his escape while L
was knocking al the lady's door,"
''But II he had finger In the pie that
knocks the other theory upon the head"
He nodded toward the portrait which l
still was holding in my hand. "a man
like that would scarcely have such pal
as Mary BROKER"
81 confess, Mr. Davis, that the whole
affair is a mystery TO me. l suppose
that your theory Is that the flask out OF
which drank was drugged?"
81 should say upon the face OF 1t that
there can't be two doubts about that. .
The detective stood rejecting. II
should like to have a look at this Mrs.
Jaynes. 1 will have look at her. I'll
go down to the Office here, and think
it's just possible that may be treated
TO a peep at her Ioom."
When he was gone l was haunted by
the thought OF that criminal luDatlc,
who was at least so far sane that she
had been able TO make good her escape
from Broadmoor. 1t was only when
Mr.. Davis had left me that l discovered
that be had left the portrait behind
him. I looked at it. What face 1t
was.
"Think," I said to myself, "of being
left at the mercy Of such woman
as that!"
The words had scarcely left my lips
when, without any warning, the door OF
ny room opened, and just rs was TAX
inQ IL for granted that it was Mr. Davis
come back for the portrait, In walked
the Young man with whom l had trav-
eIled on the train! He was dressed e1-
actly as he had been yesterday, and
wore the same lndeinabie but unmis-
taxable something which denotes good
breeding.
"Excuse me-" he observed, IS he
stood with the handle Of the door in ono
hand and his hat in the other. "but l
believe you are the gentleman with
whom I travelled yesterday from Swim
don?" In my surprise l was for mo-
ment tongue-tied. 81 do not think
have made mistake"
NO" | said, or rather stammered,
"you have not made mistake"
at is only by a fortunate accident
that l have just learned that you are
staying in the hotel. Pardon my in
trusion, but when l changed carriages
at Exeter left behind my cgar-case. "
"a cigar-case?"
ibid You notice it? thought per-
maps it might have caught your eye. 1t
was a present TO me, and one l greatly
| valued. II matched this flask"
Coming a step or two toward me he
held out a fask-the identical flask
from which had drunk! l stared al
ternately at him and at his flask.
81 was not aware that you changed
carriages at Exeter"
II wondered If you noticed 1t.
fancy you were asleep"
"a singular thing happened to me
before | had reached my journeys end
"a singular and disaEreeable thing"
"How DO you mean?"
II was robbed"
Robbed"
"Did you notice anybody get into the
carriage when You, as you say, got
cutg'
"Not that am aware Of. You know
It was pretty dark. Why, good sra
cious! is it possible that after all it
wasn't my Imagination"
what wasn't your Imagination"
He came closer to me--so close that
he touched my sleeve with his gloved
hand.
"Do you know why left the car
rage when did? I left it because
was bothered by the thought that there
was some one in itoesldes us two.
"Some one In it besides US two?"
"Sone one underneath the seat.
was doing off as you were doing
More than once l woke up under the
impression thae some one was witch
ing at my legs beneath the seat, pinch
ing them-sven pricking them"
ibid you not look TO see IL any one
was there?"
"You will laugh at me, butt sup
nose | was silly-something restrained
me. preferred to make a bolt OF It,
and become the victim OF own magma.
tion."
'You left me to become the victim OF
something besides your imagination, ii
what you say is correct"
All at once the stranger made a dart
at the table. suppose he had seen the
portrait lying there. because, without
apy sort of ceremony, he picked 1t az
and stared at IL. AS / observed him,
commenting inwardly upon the fellows
GOODNESS, l distinctly saw q shudder
pass all over him. Possibly 1t was a
shudder OF aversion because, when be
had stared his fill, he turned to me, and
asked:
"Who, may I ask, is this hideous-
looking creature?"
! THAT is q criminal lunatic who has
escaped from Broadmoor-one Mary
BROKER"
"Mary Brookerl Mary Brookerl
| NJ proo1ar,s fare will haunt me for