Frederick citizen., 1895-02-01

I,
something behind all this? How mucf
does she know of this man? Hou
much Is she under his influence?'
felt uncomfortable. must say. but
was unwilling to make my wife un
happy by telling her that I had an ides
that her guest was an adventuress-ant
by speaking of suspicious to which :
could hardly give a name. All coult
do was to resolve to watch Miss Som.
ers. and II I saw anything very fishy-
/ mean, suspicious-I was determined
to speak to her of it, and not to my
wife. But things all went on very
smoothly for some time after she came
10 us. She appeared to be really fond
of my wife, which did more to recon.
cile me to her than anything else
She was very pleasant, ladylil1e ant
agreeable in her manners, and was
very intelligent young woman, too
By degrees I shook off my suspicious
and bceame convinced that she wa.
undeserving of them. She often used
TO ask me questions about my profes.
sion. I may remark that I am no.
now, and have not been for many years
In active practice. There are a few
partial old friends who have the idea
that they get more good from my treat.
ment than from that of other medica
men-quite unfounded quite; but graft.
Tying. Miss Somers often told me tha'
she would have liked to be a doctor
she liked nursing. and she liked at
tending to wounds and everything
connected with surgery had an interes'
for her. When I looked at her In sur.
prise. she laughed her little, gentle
laugh. and said. Yes. ard have
nerve enough for II. DR.. Dobbs. though
/ look so delicate. I am considering
now whether J will not rather become
hospital nurse than a governess.
Things went on quite pleasantly ir
this way until after Christmas, which
she spent with us She was rathe,
sad at the time. and said she was al
most alone IN the world She had n,
one to go to but her brother. and OF
him she did not speak much. gath.
cred that he was bit oe a n-'cr-dO
weel. or perhapS good deal of cne
She said I: was 81 delightful to be jr
r. house like Orrs-a house where every
influence was soothing and good. f.
I'll sounded vecy well. and I'm sure
there was sore ruth in t. How much
she was playing the hypoc "te-how far
nhe was making fools of us. 7 canno,
declde-pre.ty wf'll of each. I am sure
But or one thing ! am certain. that
she was not happy. Only one thinp
occurred during all this time to rouse
my suspicious, End that was that one
evening / YVES coming home from m,
club, and rassing a lamo post ollite
rlese to MY own front door, | met Will
traham. and was more aston;shed thar
l can tell 1ou. TO saa him HIS lectures
rad not succeeded at ALL and | was
rnGer the impression that he had left
the town lo"G ago. He stared at me
rs we pass'1 each other, and as he
stared | thought to myself, where
have seen some one uncommonK like
you" 1t quite bothered me. this like
ness to which | could not give a name
But 1t was not meeting him thai
aroused my suspiCions-it was thai
running quickly up the steps and into
our porch, / found the door being inst
opened to admit Miss Somers. who
looked at me with very startled eyes
and then, in moment, l saw where
the likeness was. 1t was she whom
Wilbraham ressmbled-or else she re.
sembled him-anyhow. that was the
likeness. | heard her almost in A
dream as she said that she had been
out alone for constitutional after tea
my wife having a headache, and wish.
Ing to keep quiet. whereas Miss Som.
ers had felt the need of a breath Of
fresh air before dinner. I said. iokinpIv
And have you been with your friend
Wilbraham? I met him lust at tbe
gate Wilbraham?' she repeated 'im.
possible. Did he not go away lone
said l. I don't believe In ghosts I,
ago. 1t was either he or his ghost :
she replied. and ran upstairs. I said
no more about it. I fancy Wilbraham
did go away soon after that. was
persuaded that our visitor knew him
and was in some way mixed up with
him. but ! was not much surprised
that she did not care to have II known
for he was far from a. desirable char
acter
"The next thing that happened was
just before the New Year. Mrs. Dobbs
always has an At Home on New Year,
Eve. 1t Is the only thing in the shape
of a large party that we give. becauso
we are not rich. On this occasion II
was more important to her than usual
as she was counting upon introducine
Miss Somers to good many of orr
friends whom she had not yet met
Everything was arranged The invita-.
lions had been accepted, when, the law
before the party was to come off. Mise
Somers. after reading letter which
was on her plate at breakfast. said
In great apparent stress. Mrs. Dobbs.
this Is r1ost unfortunate. l shall haya
10 leave you to-day My poor vas
was aghast. The disappointment was
very severe, and she could hardly
speak. but at last she said, To-day
DO you really mean to-day" Yes. to-
day. said Miss Somers, looking again
at her letter. I wish l could explain
1t Is business-wretched, unfortunate
pusiness-connected with my brother.
nave told you my brother Is not all
he ought to be. Tears stood In her
eyes. My wife said. of course. In that
case. and all that sort of thing. you
Know. But she was dreadfully disap.
pointed. And. to cut it short. Il was
settled In this way, that Miss Somers
VINO said she only had to 20 as far
as Chester. should set off that very
morning and return the next day In
time for the At Home. This settled
matters beautifully. She said she
would not mind the fatigue a bit. and
would rather do anything than miss
the party and disappoint my wife
80 she went away by the Irish mail
"hlch or course stops at Chester on its
way to Holyhead. and, true to her
promise. she turned up again the next
Day also by the Irish mail-the one
irom Holyhead-the very one she had
arrived by when she had come to visit
US. She told us that her errand had
not been a pleasant one, and / must