Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-06-11

well. last night-to-day's Monday,
isn't III I'm not myself yet, by any
means. Yes. last night, before had
been in my lodgings an hour-I had ar
rived at Euston at 1851 received .
note brought by hand. stating that Cecil
Horsham, whose name knew as that Of
enc Of our directors, would like to see
me Immediately on urgent business ad-
hitting Of no delay, If would favor him
by forgetting for the moment that It
was Sunday evening.
mo. IS Grantham square was the ad-
dress at the head Of the note, and took
cab there Immediately. Ofcourse, be-
ing unaware Of the exact nature Of the
business, l thought ! would let Mr..
Horsham see, at all events, that was
not without intelligence, and there
fore took my bank papers, not dreaming
that 1t could be anything outside Of
hank affairs.
"You know what fine houses they ara
In Gran than square? Well, IS was Q
handsome place, and have rarely seen
q grander room than that into which
was shown. The pictures were"
Eyes; leave out the description for
the present, Arthur, dear, and you can
tell us that afterward."
"Well, 1t was a place which would
have impressed anyone, and that's how
IT affected me. had just had time to
take in my surroundings when q lady,
young-middle-aged, Of very stately
bearing, richly dressed, came in. Her
husband, Mr.. Horsham, would not be
long. He had taken cab to the resi-
dence Of one Of the other directors.
There was something Of vital impor-
lance pending, and she hoped l would be
worthy Of the trust Mr.. Horsham had
decided to place In me.
I'm her grand and yet very pleasing
manner she invited me to take glass
Of wine while waiting for Mr.. Horsham,
and she 20 took 1t for granted that
would accept her hospitality did not
dream Of declining. drank glass Of
claret.
1T was drugged. must have been
overcome by it in few moments, for
I recollect nothing more at this time"
"Oh, how terrible!" calculated Flor
ence, In the deepest concern.
Eyes; it's getting quite melodramat-
&C." was Mr.. Kendal's comment.
Don't mind fathers Interruptions,
Arthur. Go on"
my first sensation on coming round
was most awful racking pain in the
head, feeling such as that left by too
much whisky over night-according to
all the descriptions have heard, added
Arthur, hastily.
II involuntarily groaned and was
about to turn over on my side, when
either a sponge or handkerchief, sat-
urated, l presume, with chloroform,
was clasped over my mouth and nose.
! had neither the wit nor the energy to
resist, and again lost consciousness.
1.-THE next time l came round there
was, fortunately, nobody in the room,
and had time to regain my presence
Of mind partially before a man and q
woman reentered. I simply pretended
to be still under the power Of the sopo-
rife. The woman-I recognized the
tones Of the pseudo Mrs. Horsham-
suggested that / ought to have little
more chloroform in case awoke, but
the man replied to her that they didn't
want to corpse me, and that chloroform
was too dangerous to use any more
than necessary, as It was sometimes
fatal even when administered by skilled
doctors.
However, he was kind enough to
add that, when he was gone, the woman
was to be sure and send me off again
the moment l showed signs Of wake
fitness.
Gradually their scraps of converse
ton revealed to me the nature of the
plot, which, suppose, has been pretty
clear to you all along, with your brains
free from narcotic control.
ut was about three hours after the
mans departure, should imagine that
the woman left, after bending over me
and deceiving herself that l was still
unconscious.
Reflection showed me that, as ulti-
mately proved to be the case, these two
people had taken these grand apart
ments and paid handsome sum in adj
vance, merely with the object of obtain
ing aplace to which to decoy me.
Irang the bell, got the people Of the
house to wire to Scotland yard and,
then, apparently, relapsed into stupid
ity, for | remember doctor attend
ing me before l could make myself intel
ligible to the police inspector.
81 was able to tell him, thanks to the
scraps Of conversation l had overheard.
that Newhaven, for Dieppe, was the des-
tination Of the thieves; and, sure
enough, the local police, acting upon
instructions, telegraphed to them, met
the couple as they detrained and bagged
them effectually."
Florence was still looking puzzled,
and Arthur had to supply few more
details.
Don't you see that while they had
me there hors du combat in Grantham
square the man, armed with my letter
Of introduction, marched down to the
bank and calmly impersonated me?
That he could easily do, because there
isn't soul there who had ever seen me.
OF course thew know the EXPLANATION ni
it'a1l at the bank BY no&?"'
NO." replied Mr.. Kendall; "the local
inspector who saw the manager doubt
less did not known himself at that time,
and Mr.. Scotland is applying for au.