The record-union., 1896-04-26

cold and hungry, and l invited him to
eat But at that he shook his head.
Il had better tell you what I want
first" said he. Il have been on the
stairs outside for more than an hour
wondering whether you would allow me
to enter this room. You see, I used to
live here, and 1 left very suddenly
about three years ago. I dare say" he
added, 1.-The other people wondered why
I left so suddenly"
I quietly opened the drawer of my
desk in which I had placed the mys-
FERROUS ace Of hearts, and drawing It
forth laid it before him.
Had that anything to do with it?"
said.
He started to his feet as his eyes fell
On the card, and 1 saw great beads Of
perspiration burst across his forehead
under the shock which the sight of the
mysterious emblem undoubtedly gave
him. He looked from it to me, and
from me to the card again, then he
sighed heavily and sat down.
Where did you get that?' he asked
quietly.
1T was found among a heap of torn
papers which you, I think, had thrown
into the cupboard yonder. May 1 in
quire what this means?" I said. us
it some signal, or warning, or a secret
message? l suppose it had a meaning
for you at the time you received it,
1T had a meaning" he answered. 1T
meant that my life was not worth an
hours purchase-that I had been sem
fenced to death-that the executioners
M fro T M n a n
and am familiar with the doings of
conspirators from my youth. What
have just told you is true I was the
agent of a secret society here. 1 Of
Tended those in power. I was con-
demned; and that's the warning"
$50 you f1ed?'
more fool I! I fied-to come back at
last as you see me. A beggar almost
starving, homeless"
Again I pressed him to eat I was
fascinated by his story, and wished to
hear more.
Not till 1 have told you why I came
here tonight. / came to recover some
thing that I left here when 1 fled. I
left it because I knew 1t was safe in the
hiding-place I had contrived for it. l
was going 1 knew not whither-possibly
into rough places and among desperate
men. l came back here to London at
last, and a great longing came over me
to see it once more. That is why l came
to your door tonight, resolved to ask
you to admit me. The picture is here,
and 1 shall find it."
He rose, and crossing the room ap-
preached a corner of the floor and
carefully removed the carpet which
had had laid down. Lifting a loose
board underneath, he presently with
drew from the cavity a parcel wrapped
in many sheets of strong paper, and
came forward to the light again.
You did not know that you had this
so near you,'' he said, blowing the dust
away from the parcel and proceeding
to unwind the various wrappings. And
now, look!"
An exclamation of wonder and delight
burst from my lips He held before me
the portrait of a young and lovely
woman, evidently the work of some
great miniature painter, and framed
heavily in gold and jewels. The frame
must have been worth a small fortune
in itself, and yet I scarcely noticed it,
so beautiful was the face it contained.
The stranger held the picture from
him and looked steadily at it in the
lamp-light. Then he drew it nearer and
kissed the face reverently.
"She is dead" he said. "And she
died martyr. She was born to all that
the world calls good; she died an exile
and in poverty. She was my sister,
He restored the frame to it's wrap
pings and fastened it up again, and
rather against my recommendation
placed it in it's old hiding place. He re-
fused my offer of supper, and said he
had no more to tell.
With that he bowed, shrugged his
shoulders, and went out. 1 followed
him to the head of the staircase and
watched him descend. Then something
prompted me to open the window and
watch him leave the house by the front
door. He came out and walked up the
passage into Holborn. I was about to
shut the window and return to my
room, when I saw two men steal out of
neighboring doorway and follow my
visitor. So swift and stealthy were
their movements that l had no time to
cry out before they had vanished.
I locked up my office and went home
much excited by the events of the even
ing. 1 had never had an adventure of
such a startling description before, and
had never expected to find that my
little shabby office contained within it
ali the elements of romance. I went
to bed, and could no. sleep for thinking
Of it. 1 was sorry by that time that
had allowed my strange visitor to
leave the portrait in my room, and I de-
y.
ing him and compelling him to remove
it,
I went to my Office next morning by
way OF Long Acre. Passing the corner
of one of the squalid streets leading
toward Drury Lane, / became aware of
small crowd of people gathered out
side house and doing their best to OBJ
tain an entry thereto, despite the pres
ence of two or three burly policemen
I went UP, and knowing one of the lat
ter, inquired the reason Of the commo-
ton.
It's a murder, SIR said he. "And
very rum murder it is, too. Foreign
chap found in this here empty house,
stabbed through the heart. Like to go
in, sir? There's the Coroner's office and
the Superintendent inside just now.
Now then, make way, there; this here
gentleman's an official"
I followed the man inside into a small,
room destitute of furniture. They had
fetched bench from somewhere and
laid the dead man on it. Somehow l
was not surprised when I saw him. I
had felt certain from the first that ]
was going to see my strange visitor of
the previous evening. And there he lay
before me, dead for many hours, the
doctor said with a. dagger driven intro