Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-05-06
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.
I. Sir Jonn Priestly, knight and NJ. D..
Of Berkeley street. Mayfair, have been
asked by one of the most charming of my
patients to extract from my diary pOr-
lions which refer to a Mysterious drama
which took place in 1872, and in which
played q small but important part.
have no hesitation in granting my fair
patients request, paraphrasing rather
than merely transcribing the contents of
my note book.
BEG pardon, sir; where tOy''
"Where to? Oh, anywhere-the first
station you come to! No, to St. Pam
cras." 1 replied, and was about to step
Into the hanson, upon which my travel
Ing bag had been deposited, when n de-
tanning hand was laid heavily upon my
shoulder.
turned. and faced a man, tall, swar
thy, slightly built. and elegantly dressed.
Ills eyes were fixed with a curious expires.
ei0n upon my face.
"Dr. Priestly. 1 believe" he said, speak.
Ing with a slight foreign accent.
nodded.
"And you are about to start upon a
3ourneyF he continued. ''May 1 ask il
It II Of very great impOrtance?"
II was merely going away somewhere foi
Q few days rest and change"
THAT In fortunate. since you will have
less scruple in staying. l require your
immediate attention for Q case of urgent
danger"
looked at him more carefully, and no
ticed that he seemed much agitated, yet
he was q man of stern cast Of counte
nance. My hesitation seemed to trouble
him, for he again put his trembling hand
upon my arm.
There is no time to lOse," he said
while We are standing here the patient
may die. Pray comeI'
Then, taking the management of affairs
Into his own hands. he ordered my man
servant to remove my luggage from the
cab, hurried me into another, took his
seat beside me and We ratified away The
whole affair had taken place So rapidly
that the cab had covered at least a mile
before l began to wonder what it all
meant.
The cab stopped at the top of Park
lane; we alighted, and walked on. Pres
emily we entered side street, and stop
ped before a door, which my guide opened
with latch key.
We were now in comparative darkness
/ could make no note whatever of the
surroundings, but followed quickly upon
the footsteps of my guide, and was finally
ushered into large room furnished as
. bOudoir in the extreme of modern fash
ion. Upon a couch lay what appeared
to be the lifeless body of a gentleman
dressed in evening attire By his side
was a lady, also in evening dress, kneel
ing upon the floor, her face buried in hel
hands.
MADAM" said my guide, 81 have
brought a surgeon; will you have the great
goodness to retireT'
Sobbing bitterly, the lady rose, while
the gentleman led her to door concealed
By curtains of pale blue satin, and wheI
she disappeared he returned to me.
'"That is your patient, DOCTOR" said he
"save his life, and you will be made &
comparatively rich man."
proceeded to make careful examina
don. The patient was a powerfully bull
man of four or five and twenty, with q
strikingly handsome cast of countenance
His shirt front was suffused with blood
Issuing from n wound In the breast-ar
old flesh wound, which, after partially
healing, had suddenly reopened.
1.-The man is in mortal DANGER" said
"But he may recOver%
.,h;.h uo,,Id ,n.an o;thsr Iifs or 6eeth "
"a. vou v;II;no 20 trv that unethod p.
.Vs,i wiii un5ertats r."
.Coodi Nou 10 heo,n nth h. mnst h,
avoS If n. ,ar,,s;n. =, ~. hon..
.a. IN ~. .t;iI IN Ch-;.t.ndom I'm ~.
~. ne. :"
n's me
Inc nrst thIhs 10 DE oone W. ." oEes'
the wound. In the course OF tne opera
ton the gentleman recovered conscious
ness As MS eyes Io"eo sio"V @1oono 'l''
room he muttered feebly:
Constance, wnere are you
Before ne couid say more my comPan
lon stepped quickly 10 MS sioe ana WINS
pered something IN MS ear. Al this I'M
sick man grOaned, turned MS nead wear
lily upon the pillow, ana closed his eyes
my dear DOCTOR, said my guide, "whil'
you have been working l have been think
ing. l have sketched in my mind Ou
plan of action, and IT must be foiiowe'
OF nothing can be done: For the present
then, your work Is finished. 10 home ant
wait for your patient, who Will be ~
moved to your house
To my houseF
The whole arransement' ne contin
aed. not needing my interruption, mus