The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-09-02

Mr. Gotch waited until there was nobody
in sight: then FASTENED TO DR.. Peacock's
and rang violently. He stayed few mo-
ments talking to the servant and gesticu-
lating a good DEAL Finally he fastened
back in the direction of Number Thirteen.
1t was with much curiosity that / went
next morning 10 Number Thirteen to pay
my second visit. When / reached the house
] saw that all the blinds were drawn down.
The servant said her master had died during
the night. He had been attended by Dr.
Peacock. My suspicious instantly attached
themselves to Mr.. and Mrs. Gotch.
But for the moment the slight that had
been put upon me overpowered all my other
feelings. j had been called in once and
then cast aside like worthless rag. This
made me very bitter. angrily returned to
my lodgings.
There was an inquest, adjourned for The
purpose of a post-m0rtem, but i was not sum-
moned. / read report in the papers. and
so far as / could see, my name was not even
mentioned. The post-hnOrtem proved that
there had been no foul play, DIR. Peacock
and his colleague certifying the cause of
death to have been apoplexy.
So Roger Bond died and was buried and
John Gotch reigned in his stead. One of the
first things that he did was 10 turn Ruth out
Of doors. ] sometimes went to look at The
house There one wet night found her, lean
ing against the ratings in the pouring rain,
with noihing in the world belonging to her ex-
cept The thread bare clothes she was wearing.
She Was a pauper, they had told her, and
they were not going TO keep her. / remem-
bered that my landlady had a friend who
let lodgings, and who would, perhaps, be
willing to take charge of Ruth until some
thing cold be done for her.
Ruth accompanied me readily enough.
She Was SO accustomed to doing as she was
told that for the tme-she is d fferent now
she had no viii of her own. AS we walked
along she talked chiefly of her uncle.
:" 1T was very cruel of him to leave you
penniiess," / said.
But she wonld not allow this. She de-
clared that he was the dearest old man in
the world. No doubt he had some good
purpose in leaving all his money to Mr. and
Mrs. Gotch.
Before another hour had elapsed | had
left Ruth in the care Of Mrs. Cruiksbank
my landlords friend. i called on many
days following and every time / saw Ruth
fell more deeply In love with her.
Once, talking about her uncle, Ruth hap
pened TO say that his bedroom was the one
above the drawing room, situated, therefore,
on the right of the staircase.
But saw him in a bedroom on the left"
i exclaimed. Oh, no. you are Mistaken"
said Ruth; that is Mr. and Mrs. Gotch's
room."
j described the room as well as / could,
and Ruth admitted that the description, SO
far as 1t went, was accurate. At the same
time, she said that her uncle's room did not
greatly differ from it.
In which did he die? / asked.
In the one / have told you In his
own-the one he always had. Although
they would not let me see him, was in the
| drawlDg-room when the Coroner and the
| jury went upstairs. and / could hear them
overhead. / know, too; i saw him there
! when he was stricken down by the apo
| plectic attack, about an hour before they
sent for you"
Then why on earth was he taken into
another room merely for me to see him 4"
| She did not know that.
hat relation was your uncle to Mr. and
/ Mrs. Gotch ?" i asked.
Not really any relation at ALL Mrs
Goich called herself niece, but it was only
IN some way by marriage"
And he left all his money to people not
related 10 him? Yet / saw a family like
ness between him and Mr. G0tch.o
Ruth declared there had not been the
least likeness between the two.
An interview with DIR. Peacock might
yield some result, and TO him | accordingly
went He was pompons, bullet-headed
little man, with an immense opinion of him.
self. But / succeeded in telling him what /
! had witnessed from my window
That explains one thing which puzzled
me, " sad Dr. Peacock. Il did not get to
Mr.. Bonds home until two hours after |
was sent for, and he WAS then dead. He had
! been dead some time-fve or six hours, /
should have thought, but they told me
was wrong. This was one of the things that
made me insist upon post-mortem. | un-
derstand it. They wanted TO make sure