The record-union., 1897-09-26


his whole countenance exhibited mental
disorder
'-GiVe-gfve me a chairi'
He clutched at a chair He sunk into
it, trembling all the time as though
he had a fit or ague This was a case
of something more than drunkenness.
''Farrcombe, what is wrong?"
He seemed to struggle to speak.
''Ince"-he caught at his throat as
if he were suffocating-"I Ince, have you
got any brandy?'
l went to Trotter's private store and
poured him out a wineglassful. He
drank it at a gulp. neat.
Give some more"
I poured him out another glass. He
drank that, too; it seemed to do him
good.
''Ince, do you think I'm nlad?"
"Or drunk"
you think I'm drunk? I've been
travelling all day from Scotland; I
have only just arrived in town. 1t is,
therefore, extremely probable that am
drunk, it being my invariable habit to
get that way when 1 spend the day in
railway trains
Il was only joking. What's the mat
ter?"
Directly I asked the question his
trembling fit came back again. He
looked about the room in such a way
that L really began to think that he
was in the early stages of delirium.
'Ince, II saw him.
Saw whom?"
"Ruthveni"
"Ruthven?"
"On the stage! Great heaven!"
He put his hands before his face; he
trembled like leaf. The case seemed
clear enough.
Come Farncombe, think you would
be better at home
He looked at me, his face as white as
this sheet Of paper.
You think so? Perhaps I had. Per-
haps this strain has been too great.
But must be pretty bad, because I
could have sworn 1 saw him"
"Of course you saw him.
t'Of course-I saw him?''
I never saw such look of astonish-
ment upon a persons face before.
Where's the mystery? If you have
been in front you must have seen him.
Ruthven is breaking the record. I
never saw such acting"
Farncombe had stood up, rising to his
feet IS if automatically. Now he sank
back again as if 1 had struck him a
blow.
1T was his ghostl''
His ghost?"
'Ince, Ruthven's dead
Dead? You have got hold of that
nOnsensical story which is going the
rounds
He looked at me in silence for a Sec
ond or two. Then he put his hand into
an inner pocket of his coat. He took
out a pocketbook From the pocket
book he took a folded paper. This he
handed me- opened it 1t purported
to be the medical certificate of Philip
Ruthven's DEATH
"Farncombe! What-what is this?"
THE doctors certificate"
Some one has been fooling you. The
man is as much alive as I am"
'Ince!"-Farncombe rose. He came
close to me- He almost whispered in
my cart saw him die
''You-saw him die?"
II saw him die. At Pittenween, yes
terday evening at 8 O'Clock"
BUTTS impossible
'Ince listen to me- The other day,
when you told me that Ruthven was
rehearsing, l couldn't understand it.
| But I supposed it was all right, until,
a day or two ago, 1 had a letter from
Mrs. Ruthven asking for a loan of a
sovereign. She said that Ruthven was
at deaths door, and that they were
absolutely penniless. 1 posted straight
away to Pittenween. [ found things
were as she said. Ince, last night he
died. His wife, the doctor, and 1 were
present Directly afterwards I got the
doctor to give me a certificate. Mrs
Ruthven was anxious that he should
be brought to Kensal Green, where his
little girl lies buried. And I thought
| if had the medical certificate in my
pocket I could manage to whip among
you fellows for the funds; and later
on, we might get up a benefit. Ince
where's that brandy"
He helped himself to another glass
I felt that I myself should be none the
worse for one, but 1 did not say so.
$50 to-day I came back again.
knew this was your first night. AS I
was coming along 1 wondered how you
would manage. 1 wondered also why
you told me that cock-a -and-bull story
about Ruthven rehearsing. Because,
as Mrs. Ruthven informed me, and as
I could see for myself he had never
been out Of bed since the day I sew
him last It was late when I reached
town. I thought I would come and see
how you were getting on. 1 drove
straight here. When I got inside. the
first person I saw upon the stage was
| Philip Ruthven!"
He paused. He gave little gasp.
I also was almost reduced to gasping-
! point.
II caught his eye. He caught mine.
He gave me such look!'
Farncombe covered his face. He
shuddered. There was an interval of
silence. Then I spoke.
! But. Farncombe. he has been re-
hearsing all the time.
"You don't mean it?'
| "He hasi"
'"Then it was his ghost!"
"But, apart from any other consid-
Grafton. how can that be. when you say
that the man was actually alive?"
| Heaven knowsi l don't!"
"He is at this moment on the stage"
Let me get away! Let me go home!
Ince, 1 wouldn't meet him for thou
sand pounds If you had only seen
| him die"
| He hurried away. I hurried after
him. AS we were going the curtain
fell. AS it fell there rose a hurricane
of applause, which seemed to shake the
! building. People came hurrying to
and from the stage. In a moment we
were in the center>of an excited crowd.