The Monmouth inquirer., 1898-03-10
THE SECRET WITNESS.

1t is not every one said Menken,
"who has been a secret witness OF a
murder, but | have.
.sYou?' | exclaimed.
Menken nodded.
{ eAbout four years ago | was travel
ing in Switzerland. In the course OF
NV rambles / reached Tauserwald. |
was much taken with the place; the
scenery was superb, the hotel Old
Fashioned but delightfully."- comfort
able.
esThere were several people staying
there beside myself, but as | am a gre
garious sort of fellow, l was rather
glad of it. After | had been there
about a fortnight, on entering the DIM
sng-room for dinner, ! noticed some
new arrivals. Among them was party
of three English an old gentleman,
his young wife, and a daughter OF the
old gentleman's by a former marriage
sThe daughter, poor girl, was blind.
She was about twenty. and looked deli
cate | cannot say she was pretty, and
vet she was not unpleasing> The ola
boy. her father, was just like other
Englishmen you see about.
ssThe wife was decidedly pretty;
she was about twenty-eight.
81 was not long in finding out three
facts. First, that the old gentleman
was madly fond of his wife and indif-
ferent to his daughter: secondly, that
the daughter adored her father and
did not like his wife; thirdly, that the
wife hated them both.
flor, tba nartU had
been in the hotel about a week, the old
gentleman did not appear as usual at
breakfast, and in reply to Inquiries his
wife said that he was not feeling we'll.
In the course of the day the doctor-an
Englishman, by the way-was sent for,
and in the evening the landlord, who
was as angry with the old man as if
he had got his Illness on purpose, told
me the old gentleman had been pro-
nounced by the doctor to be i'll of gas
tric fever, and that the case was seri-
GUS The landlords S anxiety was not
without reason. The fact could not be
concealed, and the visitors began to-
leave in haste. Only few besides me
remained. | am not in the least ner-
vous about illness, and | had no in
tention of leaving the place for such
a cause, resolve which raised me
greatly in the landlords esteem.
'One morning. about ten days after
the old gentleman's seizure, / met the
doctor coming down stairs Iie looked
much less anxious than for some days
past; indeed, there was an expression
almost of satisfaction on his face.
g How is your patient?' / asked
" The crisis is past, or almost past.
he answered, cheerfully He owes his
life, if he pulls through. to the nurs-
ing of his daughter. who is trump He
is now asleep, and upon that sleep
everything depends If he awakens in
three or four hours of his own accord.
he will be safe, in all human probabil-
ity. Everything depends on his sleep
/ have told the landlord to be most
careful There must be no noise of
any sort If he were wakened sud-
denly, the shock would kill him as
certainly as if you fired a bullet
through his brain | have just told his
wife of this. All that is wanted is
sleep
THE doctor nodded to me as he went
down the steps from the hotel smiling
as if anticipating a triumph for his
art
Monsieur, said voice at nv ell
bow. turned and saw my friend the
landlord Monsieur knows. said he.
smiling sourIy, that Austrian count
who was going to be so brave? Who
had no fears for sickness? Well. that
so brave man, he also is now frighten-
ed-he was gone, monsieur He went
early this morning, making excuses,
but he could not deceive me! He was
frightened He tried to joke; he said
he could not sleep; that he had heard
all night the ticking in the wall
which, he said means death.
That is an English superstition
too said
BAH said the innkeeper, will
concentrated scorn; these are no
times for such foolish superstitions
Monsieur has no such foolish fancies
Il laughed All, monsieur is brave
Look. The Austrian's room is tha-
very room monsieur wished to have
when he first came 1t looks out upor
the glacier, and is, perhaps my bes
room. Monsieur thought he woul,
prefer one less expensive on the foo
above. Monsieurs remembers? Well
courage deserves to be rewarded. Mon
sieur shall have the room for TIL
same price as the one he has now
81 thanked smy friend the landlord
It was certainly.a room had coveted
The view 'was4Euperb- 1t was neare
the dining .aldAsmoking-room- ev
observation-disclosures on th'
ONE I SQecupying.
saCauF h4yefft at once?' I asked
I nsOh, most rrertainly. OF course