Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-11-20
CHAPTER V.
WAS 1T A MYSTERY?

Il should like to see Mr.. Mildred and
Mr. Farnham," l said, not feeling it
necessary to ask if they vera at home.
l know that they had definitely ar
ranged to be SO.
| glanced round me carelessly as i
spoke The hall was a huge one, dim
in the corners, with a fine stairway
that ran down in the centre, and was
lighted by great branching candel-
abrum held up by a bronze figure on
either side.
Doors, hung with portieres of tapes
| try, opened here and there along the
| hall, and in fireplace at one side slow
flames crept along a freshly-heaped
pile of logs.
Il am sorry, sir" said the servant
respectfully, but both the gentlemen
have gone out for the day"
He did not look me in the face as he
delivered this piece of information, but
allowed his narrow eyes TO drop away
shiftily.
"Oh, | am surprised at that I re-
turned, for | have come by invitation.
| hardly know by what impulse u
mentioned this. and as a matter of
fact the invitation could hardly be sup
fused it. Still. it seemed to me eX-
tremely improbable that the two men
would have changed their minds about
the day, after midnight, when | had
parted from them. They had men
toned refusing one or two invitations,
and there was really so little to do by
way of amusement out of ones own
house, or somebody else's, on Christ
pressed that the man was lying. He
had perhaps been told to say that his
master and guest were away in case
of an intrusion, which they might have
had reason to fear; but this could hard
! ly stand with me.
The fellows face changed instantly
"Ch, | see, sir, you are the gentle
man Mr.. Mildred was expecting. He
they-it is impossible they will be in
quite shortly. Perhaps you will walk
into the ROOM"
The room" and with such a queer
little emphasis on the former word,
sounded rather odd. 1t was but a trif-
ling popularity of expression, however,
and | did not think much of it as l
followed the butler along the hall,
passing through a door, before which
he swept the curtain aside with q
flourish, and so into a passage which
evidently led towards the new wing. We
went on for some distance. and pres
entity arrived at a closed door. which
the butler threw open for me 1T is
here that my master requested YOU
should wait, sir" he said.
| walked in. and he left me. closing
the door 1t then struck me that I had
neither given him my name nor men
toned the mass of smoke and sparks
which | had seen vOmited from the
tower. l sprang to the door again.
meaning to call after the man a word
of warning in regard to the fire. but
he was already out of sight He could
not have gone back the way that he
had come. or | should certainly have
seen him walking down the dimly-
lighted passage there being no door
save that at the extreme end. which
he would not yet have had time to
reach. l did not see how he could have
disappeared so suddenly. but returning
TO the room I looked about in vain for
a bell.
| was sure now that this room must
be situated in that part OF the new
wing which adiOined the tower. In
glancing at the house from outside. I
had fancied that the square. SQUAT wall
must be that of a studio. as there were
no windows. but high domed elv-
light on top. Now I saw that though
the outer building was square. the
room within was Octagon in shape. It
was, perhaps. a studio, as I had fam
cied. but there was something of the
free-and-easy negligence of an Oriental
smoking-room about it.
The walls were hung with emhroid-
cred Indian materials. and low divan
ran down part way. Between the
hangings were panels of sandalwood,
ornamented with bits of mirror in the
Burmese way. and half hidden with
| curious foreign weapons. daggers,
swords. and spears, and even a Zulu
assegai or two. On the floor stood a