The Washington weekly post., 1899-12-12

Matheson. with another glance at her
brother. said:
oh. I've sent your cdbman away. IL
Is unnecessary 10 keep him here all the
evening You won't 20 for an hour or so
yet"
But / hope you haven't paid himT !
said. reeoIiecting that mis- fare would be
at least a sovereign.
''Of course she said. politely. II
couldn't think Of allowing you TO pay the
expenses OF finding out where live"
| protested. but she only laughed, as
suring me that she was more indebted TO
me than the matter of a few shillihgs.
The dinner went OF most merrily.
/ was spending very cheerful Christ
mas after all
Cissie and her mother AT last left the
table, and | sat with PAUL over an ex-
eellent cigar / found him very pleas
ant man.
We're greatly indebted to you" he
said. My sister has been hysterical with
grief all cay. Servants are such unmiti-
gated idiots"
Yes" I observed. '1t certainly was
foolish TO leave the child alone in a
crowded street"
"Cissie is her mothers Idol. Ny sister
was devoted to her husband. and his un-
timely death was a terrible blow to her.
He was on his way TO London from Scot
land 10 spend last Christmas with his
wife. and was killed IN the accident to
the Scotch cypress at Retford."
Terribly sad I said. .recollecting the
appalling disaster on the previous Christ
mas Eve. when train was wrecked out
side Retford station.
Yes" he sighed "Jaek Matheson was
such Thoroughly good fellow, too"
And so we chatted or until, having fin
ished our coffee we rejoined mother and
daughter in the pretty drawing-room
where the logs were brightly burning, the
high lamp with its great shade of crimson
silk giving the place a coZy appearance
The room was extremely well furnished,
and ensconced in cozy corner beside the
fire chatted on. now and then laughing
with Cissie over our adventure. Soon,
however she curled herself up in chair
and dropped off to sleep. while the
warmth of the fire after the intense cold
outside made me also rather drowsy.
At last, after a long and exceedingly
pleasant gossip j thanked them for their
| hospitality, and rose 70 go.
"But it's late" Paul said, coneernedly,
glancing at the clock. Il question wheth'
er you'll get a cab at this hour and ir
this out-Of-the-way place. It's Christmas
night, remember, and the last train has
gone.
why not remain the night?' suggested
Mrs. Matheson. do. We have a spare
| bed always aired, and you are quite wei
come
"Yes. stay" urged her brother. "You'l
never get up TO Bayswater tonight.
cab will charge at least a sovereign, ever
| if you find one. which ] very much doubt
| But / was resolved on getting home
| therefore declined. Their invitation, how
ever, was so pressing, and they convinced
me of the almost impossibility of getting
| to the other side of London that night
| therefore | at last accepted.
| / had a final whisky and seltzer will
| PAUL. and il was almost l o'clock before
| Mrs. MathesOn showed me to my room, Z
| larga well-furnished chamber with {
small dressing-rOOm leading off, very com
| Portable. with a bright fire burning. tn,
upholstery and hangings were OF pail
blue the bed being an extremely fine ont
of ebony, with the head and foot inlaiC
with mother -of-pearl. Having warmed
NV hands for a minute or two, l turned
| in, and in the fitful freight lay watchin!
| the grotesque shadows, and thinking o
| the curious incidents Of the pas; twenty
| four hours.
I fancy / must have dozed, when sud
denly heard a curious, indistinct whisper
| ing. and lay 10 listen. The fire had die
down to a few glowing embers. whicl
| threw scarcely any light, and so uneas!
| hot q
and groped about for matches. Unfortu
nately / could find none. and moreover
vixen / tried the gas with my hand upol
the burner I found it had been turnet
| of at the meter.
Calmly I reasoned with myself. NJ,
hostess was an en1inently respectabl
lady. and even though We had only beel
acquainted such a short time. yet ther
was every reason why she should shov
NE this hospitality. Nevertheless. ther
had crept upon me a strange, indefinite
feeling of insecurity, and l stood in tn
darkness hestating how TO act. Their
! were two windows, evidently overlookin;
the quiet suburban road. went to then
and felt behind the blue curtains tha
they were strongly shuttered and fasten
ed. Then / stirred the embers and sue
ceeded by blowing upon them in creating
q feeble fame which gave me create
freedom Of action.
| cast myself into an armchair and re
flected. The darkness had somehow un
| rerved me- and the more / thought tn
stranger the whole affair seemed. Tina
nv cab had been sent away without con
sulting me was curious: and stranger stil
were the looks exchanged between Pau
and his sister as we had sat at Dime.
Now that / was alone every detail o
that evening recurred to me, and man
of the incidents seemed very strange an
Unaccountatle.
I laughed al my misgivings. Nevertho
less I was bound to admit that the Who'll
affair was mysteriOus-extremely mysteY
ious. By the tickle light of the fame m
watch showed that il was , O'Clock
therefore. having locked the door com
municating with the dressing -room-afte
searching in vain there for matches O
candle-I half dressed, resolved TO spen
the remainder of the night in the com
Portable armchair of the grandfather
type with it's high back and sides 10 kee
of the dTaughts.
I am not naturally a nervous man, 70
/ have spent many night alone in a
African forest. yet by some indescribabl
intuition / felt confident of impendia
danger: of some curious and entirely ur
| accountable premonition of evil.
Sitting there noted every detail of tn
furniture. Ali was artistic: all was hand
some. The carpet was. however. of blac
, felt; very unusual, like funeral pal
Lying upon il / suddenly noticed, reyea
ed by a quick burst of flame, somethin
which attracted my attention. 1t wa
close by the dressing table. before th
window, and rising. ] stopped and pickle
: il up.
II was cold and curious to the touc.
and as | bent 10 the fire 10 examine IL
let II fall from my grasp with cry Z
horror. Ii was a dead finger-the thir
finger of a womaus hand.
This discovery appalled, me. There wa
| evidently more mystery In that hous
| tLan had imagined.
Again / picked up the nnger and carr
fully examined it, IL was slim. well-forn
|. ed with a carefully kept nail, white an
delicate but had been amputated at ii
haSo ~ an unpracticed hand. i gaze