Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1899-05-11

tnem c~On1useQly ana cantered away tC
my hotel, there changed and arrived at
the Mannerings' ten minutes late.
pleaded the darkness of the night as an
excuse. was rebuked by Kitty for my
unloverlike hardness and sat down.
The conversation had already become
general, and under cover of il / was
addressing some tender small talk to
my sweetheart when / was aware that
at the farther end of the table a short,
red whiskered man was describing, with
much broidery. his encounter with a
mad unknown that evening. .
A few sentences convinced me that
he was repeating the incident of half
an hour ago. In the middle of the story
be looked round for applause, as profess
sional story tellers do, caught my eye
and straightway collapsed There was
a moments awkward silence, and the
red whiskered man muttered something
to the effect that he had forgotten the
rest, thereby sacrificing a reputation
as a good story teller which he had
built up for six seasons past. / blessed
him from the bottom of my heart and
went on with my fish.
In the fullness Of time that dinner
came to an end, and with genuNe re
greet | tore myself away from Kitty. as
certain as l was of my own existence
that il would be awaiting for me out
side the door. The red whiskered man.
who had been introduced to me as DIR
Heatherlegh Of Simla. volunteered to
bear me company as far as our roads
lay together. accepted his offer with
gratitude.
My instinct had not deceived me. II
lay in readiness in the mall and in what
seemed devilish mockery of our ways,
with a lighted head lamp. The red
whiskered man went to the point at
once in a manner that showed he had
been thinking over it all dinner time.
II say, Pansay. what the deuce was
the matter with you this evening oil
the Elysium roadf' The suddenness Of
the question wrenched an answer from
me before / was aware.
THAT said |, pointing to it.
"That may be either ID. 7. or eyes
for aught | know. Now you don't liq-
nor. | saw as much at dinner. So il
can't be ID. 7. There's nothing what
even where you're pointing, though
you're sweating and trembling with
fright like a scared pony. Therefore ]
conclude that it's eyes. And ] ought to
understand all about them. Come along
home with me. I'm on the Blessington
lower road.
To my intense delight the rickshaw,
instead Of waiting for us, kept about
90 yards ahead-and this, too, whether
we walked, trotted or cantered. In the
course of that long night ride ! had
told my companion almost as much as
have told you here.
"Well. you've spoiled one of the best
tales I've ever laid tongue to, 3" said he,
''but I'll forgive you for the sake of
what you've gone through. Now, come
home and do what | tell you, and when
I've cured you, Young man, let this be
a lesson to you to steer clear Of women
and indigestible food till the day of
your death.
The riekshaw kept steady in front,
and my red whiskered friend seemed 70
derive great pleasure from my account
Of its exact whereabouts.
Eyes, Pansay-all eyes. brain and
stomach. And the greatest of these
three is stomach You've too much con-
ceited brain. too little stomach and
thoroughly unhealthy eyes. Get your
straight and the rest follows
And all that's French for a liver pill
rn take sole medical charge of you
rom this hour, for you're too interest
ing a phenomenon to be passed over.
BY this time we were deep in the
shadow Of the B~lessington lower road,
md the rickshaw came to a dead stop
lnder a pine clad, ~overhanging shale
lift. Instinctively | halted, too, giving
nv reason. Heatherlegh raped out an
,ath.
Now, if you think I'm going 10
pend a cold night ON the hillside for
he sake OF n
we illusion Lord. ha' mercy What's
There was a muffied report, a blind
ng smother Of dust just in front Of us,
crack. the noise of rent boughs, and
bout ten yards of the cliffside-pines,
lndergrowth and sll-slid down into
he road below, completely blocking IL
ID. The uprooted trees swayed and tot
cred for a moment like drunken giants
q the gloom and then fell prone among
heir fellows with a thunderous crash.
)ur two horses stood motionless and
weating with fear. As soon as the rat
le of falling earth and stone had sub
ided my companion muttered Man.
I we'd gone forward we should have
cen ten feet deep in our graves by
ow. There are more things in heaven
nd earth 80 Come home, Pansay,
nd thank God l want a peg badly.
We retraced our way over the church
Idue. and / arrived at DR.. Heather
house shortly after midnight
His attempts toward my cure com
Fenced almost Immediately. and for a
eek | never left his sight Many a
in the course Of that week did ! {
the good fortune which had thrown s
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