The Saint Paul globe., 1899-03-05
stairs-in the dining-roo1ns ?"

stairs-in the dining-rooms?
] Il don't know. have not seen them yet;
and Isabel struck in
Their name is Spence or Spencer, believe
The landlady said they had arrived quite un-
expectedly. Do you know them?"
NO. only saw her looking out of the win
dow as l came in, and l was struck by her
| FACET was sad. Are they husband and
wife, or brother and sister? She looks so
very young!"
II don't know anything about them. really
You must go and interview Mrs. Evans if
you are so anxious for information,'' Isabel
said, laughing, and then Sylvia appealed to
him to know if the rain would leave off suf-
ficiently to allow her to go to the Library,
or not. -
"I think it has set in for regular wet
day." he answered; "but 1 will change your
books for you if you will tell me which to
get. I should be going past there in any
case" cutting short her remonstrances 81
have come to an end of my cigarettes, and
the only decent tobacconIst in Seaburne is
in the same street as the Library. Bathurst
has asked me to dine with you, so I will
bring them back with me-the books,
mean
So, as the rain poured down in unabated
vigor, about three o'clock Sylvia jotted down
half-a-dozen names on a scrap of note
paper, and Etheridge, promising to bring her
enes orrthe other of the novels she wanted,
took his departure. Harold had gone out
half-an-hour earlier to settle some bills, so
that. he was alone: and he stepped into
the hall to put on his macintosh, the dining
room door opened hurriedly, and a girl ran
out.
"Oh, please send fer doctor!" she cried,
her hands and lips trembling, her face deadly
pale He -my-Mr. Spencer is i'll. don't
know what to do
| "Can I do anything for him." Etheridge
| asked.
| please fetch a doctor-the nearest you can
| find"
Quite suddenly it flashed across Etheridge's
mind that he had noticed a brass plate bear
| ing doctors name on house only a few
doors off in Harrington Terrace, and with a
| fervent hope that he might be at home, he
set off for the house, first begging the girl
| to call up the landlady.
| 'I will bring a medical man as soon as
possible he assured her; "but you must not
| be alone"
| By great good luck Doctor Pugh was at
home and Etheridge waited while he put on
his coat and escorted him back.
"Who are they-these people?" he said, as
he strode along through the rain, and his
compaion replied
| II know nothing whatever about them, save
| came yesterday Some friends of mine have
rooms in the same house and I have been
lunching with them, and was on my way out
when the girl stopped me-
rs she his wife?"
| 'I tell you I have no idea" Etheridge
answered impatiently. "She looks perfect
child. I should say she must be his sister,
or daughter. I don't even know if he is
young DID,"
! In his hurry Etheridge had not wholly shut
the hall-door behind him, so that it now
yielded to his push, and striding across the
small hall, he knocked at the door of the
dining room, but receiving no answer push
ed it open. The apartment was empty, but
almost Immediately the door leading into
a bedroom behind opened, and Mrs.
Evans appeared, with an awe-struck look
on her usually cheerful countenance
HE is dead!" she whispered "Qute sudden
it must have been. 1t was all over when I
came upstairs"
Doctor Pugh took no notice of her explain
alton, but passed quickly on into the bed
| room, where, lying the bed fully dressed.
was the body of young man about 80 years
of age, with regular features and dark hair
and moustache, while kneeing beside him.
with her face hidden, was the slight figure
of a young girl
! Etheridge had followed the doctor. who
went through the formula of feeling the
pulse, which had long since stopped and
examining the eyes, now glazed and sight
less, after which he touched the girl gently
on the shoulder.
will you come into the other room for a
moment?" he whispered
She rose obedlently, but instead of going