Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-03-19
CHAPTER II.

xlyV0 dIA a. llA6 ~ "ASA SSoos
BY = hanson driver. who says he is COM
misstoned to take him to a friend.
CHAPTER II.
BEHIND THE CRIMSON CURTAIN.
/ had expected the unexpected, but
found the obvious. Behind the curtain
was q door, at which ! tapped almost
mechanically. From the other side a
deep voice of unusual timbre babe me
enter, and in the fraction of a moment
more / was face to face with a man
SO remarkable that all the previous part
OF my adventure seemed only to have
been& preface. leading up to him.
sat in a great chair by a table
Piled with books, and the bright light
of q reading lamp fell upon a visage
which might have belonged to an al
legorical Frost King. His hair and
flowing beard glistened like rime under
the moons rays; yet there was no look
of advanced age about the features,
which were prominent and clear cut
as II carved in marble. Face, hair and
beard were all white, and there was no
color anywhere, except in the brilliant
deep-set eyes, ink black, and the over
full lips, so red that they might have
been stained with strawberry juice, or
something to which, though it was in
my mind, l would not have cared to
give a name.
The man was in ordinary evening
dress, save that he had laid aside the
coat and slipped on an elaborate smok-
ing jacket of the same vivid crimson
as the porter under which / had passed
to reach him. He had been reading and
smoking hookah. but put away both
occupations on my entrance, and rose
to meet me with a foreign grace of
amer. 1t was a tribute to the force
of his personality that the room into
which the curtained door had opened
made little or no impression on my
mind, carefully as l had noted every
detail outside.
II ana glad to see you, Mr.. Napier"
remarked xmy host, who spoke perfect
English, the "NT' roughened, however,
by . slight. almost indeinable accent.
"p-ey sit down. I hope that I shall
have the pleasure of a long talk with
you; and as you have had a tedious
drive in the rain you will, perhaps, al
low me to offer you a glass of my own
favorite nerve-stimulant, absinthe."
As be spoke he poured the liquor
INTO a glass, over a silver netting,
which, according to the French fashion,
held a lump or two Of beetroot sugar.
By this time the excited %throbbing
Of my blood had ceased, and I was as
cool as he, though my interest in what
was to come was far from having
abated. He offered me a box of Egyp-
tian cigarettes, and l selected one.
"You have the advantage of me in
knowing my name" l began, though
how you learnt it is a mystery-among
other mysteries"
Which you would be glad to have
explained" the man of the white hair
added. "Well, you are at liberty to
ask any questions you choose, and l
will do my best to answer them. 1
owe you so much, for l assure you that
/ appreciate a brave man, and l have
taken pains to prove that l have Sc
cured the presence of such a one to-
night"
Say, rather, a reckless man." l re-
turned. ct would be more correct,
AS for the questions which you gladly
give me leave to ask, 1 will put the
first that occurs to me. 1t would be
convenient if you would permit your
self to be addressed by name"
Call me Mr.. Smith," he promptly
answered. at does not make for ro-
rance, but it will do as we'll as any
other"
/ would readily have staked my life
LnaL MS Name Was no nOre OIuiIu tAdh
mine was, but 1 merely smiled at hear
ing his statement.
Thank you," said I, with a sugges-
ton of arcasm Il see that you mean
to deal openly with me. Next in cate
chismal order comes my desire to hear
not only how you knew me, but how
you knew where to send for me-"
'There will be no difficulty about
fatisfying you on that double point
1t least, unless you wish to pry too
deeply. 1t heard your trouble de-
sired to-help you; had you watched
for the period of three weeks and two
days; waited for a time which seemed
to me, for certain reasons, most ap-
propriate; sent a messenger whom l
could trust, and-you know the rest.
l was not deceived in my judgment OF
your character, Mr.. Napier, or You
would not be here"
II do not yet know all that I would"
! returned, ignoring what l saw he
intended me to accept as a cOmpli-