The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-01-18

now kneW 50 we'll. dan Know wuslt L
said in thanking her, for MY head was
in whirl. but | bad enough stnse to
say good night and quickly Withdraw
Chow Davis could have obtained the
paper and seal Or how be learned of all
those college scrapes of Writings |
could net imagine. But l saw tliat bis
relations with Miss Wiley had gone so
far that it would do no good for me to
interfere, and that should only be
snubbed by her for my impertinence in
meddlipg in other people, business.
Whiting was out when | called at
his rooms next morning, and his servant
told mo that he had gone TO the country
for rest and left no address.
g 1t was perhaps month afterward
that he turned up at tho club ono night
looking more ghastIy than ever. He
would not say where he had been and
positively declined to discuss the Davis
matter.
81 know he talked wildly about hyp-
MOTTO control and kindred SUBJECTS M
til we thought his mind was affected
and tried to calm him, but he grew
more and more excited until finally
saw him turn pale and clutch the back
of q chair and noticed a little stream
of frothy blood oozing from between his
cIinched teeth as he staggered out of
the room.
81 jumped up from the sofa and fol-
lowed az quickly as could, bus when
! reached tie front door he was gone,
and met Davis just coming in He
walked leisurely into the cafe aud
leaned against the mantelpiece. To my
excited inquiries about Whiting be
simply smiled and said he had not no.
ticed him going out, but | saw him
scratching a small red spot from his
cuff with his finger nail and felt sure
they must have met.
:. 'Gentlemen. said Davis in his
drawling voice, i beg you will con-
gratulate me on my approaching mar
riage and pardon my not mentioning
the la.ly's name in the club. Steward,
please take the orders.
"Mcst of as refused to drink with
him. for we despised the man. aud Iieft
him chatting " ith few of his particu
lar cronies and went up to Writings
room. | heard afterward that Davis left
very shortly after | did.
Whiting had not come home, and
spentthe night hurting through hotels,
police stations hospitals and even the
morgue, for felt sure that he had rup-
tured blood vessel in his lungs, which
must quickly prove fatal. But l could
find no trace of him and finally, utterly
worn ont, went to my rooms to toss
about until midday with horrible
nightmare, in which Whiting and Davis
were struggling in one another's grasp,
each striving to kill the other.
"At lunch picked up morning pa
per and scanned the society news list
lessly until ny eyes lit upon the ru-
mored engagement of DR.. j. H. Davis,
formerly of New Orleans, and Miss Isa-
belle Wiley. the we'll known belle, etc.
81 sat musing over the strange vicis-
situdes of fate and wondering what had
become of poor Whiting. Suddenly a
newsboy rushed into the restaurant call
ing extras, and the first headline saw
was:
:" Sudden death of DR.. Davis I
eagerly read the usual detailed account
OF how he had been found that morning
dead in his bed, evidently, the paper
stated, from ruptured blood vessel, as
the bedclothirg and carpets were stained
with blood, but no wound was found on
his body.
"Strangoly enough. ho lived in one
Of the old tenements back of Writings
home, and measurements which 1 made
subsequent showed that his rooms and
Whiting must have been on similar
floors and directly back to back. Re-
membering the stolen note paper, tried
to find some entrance between the two
houses, but the walls wee solid, and
even the wall papers showed naught
but the few little cracks due to their
many years service.
"1his, gentlemen" said DR.. De For
rest, drawing his glass and taking up
his hat and cane from tho sofa. "is a
story Of actual life, and il any of you
have All explanation to offer | should be
happy to hear it..
We could say nothing for moment,
aud then the irrepressible Merton found
his tongue. "But how about DR.. Whit
ipg?" he asked.
"As for him. gentlemen, said Dr..
De Forrest solemnly, as ho stood by the
open door, 81 know nothing further ex-
cept that he was never found. But
have my theory. Good night!' And he
closed the door. &c. w. s. Angel in
New York Herald.
m.