Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-25

ships with an unfaltering hand. Il sup
posed that you had sent directly to me-
Il am something of a stranger here was
the eVasive reply, and with a long look at
me ne was gone, leaving me in state of
teverish uncertainty to whether l was
unmasked or not
Gladly now would have entered the sick
room alone. on some pretext or another.
in hopes Of Il last word of explanation, but
the 5 ow-pacing Hoskins was ever at my
heels and to all my suggestions that the
young lady should be left entirely alone
and that Hoskins herself might take some
sleep while kept watch, she brought forth
the same rambling argument. "A quilt in
a chair and me in it couldn't be in any
ways disturbing to one more accustomed
TO company than TO be without" she eX
aimed amiably, until L gave up, fairly
worn out.
l took possession of the room assigned to
me as soon as a lamp, a fire and IA neatly
set lunch table had made it ready. Once
alone inside that room, the door shut on
all intruders and brought before the bar
of sober Judgment, l felt that a straight
Jacket was all lacked for a fully equipped
mailman. Yet condemn my folly as | would,
| felt no desire to retreat. Even then
might have crept downstairs on some pre-
text or other. have skunk from the house
and made off without much chance of de-
lection. But there / sat turning over and
over again every project that presented it
self to my feverish fancy for carrying out
the scheme of the crumpled note, which
now boldly consulted.
Consult it as | would, however there
was nothing more to be got from ii than
that l was expected to help a perfect
stranger, young girl apparently confined
10 her bed with a serious Illness, to rise
from that bed and bolt through a second
story window, guarded by an ugly blood
hound, out into freezing night in the
care of single man, of so reckless a char
acter that he had, earlier in the evening,
hidden himself in an innocent mans car
ri&ge, killed that helpless man. taken his
belongings, and was now foiStiug himself
upon her notice under an assumed name. y
black outlook, | was forced to admit, and
don't mistake me hy imagining | made light
of the painful circumstances | deplored
them deeply, but what would you have
had?
Had the lady been plain. reason might
have spoken with a louder voice, or at
least. its faint piping have been listened to:
but as 1t was. l merely decided by the time
my lunch was finished that If anything
was to b done | st Immediately set in
action some one of the many operations
necessary.
And then, from all | could recall of her
personality beyond her loosely balanced
tongue and the fact that she was large and
dark. one little thing came back to me
which brought me to my feet. a hopeful
smile struggling with the swollen neIan-
, chOly Of my features. She had a very red
nose, which might result from disOrdered
ste mach and might not.
for | had no wish to disturb the slumberS
of the rest of the household. and very softly
| tiptoed to the door OF the sick room,
which | found standing q few inches ajar;
on account of the heat. ! surmised for |
could feel the hot air tanning my face as l
peered in cautiously before entering.
Everything was quiet. The bed / could
not see plainly, but before the fire, which
was blazing brightly Mrs. Hoskins sat lean
ng back comfortably in a huge rocker. While
her feet in reckless disregard of the laws
of grace and decOrum. were hoisted upon .
second chair, where they had slid from the
r.d wooden blanket which had been wrap
ped about them and confronted me as [
approached huge and mOtiOn}eSs in their
gray wooden castings. like sentinels before a
! sleeping city. For Mrs. Hoskins WIS sleep
ing But even as 1 saw ii. and moved back
with my heart humping violently at the
swift thought that. before waking her, that
word of explanation / might, as my right,
demand could be spoken. she started peev-
ishly awake.
'>I.or' mercy she muttered pettishiy,
! her eyes &Itriag at ma wild and Dleared;
| but she followed me willingly enough when
| l beckoncd her into the hall where We
| might talk without disturbing our patient
| Was she took any way that you heard|
| she asked in a hoarse whisper, her mouth
| working with abortive yawn. I'm trou-
| bled with inhamng of the lids an set
| mostly with My eyes smut. It's more say
/ ing on en- than glasses, besides being more
| handy"
| Il have been thinking over all possible
| causes for this attack / exclaimed witt
{ the absorbed air of a medical fanatic. Has
| the young lady been in the habit of drug
! cling herself? Does she ever use opiates OF
! any kind to make Eer Sleep" AMI | glarec
/ at the woman as sternly as the limited uSt
| If my right eye would admit. Her wits
| were logged with sleep and stirred slowly
! but after staring duly al me for a moment
| she frightened visihly. evidently fired witt
| the hope of answering and getting rid o
| me. Yes, sir she answered eagerly, 'sh'