Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1899-02-16
THURMONT Frederick County, Maryland Thursday February IS, 1893.

remembering the condition of poor
Whiting and how heartbroken he SEEM
ed, ventured to speak about Davis
and asked where she had met him.
oh, have only known him few
weeks she said. He called with q
letter Of introduction from DR.. Whit
ing and said they were fellow students
in the South. He has been most kind
and attentive to me, and is teaching
me some Of his own songs And she
ratified on about his divine voice, while
l sat speechless at the new complica-
ton of affairs.
"At last l blurted out, Would you
kindly let me see the letter of intro
.uctionY adding that DR.. Whiting had
promised me letters to some of his
friends in Europe and wished to see
his methods.
II felt that this was q most feeble
excuse, but could think Of nothing else,
and of course Miss Wiley was too po-
lite to express her surprise at the
strange request. Going to a dainty
writing desk in the corner she came
back and handed me the letter.
There was no doubt of the chiro-
graphy being exactly similar to Whit
ing's. saw the same old fashioned
capitals and crisp, sharp endings of
each word, and as for the signature,
his bank would have sworn to it. Be-
sides, there was his crest and seal,
which I now knew SO we'll. I don't
know what l said in thanking her,
for my head was in a whirl, but I
had enough sense to say good night
and quickly withdraw.
HTJnyy no could hava nhtn}no6 Tho
paper and seal, or how he learned of
all those college scrapes of Writings,
/ could not imagine, But l saw that
his relations with Miss Wiley had gone
SO far that it would do no good for me
to interfere. and that l should only
be snubbed by her for my impertin-
ence in meddling in other peoples
business
whiting was out when I cnlled
at his rooms next morning ana his
servant told lie tnat he had gone to
the country for a rest and left no
address.
1T was perhaps a month afterward
that he turned up at the club one night,
looking more CHASTITY than ever. He
would not say where he had been and
positively declined to discuss the Davis
matter.
II know he talked wildly about hyp-
motto control and kindred subjects, un-
til we thought his mind affected, and
tried to calm him, but he grew more
and more excited, until finally l saw
him turn pale and clutch the back Of
q chair, and noticed little stream of
frothy blood Oozing from between his
clenched teeth as he staggered out Of
the room.
Il jumped up from the sofa and fol-
lowed as quickly as could, but when
l reached the fro mt door he was gone,
and l met Davis just coming in. He
walked leisurely into the cafe and
leaned against ,he mantelpiece. To
my excited inquiries about Whiting he
simply smiled and said he had not
noticed him rolng out. but l 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
drawing voice, 4 beg you will con-
gratulate me on my approaching mar
riage, and pardon my not mentioning
H. lady's -ame in the club. Steward,
please take the orders
Most of us refused to drink with
him, for we despised the man, and
leIt him chatting with a few Of his
particular cronieJ and went up to
Writings room. l heard afterward
that Davis left very shortly after l
did. -
Whiting had not come home and l
spent the night hunting through hotels,
police stations, hospitals and even the
hnrOr,n I fnlt fhof hn had
ruptured blood vessel in his lungs,
which must quickly prove fatal. But
l could find no trace Of him, and final
ly, utterly orn out, went to my rooms
to toss aoout until midday with
horrible nightmare, In which Whiting
and Davis were struggling in one an
others grasp, each striving to kill the
other. =
''At lunch I picked up a morning
paper and scanned the society news
listlessly til my eyes lit upon the
rumored engagement of DR.. J. H.
Davis, formerly Of New Orleans. and
Miss Isabene Wiley, the well known
belle, &c.
II sat musing over the strange
vicissitudes CT fate and wondering
what had become of poor Whiting.
Suddenly newsboy rushed into the
restaurant calling extras, and the first
heading l saw was:
Sudden death Of DR.. Davis
eagerly read the usual detailed account
of how he had been found that morn
ing dead in his bed, evidently, the
paper stated, from ruptured blood
vessel, as the bed clothing and carpets
were saturated with blood, but no
wound was found on his body.
strangely enough, he lived In one
of the old tenements back Of Writings
home, and measurements which
made subsequently showed that his
rooms and Writings must have been
on similar floors aud directly back to
back. Remembering the stolen note
paper l trieu to find some entrance be-
tween the two houses, but the walls
were solid, and even the wall papers
showed naughc but lew little cracks
due to their many years service.
This, gentlemen" said DR.. De
Forrest, drawing his glass and taking
up his hat and cane from the sofa,"
is a story Of actual life, and if any
of you have an explanation to offer
l should be happy to hear it."
We could say nothing for a moment,
and then the irrepressible Merton
found his tongue. "But how about DR..
Whitingr' he asked.
"As for him, gentlemen" said DR..
De Forrest, solemnly, as he stood by
the open door, 81 know nothing further
except that he was never found. But
| have my theory. Good night" And
he closed the door.
Eyes Of tho House Fly.
The common house fly has $4,000