Evening journal., 1899-01-02

ed where she had met him.
"'Oh, have only known him few
weeks, she said He called with let
ter Of introduction from DIR. Whiting
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 sat |
speechless at the new complication Of |
affairs.
CAT last I blurted out, Would you |
kindly let me sea the letter Of introduc-
tion: adding that DIR. Whiting had
promised me letters 70 some of his
friends in Europe and wished to see
his methods.
81 felt that this was a most feeble
excuse, but could think of nothing
else. and of course Miss Wiley was too
polite to express her surprise at the
strange request. Going 10 a dainty
writing desk in the corner, she came
back and handed me the letter.
"There was no doubt of the chirog
raphy being exactly similar TO Whit
ings | 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, Besides,
there were his crest and seal, which l
now knew so we'll. don't know what
said in thanking her, for my head was
in whirl, but l had enough sense to
say good night and quickly withdraw.
"How Davis could have obtained the
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 / should only be
snnbbed by her for my impertinence in
meddling in other peoples business.
whiting was out when l called at
his rooms noxt morning, and his servant
told me that he had gono to the country
for a rest and left no address.
''It was perhaps a month afterward
that he turned up at the club one night
looking more ghastly than ever. He
would not say where he had been and
positively declined to discuss the Davis
matter.
''I know he talked wildly about hyp-
motto control and kindred subjects un-
/ 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 a chair and noticed little stream
Of frothy blood oozing from between his
/ clinched teeth as he staggered out of
the room.
II jumped up from the sofa and fol
3 lowed as quickly as / could, but when
E l reached the front door be was gone,
e and I met Davis just coming in. HC
p walked leisurely into the cafe aud
1 leaned against the mantelpiece. To my
r excited inquiries about Whiting hs
q simply smiled and said he had not no
ticed him going ont, but / saw hin
+ scratching a small red spot from hi
= cuff with his finger nail and felt SURF
t they must have met
'Gentlemen said Davis in hi
u drawlmg voice, i beg you will con
I gratulate mo on my approaching mar
Il riage and pardon my not mentioning
}. the lady's name in tho club. Steward
d please take the orders
% ''Most Of us refused TO drink wit
p him, for we despised the man, and lef
d him chatting with a few of his particu
10 lar cronies and went up to Whiting
II room. / heard afterward that Davis LEI
d very shortly after / did.
a whiting had not come home, and
B. spent the night hunting through hotels
A. police stations, hospitals and even th
ID morgue, for felt sure that he had ruI
S, turod a blood vessel in his lungs, whic
], must quickly prove fatal. But coul
l. find no trace of him and finally, utterl
e. worn out, went to my rooms TO tos
s. about until midday with a horribl
{. nightmare, in which Whiting and Davi
" were struggling in one another's grasI
c. each striving TO kill the other.
* "At lunch picked up a morning pi
> per and scanned the society news lis
y lessly until my eyes lit upon the II
ID mored engagement Of DIR. J. II. Dayi
ze formerly Of New Orleans, and Miss Isl
ii belle Wiley, the we'll known belle, etc
e. II sat musing over tho strange vici
situdes Of fate aud wondering what ha
"a become Of poor Whiting. Suddenly
~ newsboy rushed into the restaurant cal
I'd ing extras, and the. first headline l sa'
or was:
er " Sudden death of DR.. Davis
nv eagerly read the usual detailed acoouI
sh of how he had been found that morniu
.et dead in his bed, evidently, the papl
Nv stated, from ruptured blood vessel,
i'm the bedclothing and carpets We're staine
nv with blood, but no wound was found {
or his body.
be strangely enough. he lived in OF
he of the old tenements back Of Whiting
home, and measurements which mat
ma subsequent showed that his rooms al
Ia Writings must have been on simil
*. floors and directly back to back. r
nv membering the stolen note paper, tri'
nd to find some entrance between the ty
n houses, but the walls were solid, al
ID. even the wall papers showed naug.
m. but the few little cracks due TO the
at many years service.
"This, gentlemen, said DIR. De Fc
nd rest, drawing bis glass and taking I
IN his hat and cane from the sofa, sis
on story of actual life. and if any of y
lii -