The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-18

! has happened, and the sooner you unbur
den your mind 10 her the better
My nerves are shaken 10 bits" he re-
piled. Il have the strangest feeling abou
this whole matter. There is a cloud ovel
me- The fact is, I don't believe Nivien ant
/ will ever be married
'Oh, nonsense, my dear fellow; come ant
have talk with my sensible matter of
fact girl, and you will feel new man.
am not going to leave you here, SO come a
once
l got him to do SO. but evidently with
extreme unwillingness.
When We got home Vivien was waiting
for us. She came into the hail. One glance
into her face caused Archie 10 change col
or He went up to her, kissed her, took hel
hand. and then dropped it again.
"soinething very sad has happened vi
vieh." l remarked. land Archie wants t<
tell you. Take him into your private room
my love, and have good talk
Come, Archie, this way said the girl
She led him down one Of the corridors
opened the door of her own sitting room
and closed it behind them.
This is queer affair." I could not helI
murmuring to myself. Strange and dis
astrous as Jack Fletcher's death is, l am
more disturbed about Archie. What can
be the matter with him.
The next day. with the consent of the
coroner. l assisted at the autopsy. l need
not 60 into details, but merely state at once
that, after. two hours careful and most
minute investigation, the cause of Jack
Fletcher's death still remained as absolute
mystery. Every organ was sound, there
was 10 wound anywhere. and not trace
of poison was discovered. DR.. Benjamin
Curtis, the skilled pathologist and analyst.
was present, and the last sentence of his
exhaustive report l append herewith:
There is absolutely nothing 10 account
for the cause of death; and the only re-
naming alternative is that it was probably
due to some very severe nervous shock of
central origin, the nature of which is who'll
ly obscure
/ flung the report down in annoyance,
End went to meet Archie. who was waiting
for me outside the coroner's court. l told
him what DR.. Curtis had said. To my as
constituent his face turned ashy white, and
he almost reeled as he walked.
Then it is as / thought" he said.
What do you think?'' said. FORBES,
you are keeping something from us; you
have something on your mind. What is
wrong?"
Nothing nothing" he said, hurriedly.
Il hoped the coroner would find cause for
death. Dr. Curtis report has upset me-"
l asked a few more questions. and felt
now absolutely convinced that Forbes was
concealing something. Whatever it was.
he was determined TO keep it 10 himself. 1
went home considerably troubled.
A week after poor Jacks funeral, Vivien
came into my consulting-room. Archie had
only been to the house once, and on that
occasion he could not be got to say word
with regard to their approaching marriage.
Now, father" said my girl. closing the
door, and coming up and planting herself
in front of me, there is something wrong,
and you have got to find out what it is
locked full into her eyes; they were
brighter than usual. and had suspicion of
tears about them.
Archie is terribly changed" she said;
you must have noticed t."
81 have" / answered, in a low tone.
IT know he was very much attached to
jack continued vivien, but this is no
ordinary grief There is something terri
BILE weighing on his mind. II / did not
know that he was a thoroughly brave fell
low. / should say that he was oppressed
by a fearful sense of overmastering fear.
1t cannot be that. What, then, can it be-"
I made no answer. She continued to
eyes fixed on my face.
What can it be-" she repeated. Il puz-
zle myself over the whole thing day and
night / don't believe he is tired of me-"
"Assuredly that is not the case" was
my quick response.
But all the same, he is completely
changed" she continued. Before he went
on this cruise he was devoted to me-each
in my presence was paradise to
him-now 1t may be likened to purgatory.
He is restless until he gets away from me-
When he is with me he is unhappy and
distract In short, there is something ter
rslxl ,pI ha1y, IN find
out what II is"
ASK him yourself my dear have seen
1ust what you have seen, but cannot get
him to say a word
81 am glad you agree with me- she said,
the gloom of her brow tightening for a mo-
ment. II will write to him at once and
ask him to come here"
She had scarcely said the words before
the door was opened and Forbes himself
came in.
~Ah. that's right, Archie / cried in
a tone of relief. Come over here, dear
fellow. and sit down. The fact is. Vivien
is thoroughly unhappy. She sees that there
is something wrong with you. and is dis
with the present state OF mat
tiers. You have something on your mind,
and you ought to tell us what it is"
Forbes raised two lack-lustre eyes and
fixed them on the girls face. The tears
which were close to her grey eyes now :
brimmed over.
Archie" she said, going UP to him and
laying her hand on his shoulder. Il want
to ask you plain question. Would you
like our engagement to be broken Off?
Il was coming here to propose it, Vi
yien," was his strange reply.
She turned very white. and fell back as
Il someone had dealt her a blow.
Good Cod" she said. 1T is then as l
cared: there is something terribly wrong"
at is not that do not love you as much
IS ever" continued the poor fellow: but l
nave no right to bind you to me. / scarce
v dare TO tell you what has happened. am
Unworthy of you, Viyien, and besides, am
doomed. 1t is only matter OF time
He flung himself into the nearest chair,
and covered his face with two hands which
trembied from nervous terror.
/ nodded to Vivien.
you had better leave him with me for
few moments" | said.
..No. / will not" she answered. desper-
,tely II have right 10 know the truth,
ana am determined to get at it. What Is
wrong. Archie? You are not tired of me?
You still love me, don't you?''
with all my heart and soul" he groan-
"And vet you want our engagement TO be
broken off. Why?'
because / am a guilty and doomed
man," was his reply.
/ started and felt my heart beat. Was 1t
But, mol flung the unworthy
suspicion from me.
II ought not to be in this house." con-
.inued Archie. Il ought not to have let
you kiss me the night we came home.
nm unworthy of you, and yet. My
God, this misery is driving me madl'
He pushed back the hair from his fore
head: there were beads Of perspiration on
his brow.
..If We were engaged fifty times over, our