Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-09-20
CHATTER III

tHTSSL | afternoon as l walked
I.:TG back TO MIR. Goddard's
k@E>>---S housed experienced the
strGngest contradiction
OF feelings. One moment 1 thought
would pursue the tragedy no further,
but decamp Immediately and let my
master work out his own fate. After
all he was nothing to me, and be prob
ably cared less for me than did for
him
But the next moment would have
reyulsion of feelings. would fall to
plying and sympathizing with both
my master and Miss Stetson. Her
love for him was genuine, and it must
be terrific blow to receive such intel
ugence. Was she not to be pitied more
than Mr.. Goddard On the other hand
he was conscious of the terrible doom
that awaited him and was buoyed up
only by the thought that possibly DR..
SQuires could cure him. But now he
could never gain his prize. Would
she marry him even though pronounced
cured?
What would be the result? Mr.. God
dard would go away to some foreign
country, and after grieving over him
for a time Miss Stetson would yield
to the opportunities Of DR.. Souires
and marry him / saw the climax of
the tragedy, which, after all, would
prove a tragedy only to my master,
a. it made me more faithful in my de-
yodon to the unfortunate man. This
decided me to stay by him until the
time should come when my expecta-
tons would be fulfilled. Then would
return to my old ways. Meanwhile 1
was leading an honest life and making
the money which I spent
had become quite efficient in nv
duties and was trusted In many ways
that never fell to the lot OF my pred
ecessor. / was more than butler-I
was my masters confidential secretary
In many respects. But there were some
secrets that lie would not reveal to me,
and one was the dread disease which
brought him so much care and sorrow.
After hearing the truth from DIR.
Squires' own lips my attention was
drawn more closely to Mr.. Goddard's
appearance. l watched mis- languid
manners, his pale face and all the
symptoms OF disease that he showed
during his periodical fits OF sickness.
More than this, l read up all the med
ical books about leprosy and then
watched for the signs. To an excited
imagination these were readily visit
bic.
AbarS- this time SIisS -Stesscn and
the doctor took lunch at the house
again, and my attention was called to
the matter by an incident that greatly
affected all OF us. had not seen Miss
Stetson since that afternoon when I
watched her from my hiding place at
the wayside brook. She was paler
than usual. and her manner was nerv-
Gus and excited, especially when
Charles was near her.
During the progress OF the lunch I
caught her studying the hands and
face OF her host on every occasion
when his eyes were turned away from
her. l could not at first understand
the reason for this secret scrutiny. but
IL suddenly dawned upon me that she.
too had been reading on the subject
and was looking for symptoms OF the
disease.
The doctor, as usual, was the life of
the party and kept the conversation
flowing freely from one to the other,
never being at a loss for words. New
ertheless there was an uneasiness in
his manner which seemed very unnat-
ural My master alone appeared to be
perfectly at his ease and normal.
When the conversation Jagged a mo-
ment he suddenly rubbed the back of
one OF his hands with the palm OF the
other and said:
Doctor, think / must have run up
against some poison ivy or sumac in
the woods, for I'm sure that my hands
and face are poisoned"
VERY likely, very likely" the doc
tor replied quickly, but with a little
tremor in his voice ''There is a great
deal of it around, and one of your ma
eure would be very susceptible to it"
MY hands and face itch terribly,
and blotches are breaking out on my
face and forehead" Mr.. Goddard con-
timed.
I looked at Miss Stetson. She was
staring at my master with horror writ
een all over her face. The hand that
held her fork trembled so that she had
to put it down
"A master displayed his hands and
sdd6d:
s--ea----S.-s-~s-.y>=syz
See these red spots ON the back %
~ hand. Are they not the result Of
NMson9 And ovar nv a,,As anS Co..