The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1902-07-17
CHAPTER XIV.
Enid Learns Something.

Il NNNShh''A cNluHktleu OUT o
bed and into his clothes as best b.
could. He was terribly weak ant
shaky, far more weak than he had i'm
agtned himself TO be. but he was In
danger now, and his indomitable will
power pulled him through. What &
fool Littimer had been to tell him SC
Tuch, merely that he might triumph
over his powerful foe for a few min.
utes. But Henson was planning a lit.
tie scheme by which he Intended to re.
pay the young man tenfold. He had
| no doubt as to the willingness of his
tool.
He took a bottle OF brandy from a
drawer and helped himself to a liberal
dose. Walker had expressly forbidden
anything OF the kind, but Il was no
time for nice medical obedience. The
grateful stlmulant had its immediate
eitect. Then Henson rang the bell, and
after a time Wilson appeared, tardily.
You are 20 go down to Barnes and
tell him to send cab here as soon as
possible" Henson said. II have TO go
to London by the first train in the
morning"
Wilson nodded. with his mouth wide
open. He was astonished and not a
little alarmed at the strength and vi
tally of the man. And only a few
hours before Williams had learned.
with deep satisfaction. that Henson
would be confined to his bed for some
days.
Henson dressed at length and packed
a small portmanteau But he had TO
eff ON, hge haA g. ~
sip a further dose OF brandy before he
could move further. After all. there
was no hurry. A full hour was sure TO
elapse before the leisurely Barnes
brought the cab TO the lodge gates.
Henson crept down stairs at length.
and trod his catlike way to the library.
Once there. he proceeded TO make
minute inspection OF the telephone. He
turned the handle Just the fragment of
an inch. and queer smile came over
his face. Then lie crept as silently up
stairs. opened the window of the bath
room quietly and slipped out on to the
leads. There were couple of insulat-
ors here. against the wire of one OF
which Henson tapped his knuckles
gently. The wire gave back an an
swering twang. The other tangled,
limp and loose.
zone OF the wires cut" Henson NUT
tered. II expected as much. Madame
Enid Is getting a deal too clever.
suppose this is some suggestion OF her
very astute friend. David Steel. Well,
have given Mr.. Steel one lesson In
mlnding his own business, and IL he in
terferes further shall have to give
him another. He viii be in gaol before
long. charged with attempted murder
and robbery, with violence, and so exit
Steele. After that the girl will be per-
haps chary of seeking outside assist
ance And this will be the third have
had to get rid Of Heavens! How fee
BILE feel. how weak am! And yet
must go through this thing now"
He staggered into the house again
and dropped into n chain There was
loud buzzing I'm his ears. so that he
could hardly hear the mGrmur OF
voices I'm the drawing room below.
This was annoying. because Henson
liked to hear everything that other
folks said. Then he dropped Off into a
kind OF dreamy state. coming back,
presently, to the consciousness that he
had tainted.
Meanwhile Frank Littimer had Joined
Enid I'm the drawing room. The house
was perfectly quiet and stin by this
time; the dust-cloud hung on the air
and caused the lamps TO burn with a
splitting blue flame. Ends face looked
deadly pale against her black dress.
$50 you have been seeing Reginald"
she said ''why-why did you do it?"
IT didn't mean to-" Frank muttered.
81 never intended him to know that
had been in the house at all. But
was passing his room and he heard me.
he seemed to know my footsteps. I be-
lieve IL two mice ran by him twice IN
the darkness he could tell the differ
ence between them"
You had an interesting conversa-
ton. What did he want to use the tel
ephone for?"
1T don't know. I tried TO manipulate
II for him. but the instrument was out
of order"
1T know. I had pretty shrewd idea
of what our cousin was going to do.
You see, I was listening at the door.
Not very ladylilSe thing TO do. but
one must fight Henson with his own
tools. When heard him ask for the
telephone directory ran out and nip
ped one OF the wires by the bath room.
Frank, II would have been far wiser "
you hadn't come"
I.ittimer nodded, gloomily. There
was something like tears in his eyes.
81 know IT," he said. IT hate the
place and its dreadful associations.
Rut wanted TO see Chris first. Did
she say anything about NE before-be-
fore"
MY dear boy. she loved you. always.
She knew and understood. and was
sorry. And she never. never forgot the
last time you were in the house"
Frank Littimer glanced around the
room with a shudder. His eyes dwelt
with fascination on the overturned ia.
bic, with II broken china and glass and
wilted flowers in the corner.
'It is not the kind Of thing 10 for
get" he said. hoarsely. IT can see my
father now"
''Don'tl" Enid shuddered. don't re-
cally il. And your mother has never
been the same since. I doubt IL she
ever will be the same again. From
that day 10 this nothing has ever been
touched IN the house. And Henson