The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-01-25

coming to her. 1t is something serious,
l fear, and she may have died already,
for she would have no one else but you,
and it is now an hour since left her"
"And who are your" / asked, for
though knew Mrs. Warner well-she
is the patient to whom have already
attended, did not know her messen-
ger.
II am a servant in the house where
she was taken ILL.,"
'"Then she is not at homer"
mo sir, she is in Second avenue"
81 am very sorry" 1 began, "but
have not the time" But he interrupted
eagerly
There is carriage at the door; we
thought you might not have your
phaeton ready"
l had noticed the carriage.
very well" said l. 81 will go, but
first let me write line"
30 SIR" the man broke in pleadingly,
do not wait for anything. She is
really very bad and heard her calling
for you as / ran out of the house!'
''She had her voice, then, ventured,
somewhat distrustful of the whole thing
and yet not knowing how to refuse
the man, especially as it was absolutely
necessary to see Mrs Warner that
night and get her consent to my de-
parture before / could think of making
further plans.
So leaving word for Richter to be
sure and wait for me if he came home
before did, / signified to Mrs. Warn
er's messenger that | was ready to go
with him and Immediately took seat
in the carriage which had been pro-
vided for me. The man at once jumped
up on the box beside the driver, and be-
fore l could close the carriage door we
were off, riding rapidly down Seventh
avenue.
AS we went the thought came: what
II Mrs. Warner will not let me Off!
But l dismissed the fear at once, for
this patient of mine is an extremely I'M
selfish woman, and if she were not too
i'll to grasp the situation, would certain
ly sympathize with the strait l was in
and consent to accept Richter's services
in place of my own, especially as she
knows and trusts him.
When the carriage stopped it was al
ready dark, and | could distinguish lit
tie of the house | entered save that it
was large and old and did not look like
an establishment where man servant
would be likely to be kept.
''Is Mrs. Warner here?" 1 asked of
the man, who was slowly getting down
from the box.
Yes, sir" he answered, quickly; and
was about to ring the bell before me-
when the door opened and a young
German girl, courtesying slightly, well
coined me in, saying:
Mrs. Warner is upstairs, sir: in the
front ROOM if you please"
Not doubling her, but greatly aston
ished at the barren aspect of the place
was in, | stumbled up the family
lighted stairs before me and entered
the great front room. 1t was empty,
but through an open door at the other
end heard voice saying: "He has
come, madam" and anxious to see my
patient whose presence in this desolate
house l found it harder and harder to
understand, l stepped into the room
where she presumably lay.
Alas! for my temerity in doing so; for
no sooner had | crossed the threshold
than the door by which / had entered
closed with n click unlike any had
ever heard before, and when turned
to see what it meant, another click
came from the opposite side of the
room, and perceived with benumbed
sense of wonder that the one person
whose somewhat shadowy figure had
encountered on entering had vanished
from the place and that | was shut up
alone in room without visible means
of egress.
This was startling, and hard to be-
lieve at first, but after had tried the
door by which had entered and found
1T securely locked and then, bound
ing to the other side of the room, tried
the opposite one with the same result.
l could not but acknowledge l was
caught, caught! What did 1t mean?