The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1902-06-19
CHATTER. XIV.
A Medical Opinion.

CHAPTER xv. N
| A Medical Opinion.
David Steel followed his guide with
the feelings of a man who has given
| himself over to circumstances. There
| was a SAVIOR of nightmare about the
whole thing that appealed distinctly to
| his imagination. The darkness, the
strange situation, the vivid streaks of
! the crimson blind1the Grim blind that
| the crimson blind-the crimson blind
| that seemed an integral part OF the
| mystery-all served TO stimulate him.
| Tire tragic note was ieepened by, the
whine and growl Of the days.
There is man over there" David
Whispered
"A man Who is going TO stay there"
Enid said, with grim satisfaction. EFT
| is virtually necessary that Mr.. Regi-
nald Henson should mot be- disturbed.
| The dogs have n foolish weakness for
his society. So long as he shows no
signs of boredom he is SAFE.
David smiled, with a vague grasp of
the situation. Apparently the cue was
TO be surprised at nothing that he saw
about the House of the Silent Sorrow.
| The name of Reginald Henson waS
more or less familiar to him as that of
man who stood high in public esti-
| nation. But the bitter contempt of his
companions voice suggesed that there
was another side to the mans charac-
| ter
II hope you are not asking me TO DO
anything wrong?" David murmured.
II am absolutely certain of it." the
girl said. 1T is case OF the end Just
flying the means: and II ever the end
justified the means. 1t does in this case.
Besides"
Enid Henson hesitated. David's quick
perception prompted him,
Pardon me, you never had the pleas
ure of seeing me before
'Ah! you would make an excellent
parliamentary fencer. I bow to your
correction, and admit that have never
seen you before. But your voice re-
minds me of a voice I heard very re-
| Gently under remarkable circumstance
es. 1t was my good fortune to help a
| lady in distress a little time back. If
she had told me more, I might have
| aided her still further. As Il IS, her
reticence has landed me into serious
J trouble"
Enid grasped the speakers arm, con-
| vulsively.
81 am deeply sorry to hear &C." she
whispered. Perhaps the lady in ques-
| ton was reticent for your sake. Per-
haps she had confided more thorough
| " I'm good men before. And suppose
those good men had disappeared?"
! I'm other words. that they had been
| murdered. Who by?"
| There was a srarl from one Of the
hounds hard by. and n deep. angry
curse from Henson. Enid pointed SOL
| emily In his direction. No words of
hers would have been so thrilling and
! eloquent. David strobe along, without
| further questions on that head
But there is one thing that YOU
must tell me-" he said, as they stood
| together on the porch. Els the first
part of my advice going to be carried
out?"
Yes. That IL why you are here now.
Stay here one moment, while I get YOU
pencil and paper Therei Now, will
you please write what I suggest? DR..
Bell is with my sister. At least. sup
| pose he is with her, as DR.. Walker de-
sired to have his opinion. My sister Is
dying-dyirg, you understand"
Ends voice had sunk to a passionate
whisper. The hand that she laid on
| David's shoulder trembled strangely.
At that moment he would have done
anything for her. shaft of light III
tered from the hall into the porch. and
lit up the paper that the girl thrust
! upon Steel.
Now write" she commanded. ASK
no questions, but write what ask, and
trust me implicitly"
David nodded. After all, he re-
flected he could not possibly get him
. M n no l.
| already And he felt that he could
trust the girl by his side. Her beauty,
her earnestness, and her obvious sin
certify touched him.
Write" Enid whispered Say See
nothing and notice nothing, I implore
| you. Only agree with everything that
| DIR. Walker says. and leave the room
as quickly as possibler' Now sign
your name. We can go into the draw
ing room and wait until DR.. Bell comes
down. You are merely friend of his.
l will see that he has this paper at
once"
Enid led the way into the drawing
| room. She gave no reason for the
weird strangeness of the place: Il was
no time for explanations. As for Steel,
he gazed around him in fascinated as
constituent. A novelist. ever on the
| lookout for new scenes and back
grounds, the aspect Of the room fascin-
ated him. He saw the dust rising in
clouds, he saw the wilted flowers, he
noticed the overturned table obvious
ly untouched and neglected for years,
and he wondered. The he heard the
babel OF discordant voices overhead.
What a sad house It was, and how
dominant was the note OF tragedy.
Meanwhile. with no suspicion OF the
path he was treading, Bell had gone
up stairs. He came at length TO the
door of the room where the sick girl
lay. There was a subdued light in
side and the faint suggestion OF illness
DR.. ID. Frank Powell, st. Paul, Minn. Dr