Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-06-19
My Strangest Case
BY GUY BOOTHBY.
Author of "Dr. KikoIa,' - 1.-The Beautiful
White Devil" Pharos, The
Egyptian" Etc.
copyrighted, 1901, by ward, Lock & Col
CHAPTER VIT.-CoNTINUED.

OHAG1 Elk Nll.-CONTINUED.
''What a duffer l am, to be sure!" l
said to myself. "If begin to get no.
tions like this in my head there is no
knowing where l may end. AS if any
girl would ever think twice about
mel"
Thereupon I descended to the
drawing-room, which | found empty.
1t was a true woman's room, daintily
furnished, with little knick-knacls
here and there, a work basket put
neatly away for the Sabbath, and an
open piano with one of Chopin's
works upon the music-rest. Leading
out of the drawing-rOom was a small
conservatory, filed with plants. 1t
was a pretty little place and l could
not refrain from exploring it. I am
passionately fond of flowers, but my
life at that time was not one that
permitted me much leisure to in
.duige in my liking. AS l stood now,
however, in the charming place.
among the rows of neatly-arranged
pots, l experienced sort of waking
dream. l seemed to see myself
standing in this very conservatory,
hard at work upon my flowers, a
pipe in my mouth and my favorite
old soft felt hat upon my head
Crime and criminals were alike for
gotten; l no longer lived in dingy
part of the town, and what was bet
ter than all 1 had
"Do you know l feel almost in
clined to offer you the proverbial
penny" said Miss Kitwater's voice
behind me, at the drawing-room
door. as it permissible to ask what
you were thinking about?"
I am not of course prepared to
swear it, but 1 honestly believe, for
the first time for many years, l
bIushed
81 was thinking how very pleasant
a country life must be-" l said, maxi
ing the first excuse that came to me.
al almost wish that 1 could lead
one"
"Then why don't you? Surely it
would not be so very difficult?"
81 am rather afraid it would" I
answered. And yet don't know
why it should be"
perhaps Mrs. Fairfax would not
care about it," she continued, as we
returned to the drawing-room to-
gether.
Good gracious!" I remarked.
'%There is no Mrs. Fairfax. / am the
most confirmed of old bachelors. |
wonder you could not see that. Is
not the word crustiness written
plainly upon my forehead?"
81 am afraid I cannot see it," she
answered. "I am not quite certain
who it was, but I fancy it was my
uncle who informed me that you
were married"
at was very kind of him." I said.
"But it certainly is not the case. /
fear my wife would have rather a
lonely time of it if it were. / am
obliged to be away from home so
much, you see, and for SO long at a
time
"Yours must be indeed a strange
profession, Mr.. Fairfax, if | may say
So" she continued. "Some time ago
/ came across an account, in ma ga
zine, of your life, and the many fa-
NOUS cases in which you had taken
part"
"Ah! I remember the wretched
thing" l said. 81 am sorry that you
should ever have seen it."
"And why should you be sorry?"
Because it is silly thing, and /
have always regretted allowing the
man to publish it. He certainly
called upon me and asked me lot of
questions, after which he went away
and wrote tha$ article. Ever since
then have felt like a conceited ass,
who tried to make himself out more
clever than he really was"
az don't think you would do that"
she said. "But, if you will let me
say so, yours must be a very trying
life, and also an extremely dangerous
one. L am afraid you must look upon
human nature from a very strange
point of view!"
'Not more strange probably than
you do" 1 answered.
"But you are continually seeing
the saddest side of it. To you all the
>miseries that life of crime entails
are visible. The greater part of
your time is spent among desperate
men who are without hope, and to
whom even their own shadows are a
constant menace. / wonder that you
still manage to retain your kind
heart"
But how do you know that my
2aeS-ct iG kind2" l inquired.