The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-05
The House Opposite
CHAPTER ".
"A Us TIE K 7
THE MISSING HAT.


from the murder by reading. my boy came
in and told me that there was lady in the
waiting room who wanted to see me. There
was something so peculiar about the way
he impaired this very commonplace infor-
nation that my curiosity was aroused. but
1 refrained from questioning him and curt
ly bade him show the lady in.
When she appeared / was no longer sur
prised at his manner, for a more strange
and melodramatic figure l have seldom
seen, even on the stage. The woman was
tall and draped, or, rather, shrouded, in
long black cloak, and a thick black veil
was drawn down over her face. Her cos
tune especially considering the excessive
heat, and that the clock pointed TO 9:l5,
was alone enough to excite comment, but
to a singularity in dress she added an even
greater singularity of manner. She en-
tered The room hesitatingly, and paused
near the threshold to glance apprehensive-
ly about her, as if fearing the presence OF
some hidden enemy. The woman must be
mad, / thought, as I motioned her to
chair and sat down opposite to her.
With a theatrical gesture she threw back
her veil, and to my astonishment l recog-
nized the handsome, rotund features Of
Madame Argot. She smiled, evidently en-
joying my bewlderment.
"Meestair Docteur, 1 no disturb you?"
she inquired.
Certainly not, madame; what can 1 do
for your
"Ah, meestair." she whispered. looking
towards the door, II so afraid Eat my us
BAN e come back and fin me gone; e ter
ribly angry
"Why should he be angry?" asked.
HE no like me to speak viz you. He no
want me to show you zis,' she answered,
pointing mysteriously to her left shoulder.
What is it that he doesn't want me to
see?"
81 go show you," and, opening her dress,
she disclosed two terrible bruises, each as
large as the palm of my hand; land Eat is
not ALL she continued, and, as she turned
! round, 1 saw that deep cash disigured
one of her shoulder blades.
was really shocked.
How did this happen?" I inquired.
"Oh. fall" she said, smiling coquettish-
ly at me.
"a very queer fall" / muttered.
| The wound was several days old and not
serious, but owing to neglect, had got into
a very bad condition.
"Ah, Eat is better" she exclaimed, with
a sigh of relief when 1 had thoroughly
cleaned the cut. 1 was just preparing to
bandage it up when she stopped me.
mo, meestair; not Eat! My 'usban' e see
Eat e know 1 have come here, and zen q
angry. Re vashin' and re zalve zey make
me better"
"But look here. my good woman" 1 ex-
claimed Indignantly; do you mean to say
that your husband is such a brute that he
objects to your having your wound dressed
"a wound that you got in such a peculiar
way, too?'
Her manner changed instantly; she drew
herself haughtily up and began buttoning
up her dress.
my 'usban' e no brute; e vera nice
| man; e love me vera much"
Really"
eyes, she asserted; e love me much
oh oui. je vous assure quill m'adore!" and
she tossed her head and looked at me
through the thick lashes of her half-closed
eyes; e man. you know, e sometime jeal-
ous." she continued, smiling, as If his
jealousy were feather in her cap.
well. Madame Argot. that cut should be
| looked after, and, as it is in such place
that you cannot properly attend to it your
| self. you must come in here every day. and
| / will dress 1t for you. Your husband can
not carry his devotion so far as to object
| to your covering it with a clean piece OF
linen. so L advise you to do that
| ALA right, meestair, and Zank you vera
| much. / come again ven i can, ven my
'usban' e go out sometime" and, after
carefully wrapping herself up again, she
sailed forth with infinite precautions.
OF course the woman is a silly fool and
eaten up with vanity, but she had beer
pretty roughly handled, and that she
should consider such treatment tribute
to her charms seemed to me perfectly in.
comprehensive
After reading for some time longer 1 de.
cided to go to bed, and, therefore, went
into the front room to turn the lights out
! Having done SO, fingered near the win.
dow, for the temperature here was at least
several degrees cooler than the room l haC
just left. Although it was still early, the
street appeared to be completely deserted
not football was to be heard. AS 1 stood
there, half hidden by the curtain, a queer
muffied noise fell upon my ears. 1t seemed
to come from outside, and / moved nearer
to the window so as to try and discover
what ii could be. AS did so a white face
not foot away, peered suddenly into mine
/ was so startled that l fell back a step
and before recovered myself the creature
was gone. 1 rushed out into the hall, and
unfastening the front door as quickly as
could, dashed into the street. Not a sou
was in sight. The slight delay had giver
the fellow a chance to escape. Who could
| Ii nave been, wondered. "A burglar, tempt
ed by my open window? Or Argot, per
haps? This latter superstition was muci
the more alarming. What IL he had seer
his wife come out Of my office? 1 though
of the murdered man and shuddered. Not
withstanding the heat, / shut and boltet
the window, and an extra precautior
also locked the door which connected tn,
front room with my Office and bedroom.
had no mind to be the next victim of al
insane mans jealousy. All night long
was haunted by that white face, Nor,
and more 1t appeared to me to resemble
Argot, till at last L determined to see Mr.
Merritt and ask him If we had not sufficient
grounds to warrant the Frenchmans ar
rest.
But when the morning came thing.
looked very different. Fred'S second letter
(Which i have inserted in the place whers
ii rightly belongs in the development o.
this story arrived, and the thought of May
Derwent's illness put everything else ou
of my mind. l might as well confess a
once that with me il had been a case Of
love at first sight. and that from the day
/ saw her at the Rosemere the dearest wisl
of my heart was TO have her for my wife
And now she was i'll and another man--s
man who also loved her-had been sum
moned by her to fill the place L coveted
The consciousness of his devotion would
| uphold her during her illness, and his com
| pany help to while away the weary hour'
of convalescence. And here was l, tied I,
my post and forced to abandon the field Il
another without even a struggle. For
felt il would be little short of murder [,
desert my patients while the thermomete
stood high in the ninetleS and most of TIL
other doctors were out OF town. But If
| could not go TO my lady she should. at an,
rate, have something of mine to bear he
company. Rushing out TO nearby flor
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