Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-04

from the opposite direction. she STOOD
with her back to the street lamp, so l could
discern nothing Of her features. Only her
voice toll me that she was young.
"Oh. he's very III" she replied anXiously.
"He was taken queer at II o'clock. but he
wouldn't hear of ms coming to you. He's
one Of those men who don't like doctors"
"Ah!' I remarked. There are many Of
his sort about. But they are compelled to
seek our aid now and then. Well, what can
l do for you? l suppose you want me TO
see him-eh?'
yes. sir, IL you'd be so kind. l know
it's awfully late, but as you've been out
perhaps you wouldn't mind running round
to our house. It's quite close aud I'll take
you there She spoke with the peculiar
drawl and dropped her his in the manner
Of the true London-bred girl.
"Ill come IL you'll wait a minute I said,
and then leaving her outside l entered the
house and obtained my thermometer and
stethoscope.
When I rejoined her and closed the door
l made some inquiries about the sufferers
symptoms, but the description she gave me
was so utterly vague and contradictory that
/ could make nothing out Of 1t. Her mud
died idea of his illness l put down TO her
fear and anxiety for her parents welfare.
She had no mother, she told me, and her
father had, of late, given way just a little
to drink. He used" the Haycock. in Edg-
ware road: and she feared that he had fall
len among a hard drinking set. He was a
pianoforte maker and had been employed
at Brlnsmead's for eighteen years. Since
her mother died, six years ago. however,
he had never been the same.
1T was then that he took to drink l
hazarded.
Yes" she responded. He was devoted
to her. They never had a wry word"
What has he been complaining of? Pains
in the head-or WHAT"
"Oh, he's seemed thoroughly out of sorts"
she answered after some slight hesitation,
which struck me as peculiar. She was
| greatly agitated regarding his illness, yet
she could not describe one single symptom
clearly. The only direct statement she
made was that her father had certainly not
been drinking on the previous night. for he
had been at home ever since he came home
from the works, as usual, at Z o'clock.
As she led me along the Marylebone road,
in the same direction as that I had Just
traversed-which somewhat astonished me-
I glanced surreptitiously at her, just at the
moment when we were approaching a
street lamp. and saw to my surprise that
she was a sad-faced girl, whose features
were familiar. 1 recognized her in a mo-
ment as the girl who had been my fellow
passenger from Brighton on that Sunday
night. Her hair. however, was disheveled,
as though she had turned out from her bed
in too great alarm to think of tidying 1t.
/ was rather surprised. but did not claim
acquaintance with her. She led me past
Madam Tussaud's, around Baker Street sta
ton and then into the maze of those small
cross streets that lie between Upper Bake
street and Lisson grove, until she stopped
before a small, rather respectable looking
house, halfway along a short side street,
and, taking her key from her pocket, en-
tered.
In the small hall 1t was quite dark, but
she struck a match and lit a cheap paraffin
candle which stood there in readiness, then
led me upstairs TO a mail sitting room on
the first floor, a dingy, stuffy little place OF
a character which showed me that she and
her father lived in lodgings, She set the
lamp on the table and, saying that she
would go and a~cquaint the invalid with my
arrival, went out, closing the door quietly
after her. The room was evidently the
home of a studious, If poor, man, for in q
small deal bookcase l noticed. well-kept
and well arranged, a number of standard
works on science and theology, as we'll as
various volumes which told me mutely thai
their owner was a student, while upon the
table lay a couple of critical reviews, witt
the Saturday and Spectator
took up the latter and glanced 1t ovel
in order to pass the time; for my conduc'
tress seemed to be in long consultation with
her father. My eye caught an article that
interested me, and l read II through, for,
getting for a moment all about my cal
there. Fully ten minutes elapsed, when o.
a sudden l heard the voice OF a man speak
ing somewhat indistinctly in a room above
that in which l was sitting. He seemed t.
be talking low and grufiy, so that / wai
unable to distinguish what was said. A
last, however, the girl returned and, ask
Ing me to follow her, conducted me to
bedroom on the next floor.
The only illumination was a single nigh
light burning In a saucer, casting a faint
uncertain light over everything. and shaded
with an open book so that the occupant o.
the bed lay in deepest shadow. Unlike
what one would have been expected to FIND
in such a house ian iron bedstead with brasi
rail- the bed was a great old fashioned one
with heavy wool damask hangings; and ad'
vancing toward it. while the girl retired
anu CLOSED INC uOOI hSAg 4 bNhb NO"A
to see the invalid.
In the shadow l could just distinguish
dark bearded face on the pillow, whose APP
pearance was certainly not prepossessing.
"You are not well?" / said, inquiringly
as our eyes met in the dim half-light
"Your daughter is distressed about you"
Eyes, I'm a bit queer" he growled. B
she needn't have bothered you"
Let me remove the shade from the light
so that I can see your face" l suggested
TITS too dark to see anything"
mo-" he snapped. II can't bear tn
light. You can see quite enough Of m
here"
VERY WELL" I said reluctantly. and tax
ing his wrist in one hand / held my watc
in the other.
81 fancy you'll find me a bit feverish," h
said in a curious tone. almost as thong
he were joking, and by his manner / a
once put him down as one Of those eccen
trio persons who are skeptical of an
achievements OF medical science.
I was holding his wrist and bending to
ward the light in order to distinguish tn
hands OF my watch when a strange thin
happened.
i, There was a deafening explosion Just be
hind me which caused me to jump bac