The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-08-10
(Continued.)


Ilcft my room TO go down 10 the
grund-foor OF the house, and speak to
TN landlord about finding me a messen-
&C. Hehappened 10 be ascending the
sairs the time. and we met on the
lnding Ills son, quick lad. was the
Messenger he proposed to me. on hearing
What I wanted. We had the boy upstairs;
ind gave him his directions He was to
AXE the letter In cab, 10 put It into
Professor Pesca's own hands. and to
bring me back a line OF acknowledgement
from that gentleman; returning in the
.ab, and keeping it at the door for my
use. IL was then nearly half-past ten. 1
calculated that the boy might be back in
twenty minutes; and that | might drive
TO st. Johns Wood. on his return. in
twenty minutes more.
When the lad had departed on his err
rand, ! returned 10 my own room for a
little while to put certain papers in or
der. so that they might be easily found
In case OF the worst The key OF the old
fashioned bureau In which the papers
were KEEP: ! sealed up, and left IL on my
table, with Marians name written on the
'LioAAN y INV little Dd|htls Hls uOlt,
went downstairs 10 the sitting room, In
which / expected to Hnd Laura and Ma
rian awaiting my return from the opera
i felt my hand trembling for the first
time, when l laid IL on the lock OF the
do1r
m one was in the room but Marian.
Sho bas reading. and she looked at her
watch~ln surprise. when ! came In.
-o''How early you are back she said
you must have come away before the
opera wis over"
yes" / replied; neither Pesca nor
waited for the end. Where is Laura?"
''She had one of her bad headaches this
evening; and i advised her TO go TO bed
when we had done tea"
Il left the room again. on the pretext OF
wishing 10 see whether Laura was asleep.
Marian's quick eyes were beginning TO
look inquringly at my face; Marian's
quick instinct was beginning 10 discover
that had something weighing on my
mind.
When | entered the bedchamber, and
softly approached the bedside by the
dim flicker of the night-lamp. my wife
was asleep.
We had not been married quite a
month yet II my heart was heavy. II my
resolution for moment faltered again,
when looked at her face turned faith
fully TO my pillow In her sleep-when
saw her hand resting open on the cover
let, as II IL was waiting unconsciously for
mine. surely there was some excuse for
me? only allowed myself n few minutes
TO kneel down at the bedside. and TO look
close 1T her--so close that her breath as
~ came and went fluttered on my face.
only touched her hand and her cheek
with my lips. at parting. She stirred in
her sleep. and murmured my name-but
without waking fingered for an instant
at the door TO look at her again. God
bless and keep you. my darling!" I whis-
pereG-and left her.
Marian was at the star-head waiting
for me She had a folded slip OF paper in
her hand.
The landlords son has brought this
for you" she said. He has got cab
at the door-he SAYS you ordered him TO
keep II at your disposal"
quite right. Marian. I want the cab.
| am going out again"
n descended the stairs as ] spoke, and
looked into the sitting room 10 read the
slip Of paper by the light on the table. IL
contained these two sentences. in Pesca's
''Your letter Is received II don't see
you before the time you mention. / will
break the seal when the clock strikes"
and made for the door Marian met me
on the threshold and pushed me back
into'the room. where the candle light fell
hands. and her eyes fastened searchingly
on mine
81 see," she said. In n low. eager whis-
Per; you are trying the last chance
"Yes-the last chance and the best"
Fhispered back.
g"Not alone! oh. Walter. for Gods
AXE, not alone, Let me go with yau.
Don't refuse me because I'm only wo-
,an. I must go. will go! I'll walt out
,ide in the cabi'
1T was my turn now TO hold her She
tried to break away from me. and get
down first to the door.
t-"If you want 10 help me-" said stop
here, and sleep in my wife's room to-
hight. Only let me go away. with my
pind easy about Laura, and answer for
verything, else. Come. Marian give me
kiss. and show that YOU have the cour-
&c to wait till come back"
dared not allow her time to say a
yord more. She tried to hold me again.
unclasped her hands-and was out OF
me heard me on the stairs and opened
the hall door. | jumped into the cab
before the driver could get off the box;
10 him through the front window. "Dou-
ele fare. II you get there In quarter
I an hour "I'l do II. sir looked
my watch. Eleven oclock-not a min
The rapid motion of the cab. the sense
bat every instant now was ringing me
iearer TO the count. the conviction that /
vas embarked AT last, without let or
linderance. on my hazardous enterprise.
feated me into such fever OF excite
fpfHA Nihl SnouNtu 10 Nne man 10 go
Aster and faster. AS we left the streets,
nd crossed ST. Johns Wood Road. my
npatience so completely overpowered
ie that I stood up in the cab and stretch
d my head out of the window. 10 see the
nd Of the journey before we reached II.
lust as church clock i'm the distance
struck the quarter past we turned into
the Forest Road | stopped the driver n
little away from the counts house-paid
and dismissed him-and walked on to the
door.
AS approached the garden gate I saw
another person advancing toward IL also.
from the direction opposite to mine. We
met under the gas lamp In the road and
looked at each other. I instantly recog-
nized the light-haired foreigner with the
scar on his cheek. and I thought he rec
ognized me He said nothing. and. in
stead OF stopping at the house. as I did.
he slowly walked on. Was he I'm the
Forest Road Nv accident or had ne
followed the count home from the opera2
did not pursue those questions. After
waiting a little. TIL the foreigner had
slowly passed out OF sight, I rang the
gate bell. II was then 20 minutes past II