The Indianapolis journal., 1903-01-16
CHAPTER xyIu-tConcIuded)

i
at all he would be at his fathers house,
May continued more quietly.
''Hailing cab. 1 drove directly there
You can imagine in what an overwrought
state 1 was when 1 tell you that the idea
that 1 was doing anything unusual never
occurred to me. / rang the bell and asked
for Mr.. Stuart Norman without the least
embarrassment The buffers look of sur
prise and his evident unwillingness to ad-
nit me recalled me a little to my senses
But even when L saw how my conduct
must strike others 1 did not turn back, and
L finally persuaded the man TO call his
master. The latter hurried from the break
fast table TO see who the mysterious and
importunate female might be who had come
knocking so early at his door. Notwith-
standing my veil, he recognized me at once.
Ushering me into a small reception room,
he closed the door behind him. Then, turn
ing towards me, he took me by the hand
and, gently leading me to a sofa, begged
me to tell him what had happened. 1 told
my dreadful story as briefly as possible.
You imagine with what horror he
listened. Strangely enough, l remained
perfectly calm l was astonished at my
own callousness, but at the moment l felt
as If all that had occurred was nothing but
hideous nightmare, from which 1 had
happily awakened. When / had finished
Mr.. Norman did not speak for some time.
but paced up and down the room with Ill
concealed agitation. Trying to appear calm,
he again sat down beside me.
"I have come to the conclusion that the
only thing for you to do is to return at
once to the Rosemere,' he said at last. This
suggestion at once dispelled the numbness
which had come over me, and The painful
futtering of my heart convinced me that
the power of suffering had, alas, not left
me. L first thought that he intended me
to go back alone, but that knew / could
not do. He soon reassured me on that
point, however, and promised that as long
as needed him, wanted him, he would
intuitively how shrank from returning to
the scene of the tragedy, and 1 felt sure
he would not urge me to do so if he did not
think IL absolutely necessary. He pointed
out that the body must be removed from
our apartment soon as possible Where
to put it was the question. We thought of
various places, none of which seemed prac-
ticable. till L remembered the vacant suite
on our landing. As soon as l told him Of
it, and that at present painters and paper
hangers were working there, he decided
that we could never find a more convenient
spot or one where the discovery of the
dead man was so little likely to compro-
mise any one. How Mr.. Norman was to
get into our apartment was the next ques-
tion. For obvious reasons he could not do
openly. AT last he hit the idea of
Disgusting himself as tradesman. He sug-
gested that we should both enter the build
ing at the same time-I by the front and
he by the back door. was then to let him
III through the kitchen, which could easily
be done without anybody's being the wiser.
This seemed the most feasible plan, and
agreed to it. 1t would take him only a few
| minutes to dress, he assured me, but while
L was waiting he begged me to have some
breakfast. 1 told him that it would be i'm
| possible for me to eat, but he insisted. As
it most important that the servants
should not recognize me, he took me TO d
! quiet restaurant round the corner. There
ne ordered an ample breakfast, and stayed
| Notwithstanding my protests) till he satis-
! fed himself that 1 had done full justice TO
| it, He was gone an incredibly short time,
| and when he did return had some difficult
| ty in recognizing him. so faultless, to my
| inexperienced eyes, did his get-up appear.
| He did not enter the restaurant, but
| lounged outside, chewing a straw with ap-
| parent carelessness. That straw was a
| very neat touch for it permitted him to
| distort his mouth without exciting remark.
| a battered straw hat, drawn we'll over his
| eyes, a large apron, and a market basket
| completed the transformation. Even if he
| had come face to face with a party of
| friends l doubt If they would have known
| him. For who could suspect a man like Mr..
Norman of masquerading as a tradesman?
| People would, therefore, be inclined to at
| tribute any likeness they observed to an
| accidental resemblance.
| So he was the tradesman had seen leav-
| ing the Rosemere. L felt a terrible pang
| of jealousy, but managed to ask: What
| did his servants think at seeing their mas
| ter go oUt in such costume?''
| Later on he told that he had been
| able to leave the house unperceived," she
replied; lat least, he thought so, as all the
servants happened TO be at breakfast. He
| had crept softly upstairs, put on an old
suit and hat. both of which had suffered
| shipwreck; then, with infinite precautions,
| he had stolen into the buffers pantry,
| seized an apron stuffed Ii inside his coat
which he buttoned over it, and, after watch
| ing till the street was clear, slipped quietly
out. When he turned the corner and fan
cied himself unobserved he pulled out the
| apron and tied it on Then walking boldly
| into Bloomingdale's, he purchased a mar
ket basket, into which. with great fore
| thought, he put few needful groceries.
4 All tlllS, dS Sdlu D6lolt lOlu
| At the time l left the restaurant without
even glancing in his direction. We boarded
| the same car, but sat as far apart as possi-
| BILE. All went off as We had arranged, and
half an hour later i had let him into our
| kitchen without having aroused anybody 5
| suspicious" She paused a moment.
| MIR. Norman went at once into the room
where the body lay" she continued. He
| went alone, as / dared not follow him.
| When he came out he told me that he had
| pulled down all the shades, as, owing to
| the intense heat, he feared that some one
might be tempted to climb to the opposite
roof in which a chance look would
| lead to the discovery Of my CHASTITY secret.
The quiet and businesslike way in which
he talked of situation most COM
forting and | was surprised to find myself
calmly discussing the different means OF
| obtaining possession of the key to the va
| cant apartment This must be my task, as
| he could not go outside the door for fear
of being seen. So l stole out on the landing
| TO reconnotre To my joy | saw the key
| sticking in the lock. When Mr.. Norman
heard of this piece of good luck il did not
take him long to decide on a plan of action.
! Hastily scribblng few lines TO his butler,
| he gave them to me- He then told To
| go out again and ring for the elevator.
! While waiting for IL 10 come | was 10 saun-
| ter casually to the threshold of the adjo. n
! ing flat. and, leaning on the doorknoo,
/ quietly abstract the key Should any one
notice me my curiosity would be a sufficient
excuse for my presence. Having got the
| kew and nclosed il in the envelope he had
| given me. l was to hurry to a district mes
! senger office (taking care 10 select one
! where / was not likely to be KNOWN, sen0
the note. and there wait the answer, which
I would be addressed TO Miss Elizabeth h