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


masters compliments, and would be so
obllging as to say what my business
wasy' Take my compliments back" l
replied. ''and say that the business can
not be mentioned 10 any one but your
MASTER She left me again. again re-
turned. and this time asked me 10 walk
/ In.
| I followed her at once. In another mo-
ment l was inside the counts house
VII.
There was no lamp in the hall but by
the dim light OF the kitchen candle which
the girl had brought upstairs with her,
! saw an elderly lady steal noiselessly
out or back room on the ground floor,
she cast one viperish look at me as |
entered the hall, but said nothing. and
went slowly upstairs, without -returning
my bow. My familiarity with Marian's
! journal sufficiently assured me that the
elderly lady was Mime. Fosco.
The servant led me 10 the room which
the countess had just left / entered II.
and found myself face TO face with the
lie was still In hts evening dress. ex-
cept his coat, which he had thrown across
a chair His shirt sleeves were turned
up az the wrists-but no higher. car
! pet bag was on one side OF him and
box on the other Books. papers and ar
tees % wearing apparel were scattered
ON table, az one side of the door
stood the cage, so well known 10 me by
description, which contained his white
| mice. The canaries and the cockatoo
were probably I'm some other room He
was seated before the box. packing IT,
! when j went I'm. and rose with some
| papers in his hand TO receive me. Hts
face still betrayed plain traces Of the
shock that had overwhelmed him at tNe
| opera. His fat cheeks hung loose: his
cold gray eyes were furtively vigilant;
his voice. look. and manner were all
Sharply suspicious alike. as he advanced
a step 10 meet me. and requested, with
distant civility, that would take chair
You come here on business, sir?' he
said Il am at a loss 10 know what that
business can possibly be"
The unconcealed curiosity with which
ne looked hard in my face while he spoke
convinced me that I had passed unno-
ticed by him at the opera. He had seen
Pesoa first; and from that moment. ti;l
he left the theater, he had evidently seen
nothing else. My name would necessarily
suggest TO him that had not come into
his house with other than a hostile pur-
pose toward himself: but he appeared TO
be utterly ignorant thus far, OF the 'sal
nature OF my errand.
Il am fortunate In finding you here
tonight" I said. You seem to be on
the point of taking Journey"
Journey"
In some degree"
I'm what degree? Do you know where
l am going TO "
mo. only know why you are leaving
| London"
He slipped by me with the quickness
OF thought: locked the door Of the room
and put the key in his pocket
You and J. Mr.. Hartright. are excel
lently we'll acquainted with one another
by reputation he said. Did IL, by any
chance. occur to you when you came 10
this house that ! was not the sort ~
man you could trife WITH"
1T did occur TO me-" | replied And
have not come to trihe with you. an
here on a matter OF life and death-aad
II that door which you have locked was
open at this moment. nothing you could
say or do would induce me TO pass
through It,"
l walked further into the room and
stood opposite TO him. on the rug before
the fireplace. He drew a chair in front
Of the door. and sat down on it. with he
left arm resting on the table. The cage
with the white mice was close TO him;
and the little creatures scampered OFT
of their sleeping place, as his heavy arm
shook the table. and peered at him
through the gaps in the smartly pa intcd
wires
"On matter Of life and death?" he re-
peated to himself. Those words are
more serious, perhaps. than you think.
What do you nean?'
What l say"
The perspiraton broke out thickly on
his broad forehead His left hand stole
over the edge OF the table. There was
n drawer in II. with lock- and the key
was in the lock His finger and thumb
closed over the key, but did not turn II.
so you know why l am leaving Lon
don?' he went on.
ssTaIl mo the reason vnr pIeaua uIa
turned the key and unlocked the drawer
as he spoke.
Il can do better than that" I replied;
II can show you the reason, II you like"
How can you show it,"
You have got your coat of" said.
Roll up the shirt sleeve on your left arm.
and you will see II there
The same livd. leaden change passed
over his face. which had seen pass over
IL at the theatre. The deadly glitter In
his eyes shone steady and straight into
mine. lie said nothing. But his left
hand slowly opened the table drawer. and
softly slipped into IT, The harsh grating
noise of something heavy that he wns
moving. unseen TO me. sounded for a mo-
ment-then ceased. The silence that fol-
lowed was so intense, that the faint tick
ing nibble Of the white mice at their wires
was distinctly aud-3lS where I stood
My life hung by dread and | knew
II. At that final moment thought with
his mind; I felt with his fingers. I was
as certain as IL had seen II. Of what
he kept hidden from me In the drawer.
Walt little" I said. You have got
the door locked-you see I don't move
YOU sec my hands are empty. Wait
little. have something more 10 say"
You have said enough" he replied.
with a sudden composure. so unnatural
and so ghastly that Il tried my nerves as
no outbreak Of violence could have tried
them. II want one moment for my own
thoughts. II you please. DO you guess
what am thinking about7"
Perhaps I do"
II am thinking" he remarked. quietly
whether I shall add 10 the disorder I'm
this room by scattering your brains about
the fireplace"
(To BE Continued)
Group instantly relieved. DR. Thomas
Electric oil. Perfectly safe. Never fails.
/ At any drug store.
-.