The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-03-04
CHAPTER xxil.-Continued.
A MESSAGE.
>S&lAuE

CHAPTER xxil-continued.
A Message.
But the motive Of it all-what could 1t
be? The problem had been madden
Ing one from first to last.
/ longed to speak out my mind to her
then and there; to. tell her of what l knew
and Of what I had been witness to with
my own eyes. Yet such course was
useless. was proceeding carefully.
watching and noting everything, determ
ined not to blunder. $50 rs' e =.
Had you been in my place, my reader,
what would you have done? Recollect,
had witnessed a scene on the river bank
that was absolutely without explanation,
and which surpassed all human credence.
I am a matter f-fact man. not given to
exaggerate or to recount incidents that
have not occurred, but I confess openly
and freely that since + had walked along
that path I hourly debated within my
self whether I was actually awake and in
the full possession of my faculties, or
whether had dreamed the whole thing.
But it was no dream. Certain solid
facts convinced me Of it's stern and as
founding reality. The man upon whose
body I helped to make an autopsy was
actually alive. 1929 ~. 49,.
In reply to, my questions my visitor
told me that she was staying at Vernon's,
in Cork street--a small private hotel
which the Mivarts had patronized for
morning she intended returning again to
Neneford. ,..t. .
Then, after she had again urged me to
lose no time in seeing Ethelwynn, and had
imposed upon me silence as to what had
passed between us, l assisted her into
hanson. and she drove away. waving her
black gloved hand in farewell.
The interview had been a curious one,
and I could not in the least understand
its import. Regarded in the light Of the
= ,oI v1y1,n or
Neneford, it was, Of course, plain that
both she and her dead husband were
anxious to secure Ethelwynn'ss silence,
and believed they could effect this by In
ducing us to marry. The conspiracy was
a deeply laid and ingenious one, as in
deed was the whole Of the amazing plot.
Yet somehow, when I reflected upon 1t
on my return from the club, I could not
help sitting still far into the night trying
to piece together the remarkable enigma
A telegram from Ethelwynn had
reached me at the Savage at 9 o'clock,
stating that she had received my letter,
and was returning to town the day after
tomorrow. She had, she said, replied tc
me by that nights post.
I felt anxious to see her. to question heI
and to try if possible to gather from he1
some fact which would lead me to discern
a motive in the feigned death of Henry
Courtenay. But 1 could only wait in pa
thence for the explanation. Mary'S declar-
alton that her sister possessed no Other
lover besides myself treasured me. l hao
not believed it Of her from the first; yet
1t was passing strange that such an insin'
uation should have fallen from the lips
of woman who posed as her dearest
friend. -,
Next day Sir Bernard came to town tt
see two unusual cases at the hospital. ant
afterwards drove me back with him tt
Harley street, where he had an appoint
r1,if UIn hor
come to London to consult him as spe
cialist AS usual he made his lunch of
two harm sandwiches, which he hat
brought with him from Victoria station
refreshment-rOom and carried In a pape
bag. 7 suggested that we should eat to
gether at a restaurant; but the old maj
declined. declaring. that if he ate NOR
than his usual sandwiches for luncheon
when in town. he never had any appetit
= for dinner. -.
SO I left him alone in his Consulting
room munching bread and ham, and sip
ping at a wineglassful Of dry sherry ~
a bout half past 3, just before he re
turned to Brighton, I saw him again a
usual, to hear any instructions he wishe
to give, for sometimes he saw patient
once and then left them in my hands. II
seemed wearied, and was sitting restin
his brow upon his thin, bony hands. Dur
ing the day he certainly had been full
occupied and had noticed that of late h
= was unable to resist the strain as he one
could.
AREN'T you well?" asked when seate
before him.. j. =
ooh, yes" he answered with a sigl
There's not much the matter with m.
I'm tired. suppose, that's all. The ete1
nal chatter Of, these COMPOUNDED wome
bores me to death. They can't tell the
symptoms without going into all the dc
tails of family history and domestic infe
lefty he snapped. "They think me
doctor, lawyer and parson rolled int
one.
laughed at his criticism What h
said was, indeed. quite true. Wome
often grew confidential towards me, at m
age; therefore I could quite realize no
they laid bare all their troubles to him.
Pc oh. by the way!" he said, as thong
suddenly recollecting. 'Have you MI
your friend Amber Jevons lately?"
NO" I replied. Hes been away fl
some weeks, think. Why?'
Because I saw him yesterday in Kins
road. He was driving in a fly and ha
one eye bandaged up. Met with an acc
dent. should think
IAN accident" L exclaimed in consterr
alton. He wrote to me! the other da;
but did not mention it,
Hes been trying his hand at unrave
ling the mystery Of poor Courtenay
death, hasn't he?" the old man asked
Il believe so.'
'And failed-eh?"
II don't think his efforts have bee
crowned with very much success, a
though he las told me nothing said
In response the old man grunted in di
satisfaction. I knew how disguised
had been at the bungling and utter failu
Of the police inquiries, for he was alwa
declaring Scotland yard seemed to be us
7 less, save for the recovery of articles lie
in cabs. .'--.#.-. ~. g.
He glanced at his watch, snatched
his silk hat, buttonel his coat, and wis
Ing me good-by went out to catch t.
Pullman train. IT. .
Next day about 2 o'clock was in O
Of the wards at Guys seeing the last
Drink Habii