The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-03

x
immense floor, and the aureola upon the |
carpet about the dressing table. seemed |
to give gloom to the chamber. So thick |
We're the walls of the old house that; no
sound reached me from the rooms below,
and when the gong struck the hour for |
deadened sound thru some curtained chapel
or chill vault. What did it mean, Kept |
asking myself; the illness, was it sham?
the man from London, was he on a fools
errand? my visit, was it foolhardy?
Had I walked into a trap at the
bidding of a pretty woman? Were all the
guarantees had received in the colonel s
favor fraudulent or mistaken? I could
not thinks so. Again and again told my
self that the fellow from Scotland Yard
was an absurd crank upon a false scent,
and that ninety jewelers. of a hundred
would have done as had DONE and have
brought the stone to Berkshire And with
this thought took. a better courage and
hastily finished nay dressing. T. need
scarce say that I had the jewel in my
pocket when I went TO the drawingroom,
and that'I had already determined that
it should not leave me for moment. I
got rid, however, Of more of my fears
when entered the artistic and homely
room where, Margaret Klein was. wait
ing; and in the brighter scene of light and
laughter the absurdity Of suspicion again
occurred to me. 5sr
The meal was an excellent one, adj
mirably served; the wine was perfect.
sat at my, hosts right, facing his daugh-
ter, who seemed to exert herself unusually
to fascinate, making delicate play with
her speaking eyes; and promising me. all
the possibilities of Berkshire rest, If I
cared to stay with them over the week.
To this her father, the colonel, who had
the ribbon Of an order in his buttonhole,
and looked exceedingly handsome, added:
And hope you. will, for you're not
iru loo Al
You people in England live in too narrow
| a circle. A voyage across the pond makes
| an epoch in your lives; you are scarce
prepared to admit yet that there is any
other city but London. If you would en-
large the scope of your actions, you would
grumble less-and perhaps, if I may say
So. allow that other nations share some
! of your best boosted qualities. Now T am
truly cosmopolitan; I regard no city as
my home; I would as soon set out on a
voyage Of 5000 miles as Of five. I come to
England, and do 1T in ten days from
I think I'll rest awhile I ask, where is
your pretty county? and I settle for
three weeks to explore it,
Il hope Mr.. Sutton will do the same"
said Margaret, following up his invitation.
II want to learn ALI about the danes who
father; and I should like to see a curate
who is passing rich on forty pounds a
year. I guess we mean to go right in
now were amongst your best folk
|: It'll stay q day or two with pleasure
if you will pilot me- said I, as she rose
to 60 to the drawingroom; but I little
knew that my visit was to terminate alb
ruptly in three hours or less, or what was
. to happen in the between time.
A lean, lank-looking butler served the
colonel and myself with coffee when sac
!, had gone; and after that my host took me
| winQrOOTn w r ha,
engaged in the pursuit Of trying over {
"coster" song. The colonel suggested
business at once, saying:
It'll leave you with Margaret while I gc
UP to Hermann and learn If he's vel
enough to receive, us; I dare say you car
minutes"
!. He was really away for twent.
minutes; but I did not count tn,
time. The whole situation seemed
. so curious-on the one hand a London
detective playing footman in the house
d on the other delightful host, and gin
= whose every word fascinated and who's
- every motion drew you instinctively t
> her-that I gave up any attempt to solv
- it; and beyond the knowledge that I ha
- reason to be watchful, I put no restrain
IL upon myself; but sat at her side while sh
4 played the lightest of music; or occasion
y, ally. leant back to speak to me. SO tina
= her hair brushed my face and her eye
u almost looked into mine.
- 1T was good Of you to come" she al
=. most whispered in one of these pause:
4 glancing up tinorously, and Speaking al
3 together in the sympathetic tone.a 10
u DO you miss the excitement Of Lon
= DOM" I asked letting my hand restfor
. moment on hers p :[ri.
~ Il guess not" she REPLIED "but T mis-
9 some one who can talk to me as you tall
you're going to stop awhile, aren't you +?
8 iii stop as long as you ask me to-
When ne was gone. she went on playin
= for some minutes, turning away at last in
~ patiently from the piano. and facing roun
=. with a serious, almost alarmed look. Whs
Z, she meant to say or do cannot tell, for
l that moment the colonel came back ar
AZ told aus that his partner was in the dres
- ingroom upstairs and would be glad
~ see me at once" o..
lp margaret may come too?" he aske
- me. 'She would like to see the gre
n stone"
g., "Of course" I replied; ut will be
- pleasure to show it to her,
VII I cannot tell you why it was, but as
-, rose together to leave the room I seem
IL in a moment to realize that the affair h;
= - come to a. crisis. !: In that instant, no
~ Withstanding guarantees, references, Ma
e4 garet Klein's destinations, and the hui
: dred arguments I had so often used
- convince myself of the folly of suspicio
- there came to me as distinct and clear
TO- warning as tho some human voice HI
W given speech to it. The very silence
w the others-for they said no. word, and
'i'' curious hesitation seemed to come UP
them-impressed the conviction Of t
"a a monition. Once in the hail. my uneasne
~" ~ ~ became stronger, for there at a table "
80 the footman I had recognized, and as
o. glanced at me when I passed him
- face was knit up as the face Of a m
~ thinking; and he let a glass fall at
~ ~ very moment we reached the stairs. WI
ne he. wished to convey I do not know;
10 altho I felt there was danger in leavi
7ee the ground floor, another force dragged
no on behind the colonel, and kept me 6
'ur vancing unhesitatingly until I had reach
cry the end Of the long picture gallery W
orr him. and he had Knocked upon a d
ere in the eastern wing Of the rambling ma
or sion. What this force was do not p
ng, tend to explain. 1t may have been me
tie, ly the influence of the woman; it N
OF have been my inherent obstinacy and
md lief in myself; or simple lack Of conv
my ton which forbade any public express
&C. of the fears had fomented. know o
vas that we waited for some seconds in
3 a passage until a hospital nurse openeds
ter door, and that I found myself at last j
very pretty boudoir, where pale and ST
me. |ly-looking man was lying upon a couch,
ar propped up to greet u.s. The formal
alb of introduction were accomplished by
and colonel with great suavity and grace; Z
Of the nurse having set chairs at the side
49,, the sick mans couch and Dlaced a tt