The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-30


enough for that. He has strange delu-
sion-he thinks somebody Is under his
bed he is always talking about the man
under the bed-lt is quite uncanny. Do
come to him, Mr.. Lenthall, when you
are ready
In a, very few minutes I entered the
| sickroom. TO my surprise both nurses
| were bending over the patient, as If to
| hold him down and to soothe his ex-
citement. Sir Felix was struggling with
them and they were entreating him to be
still.
mo, no, I must get up he was saying
in a clearer voice than had expected to
| hear. Il have something special-to do.
Oh, Godfrey Lenthall, come and help me.
I can't be left here any longer-all alone
with a dead mani"
What did he mean? I STEPPED forward
to the bedside, and spoke cheerfully
''All right, Sir Felix, I'm here; I'll help
you What do you want?'
| He sank back among his pillows, pant
ing from weakness, but laying a hot, fever
| ish clutch upon my arm.
| Turn out that pack Of women, and
I'll tell YOU Let them go, say; they
can't do me any good. I must speak to
you alone"
/ perhaps you had better hurnor him"
I murnlured to- the nurses. If you will
II
minutes, I think + can manage him.
They disappeared accordingly, and was
left alone with Sir Feli7-for the first
time since he had So coldly rebuked me
tor seeking his daughters hand. How sad
Ily he had changed iii those few intervening
lweeks. He was now a mere SHADOW OF
what he had been then.
"Help me- he said, in a loud whisper.
'Take him away.
"WhO, si1 E. asked.
"Tha dead mall-under the bed"
I must say that an eerie sensation ran
thru me as T. heard the words. They
sounded CHASTITY in the blue morning light
which was Just stealing thru the window
blinds. But reminded myself that he
was suffering from delusions. and there
fore answered reilssuringly and with per-
| feet calm:
Certainly. Sir Felix. If you lie still
will look after that
'You must do it without delay. Why
don't you look-the dead man-under-
meath the bed Look"
"I>ool-urder the bed, sir?" I asked,
almost smiling Mt the idea
9 "Yes-yes-under the bed"
Well. I looked. I could not do less
, with his haggard eyes on mine, but
couldn't help feeling that the action was
slightly ridiculous And saw the nurses
Z faces smiling from the door.
S 'It's all right, sir. Nothing there"
Good heavens!"s His cry Of anguish
t was pitiful to. hear "FIave they--have
x they taken it away?"
: "It? Nothing has been taken away tina
t you wanted to keep Shall I ask nurse
4 if anything has been moved?"
, Nurse? All! those women. SEND
q them away. Lock the door, Geoffrey
= Keep them out--and I'll tell you every
- thing. I'm not raving. I swear to vol
: that there was-there was-a dead man
/. there, underneath my bed"
= I told myself that I must hurnor him
- But something like chill fear was be
. ginning to invade my consciousness. Wa
), 1t possible that he knew what he wa
y saying; that there was a grain Of trutl
y in his statement? walked silently t
the dressingroom door, and after wor
>, or two with the indignant nurses, locke
q it in their faces. also fastened the doc
u leading into the passage. Then I cam
le back to Sir Felix's bed
= Now, sir, you can tell me everything
le I said.
d He caught me by the wrist. you
er not be hard on me9 I'm an old man, an
le have suffered-suffered exceedingly
N You shall have Edith--if you will hel
lg me-in my distress"
Or IT will help you. You are Edith's faith
IS er: could never be hard upon YOU"
s. said. What do you want to dor
l. "Look-look again. came the terribl
whisper-'look under the bed"
,e large four poster. with heavy curtains an
e. valances-a very o1d-fashioned. and,
my opinion, unwholesome place for Stun
Der. Sir Felix advocated iron bedsteaG
r. and no hangings for other people, but h
Ia himself would not be separated from til
~ old mahogany bedstead and its handson
= furnishings which ne had used for s
many years. lifted up the valance. an
!. looked more carefully now that the nurse
y. were not grinning at me from the door.
-. There is nothing but box said.
~ "Yes-yes-a box--a case where I use
u to keep skeleton for my lectures-I hs
- it brought up here from the laborator
az Dare you open that box? Here is ii
IN key?''
:. I don't think Z ever experienced sue
an awful sensation as I felt when, aft
some difficulty, managed to get the
TN Of the box open for an inch or two. Not
ne ing more was necessary. knew what
at. contained. The box was nearly six fe
1t long, and OF good. size-I had seen 1t b
fore and noted that it was not altogeth
n unlike a coffin. It had been placed
ar far back-close to the wall, in fact-th
LIT was scarcely to be wondered at If
ar had escaped the nurses eyes.