The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-10-15
The
Mystery of
The Yellow Face

watch from under the pillow. It was
three in the morning. What on this
earth could my wife be doing out in the
country road at three in the morning?
Il had sat for about twenty minutes
turning the thing over In my mind and
trying to find some possible explanation.
The more l thought the more extraordl-
nary and inexplcable did 1t appear.
was still puzzling over 1t when | heard
the door gently close again, and her
footsteps coming up the stairs.
. Where in the world have you been.
Effie? l asked she entered
She gave a violent start and a kind OF
gasping cry when l spoke. and that cry
and stare troubled me more than all the
rest, for there was something indescrib-
ably guilty about them. My wife had al
ways been n woman of frank, open ma
ture. and 1t gave me a chill to see her
sinking into her own room, and crying
out and wncing when her own husband
spoke to her.
j" You awake, Jackr she cried. with a
nervous laugh. why, l thought that
nothing could awake you.'
Where have you been?' I asked. more
sternly
~ don't wonder that you are sur
prised." said she. and I could see that her
fingers were trimbling as she undid tho
fastenings of her mantle. Why, | never
remember having done such thing in
my life before. The fact is that I felt
as though l were choking. and had per-
feet longing for a breath of fresh air.
I really think that I should have faint
ed II l had not gone out. I stood at the
door for a few minutes and now 1 am
quite myself again.
All the time that she was telling me
this story she never once looked in my
direction, and her voice quite unlike
her usual tones. 1t was evident to me
that she was saying what was false
to- l1ftf aod 70
to the wall sick at heart. with my mind
filed with a thousand venomous doubts
and suspicious. What was Ii that my
wife was concealing from me? Where
had she been during that strange expedi-
ton? felt that | should have no peace
until l knew, and yet shrank from ask
Ing her again after once she had told
me what was false. All the rest of the
night | tossed and tumbled. framing the
DRY after theory, each more unlikely than
| the last.
"I should have gone to the city that
| day but I was too disturbed In my
| mind to be able to pay attention to bust
| ness matters. My wife seemed to be as
| upset as myself. and | could see from
| the little questioning glances which she
| kept shooting at me that she understood
| that | disbeleved her statement and that
| she was at her wits ends what to do.
We hardly exchanged a word during
| breakfast and Immediately afterwards
| went out for a walk, that | might think
| the matter out In the fresh morning air.
II went as far as the Crystal Palace,
| spent an hour in the grounds and was
| back in Norbury by 1 o'clock. 1t hap
| pened that my way back took me past the
| cottage, and | stopped for an instant to
| look at the windows, and to see If / could
| catch glimpse of the strange face which
| had looked out at me on the day be-
| fore. AS ! stood there imagine my sur
| prise. Mr.. Holmes, when the door suddenly
| opened and my wife walked out.
II was struck dumb with establishment
| at the sight of her; but my emotions We're
| nothing to those which showed them
| selves upon her face when our eyes met
| She seemed for an instant to wish to
| shrink back inside the house again; and
| then. seeing how useless all coneealme emit
| white face and frightened eyes which
belied the smile upon her lips
| "Ah Jack, she said, I have just been
| In to see If / can be of any assistance to
our new neighbors. Why do you look at
me like that Jack? You are not angry
| with me?'
So said T. this is where you went
during the night?'
| What do you meant? she cried
| "'You came here. ] am sure of 1t. Who
, are these people. that you should visit
them at such an hour?'
| ~ have not been here before
"'IIow can you tell me what you know
is false?' cried. Your very voice changes
| as you speak When have | ever had .
secret from you? | shall enter that cot-
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