The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-20

Half daZed l went into the station
, and asked about the morning train.
Ihere would be one TO Reading in less
than an hour. The same porter was on
duty, | found, as had been there when
| arrived. | inquired of him whether
he had ever heard of Colonel Ly:and-
er Stark. The name was strange to
the light shone upon her dark dress
knew that 1t was a rich material She
spoke few words in foreign tongue
in tone as though asking question.
and when my companion answered in
"a grun monoSyllable she gave such
start that the lamp nearly fell from
her hand. Colonel Stark went UP to
her, whispered something in her ear,
and then, pushing her back into the
room from whence she had come, he
walked towards me again with the
lamp in his hand.
Perhaps you will have the kind
ness to wait in this room for few
| minutes said he, throwing open an
other door. 1t was a quiet. little.
piainly-furnished room, with a round
table N the centre, on which several
German books were scattered Colonel
Stark laid down the lamp on the top
! Of a harmonium beside the door Il
snail not keep you waiting an instant
said he, ana vanished into the dark
| ness.
Il glanced at tho books upon the
! table. and III spite OF my ignorance of
| German. | could see that two of them
| We're treatises on science. the others
| beng volumes of poetry. Then / walk
| Ell across to the window. hoping that
| might catch some glimpse Of the
countryside, but an oak shutter,
| heavily barred, was folded across it.
| 1t was wonderfully silent house.
! There was an old clock ticking loud
| ~ somewhere in the passage, but 9TH
| erWise everything was deadly STILL A
! vague feeling of uneasiness began to
! steal over me. Who were these Ger
| man people, and what were they do
/ ing, living in this strange, out-of-the-
/ way place? And where was the place /?
| l was ten miles or so from Eyford,
| that was all l knew, but whether
north, south. east, or west I had no
| idea. For that matter, Reading. and
| possibly other large towns were
within that radius, so the place might
not be secluded, after all. Yet it was
| quite certain, from the absolute still
/ ness, that we We're in the country. l
paced up and down the room. hum
| ming tune under my breath to keep
up my spirits, and feeling that | was
thoroughly earning my fifty-guinea
| fee.
Suddenly. without any preliminary
ness, the door. of my room swung
slowly open. The woman was standing
in the aperture, the darkness of the
hall behind her, the yellow light from
my lamp beating upon ner eager and
beautiful face. / could see at a glance
that she was sick with fear and the
sight sent a chill to my own heart
She held up one shaking finger 10
warn me to be silent, and she shot
few whispered words of broken Eng
fish at me, her eyes glancing back,
like those of frightened horse, into
the gloom behind her.
Il would 60 said she, trying hard,
as II seemed to me, to speak calmly;
i would go. | should not stay here.
iherels no god for you to do
tsut. madam said I, Il have not
YET uohe what / came for. / cannot
POSSIBLY leave until I have seen the
machine
1T is not worth your while to wait
she Went on. You can pass through
the door; no one hnders' And then.
seeing that | smiled and shook my
head, she suddenly threw aside her
constraint and made a step forward
with her hands wrung together. For