The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-26

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IRENE anxiety lest l should tell any one
Of my errand: However, | threw all
fears to the winds, ate a hearty supper,
drove to Paddington, and started off,
having obeyed to the letter the iniunc-
tion as to holding my tongue.
only my carriage, but my station. How
ever, | was in time for the last train
to Eyford, and / reached the dim-lit
station after IL clock. / was the only
passenger who got out there, and there
was no one upon the platform save o
single sleepy porter with a lantern. AS
| passed out thru the wicket gate, how
morning waiting in the shadow upon the
| other side. Without a word he grasped
my arm and hurried me into carrige,
! the door of which was standing open.
He drew up the windows on either side,
tapped on the woodwork, and away we
went as fast as the horse could go.
Gone horse?' interiected Holmes.
Yes. only one.
HDid you observe the colorY'
Yes. I saw it by the sidelights when
was stepping. into the carriage. 1t
was a chestnut.
"Tired- looking or fresh9'
ooh, fresh and glossy.'
"Thank you. | am sorry to have in
terrupted you. Pray continue your
most interesting statement.
! Away we went then, and we drove
for at least an hour. Colonel Lysander
Stark had said that it was only seven
miles, but I should think. from the rate
that we seemed to go, and from the time
that we took. that it must have been
nearer twelve. He sat at my side in
silence all the time. and was aware,
more than once when I glanced in his
direction, that he was looking at me
with great intensity. The country roads
seem to be not very good in that part
of the world, for we lurched and iolted
terribly. I tried to look out of the win
dow to see something Of where we were,
and l could make out nothing save the
occasional BLUR of a passing light. Now
and then [ hazarded some remark to
break the monotony of the journey,
but the colonel answered only in mono
syllables, and the conversation soon
; tagged. At last, however. the humping
of the road was exchanged for the crisp
carriage came to stand. Colonel Ly-
sander Stark sprang out. and, rs [ fol-
lowed after MIN. pulled me swiftly into
a porch which CAPPED in front of us.
We stepped, as It Were, right c1t Of the
carriage and into the hall. SO that I
) failed to catch the most fleeting glance
Of the front Of the house. The instant
that I had crossed the threshold the
! door slammed heavily behind us. and
heard family the rattle of the wheels
as the carriage drove away.
& It was pitch dark inside the house,
[ and the colonel fumbled about looking
for matches, and muttering under his
breath. Suddenly door opened at the
/ other end of the passage. and long,
9 golden bar of light shot out in our direc,
. tion. It grew broader, and woman
I appeared with a Jamp in her hand
/ which she held ab3ve5her head, pushing
8 her face forward and peering at US.
f could see than she was pretty, and from
t the gloss with which the light shone
e upon her dark dress I knew that ii
was a rich material. She spoke a few
0 tho asking a question, and when my
q companion answered in gruff mono
o syllable she gave such start that the
!, lamp nearly fell from her hand Colo
t mel Stark went up to her, whispered
something in her ear, and then, pushing
t her, back into the room from whence she
e had come, he walked toward me agar
d with the lamp in his hand.
l. Perhaps YOU will have the kindnes:
: to wait in this room for a few min
g utes,' said he, throwing open another
j. door: It was a quiet. little, plainly
furnished rooms with a round table il
the, center, on which several German
IL UOoho WCIC 6CdGU0lCus COlCuCl OIdIt
h laid down the lamp on the top of har
8 monium beside the door. Il shall no
= keep you waiting an instant said he
aud vanished into the darkness
~ glanced at the books upon thu
q table, and in spite Of my ignorance O.
n German l could see that two Of then
e were treatises on science, the other be
v across to the window, hoping that
I might catch some glimpse Of the coun
l. try-side. but an oak shutter, heavil,
a barred, was folded across it, /
r was a wonderfully silent house
# There was an old clock ticking loudl.
) wise everything was deadly still. /
n vague feeling of uneasiness began t
la steal over me. Who were these GEL
% man people,, and what were they doing
% living in this strange, out-of- the-wa
t, place9 And where was the placeg
" was ten miles or so from Eyford, tina
# was all I knew, but whether nortl
r, south, east or west I had no idea. Fo
i. that matter, Reading, and possibl
Ie other large towns, were within that IL
ID dius, SO the place might not be SO 81
ns cluded, after all. Yet it was quite ce
va tain, from the absolute stiffness, tina
e. we were in the country. paced II
a, and down the room, humming tur
IS. under my breath to keep up my spi
II
ur earning my. ffty-guinea fee.
ur Z" Suddenly, without any prelimina1
If sound in the midst Of the utter still
" ness, the door Of my room swung SLOW
lie " open. The woman was standing
nd the aperture, the darkness Of the ha
Ia behind her, the yellow light from m
no lamp beating upon her eager and bea
~, tiful face. [ could see at CLAN,
se that she was sick with fear, and Il
no sight sent chill to my own heart. 81
1T held up one shaking finger to warn n
to be silent, and she shot few viii
he pered words Of broken English at m
m her eyes glancing back, like those !,
Ike a frightened horse, into the gloom b
~. hind her.
il is "sI would co. said she, tryin
hard, as it seemed to me, to spes
va calmly; i would 60 I should not sts
he here. There is no good for you to dc
ON But, madam, said I, Il have n
Int yet done what / came for. / cam
EN- possibly leave until have seen t.
r. machine
oM ; cit is not worth your while
II wait, she went on. You can pa
at thru the door; no one hinders.' A,
. then, seeing that I smiled and sho
my head, she suddenly threw aside b
he constraint and made a step forwa1
m. with her hands wrung together F
MI the love Of Heaven!' she Whispere
nm get away from here before it is t
- late!'
all But I am somewhat headstrong
ich ature, and the more ready to enga
at in an affair when there is some obsta,
w IN +ho WOW T fhnnrh4 20 49,, 4lI