The San Francisco call., 1905-08-20

Thrice had l made fruitless inquiries at
the Richmond postoffice, but on the tenth
day l was in and out almost every hour.
Not a word was there for me up to the
last post at night. Home ] trudged to
Ham with horrible forebodings, and back
again to Richmond after breakfast next
morning. xStill there was nothing. 1 could
bear 1t no more. At ten minutes to eleven
l was climbing the station stairs at
Earl's Court.
1t was a wretched morning there, a
weeping mist shrouding the long straight
street and clinging to ones face In clam
my caresses. I felt how much better 1t
was down at Ham as l turned into our
street and saw the fats looming like
mountains, the chimney pots hidden in
the mist. At our entrance stood q pebu-
lous conveyance, that took at first for a
trade smans van; to my horror. it proved
to be hearse; and all at once the white
breath ceased upon my lips.
had looked UP at our windows and the
blinds were down.
i rushed within. The doctors door
stood open. | neither knocked nor rang.
but found him in his consulting-room,
with red eyes and blotchy face. Other
wise he was In solemn black from head
to heel.
who is dead?' 1 burst out .'Who is
dead?"
The red eyes looked redder than ever
as DIR. Theobald opened them at the un-
warrantable sight of me; and he was ter
ribly slow in answering. But In the end
he did answer, and did not kick me out
as he evidently had a mind.
Mr.. Maturin," he said. and sighed like
a beaten man.
l said nothing. 1t was no surprise to
me. | had known IL all these minutes.
bad cd
had OWNED II at the last, though to the
last also | had refused to entertain my
own conviction. Raffies deadi A real in
valid after all Raffies dead, and on the
point of burial!
What did he die off, | asked, uncon-
sciously drawing on that fund of grim
self-c control which the weakest of us seem
to hold in reserve for real calamity.
Typhoid" he answered. .'Kensington
is full of it.
"He was sickening for it when I left.
and you knew It, and could get rid of me
them
my good fellow, I was obliged to have
a more experienced nurse for that very
reason
The doctors tone was so concilatory
that / remembered in an instant what a
humbug the man was, and became sud
denly possessed with the vague convic-
ton that he was imposing upon me now.
Are you sure 1t was typhoid at ail?'
cried fierceIy to his face. Are you sure
it wasn't suicide or MURDER
l confess that 1 can see little point
in this speech as ] write il down, but
it was what said in a burst of grief
and of wild suspicion: nor was it with
ont effect upon DR.. Theobald, who
turned bright scarlet from his we'll
brushed hair to his immaculate collar
do you want me to throw you into
the street, he cried; and all at once
7 remembered that I had come to Raf-
fes as perfect stranger. and for his
sake might as well preserve that char
acter TO the last.
Il beg your pardon l said brokenly
HE was SO good to nie-I became sc
attached to him. You forget an
originally of his class"
Il did forget it, replied Theobald
looking relieved at my new tone. land
l beg your pardon for doing So Hush
They are bringing him down. ! must
have a drink before we start, and
you'd better join me-
There was no pretcnse about his
drink this time, and a pretty stiff One
Ii was, but 1 fancy my own must have
run it hard. In my case 1t cast a mcr-
ciful haze over much of the next hour
which 1 can truthfully describe as one
of the most painful of my whole exist
ence 1 can have known very little OF
what 1 was doing. I only remember