Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-12

ended, and the pictures now lay IN pile by the
dining-room sideboard. David procured him
self quantity of brown paper with gum and
pincers sat the floor by the pile, and, with
an effort to breathe no faster than usual, set
himself to work 1t was not so slight task
as it looked; however, being handy a Jack OF
| all trades, he had got some halt dozen I'M
fastened and again fastened before six o'clock.
His gum failing he called upon Mrs Grover;
received no answer; called again vainly. Won
| dering at this, he stepped outside the front
door to invoke the services OF the l1ttman,
when little way down the stairs he caught
sound of voices in low talk. He wore slip
pers, and for this reason, perhaps, approached
near the speakers before he was seen. They
were Mrs. Grover and young man. he latter,
the moment he was aware OF Davlds presence,
was gone like a thief; so David did not see
his face but he had an impression that 1t was
Neil van Hupfeldt's valet.
Who was the mani" he asked Mrs. Grover.
I'm sure l don't know his name, Sir was
her answer.
You know himself, perhaps. Is it the same
who came here to speak with the girl left in
your charger"
u believe it is the same said Mrs. Grover.
"Oh, you believe? What on earth does he
want of you:
He kept asking me questions. told him
to go about his business"
what did he want to know"
whether | was satisfied with my place.
and whether | didn't think that woman
wages I'm getting
THAT all he wanted to know
That's about all-things like that
David, looking hard at her said Il am
sure he was quite right. You deserve tive
times the wages | giving you; SO If !! pay
YOU a months wages in advance now
But, Sir!
mo, it's no use, Mrs. Grover. You were
born for greater things than this. Yet, wher-
ever you 90 next do be loyal to the man from
whom you earn your bread against all the
world. Here's your money
Only after she well gone did he remem-
Der that she had forgotten to leave the front
door key.
As it was now nearly time to dress for the
dinner, he left his work the pictures for
the day. In the haf-dozen which he had
taken to pieces he had found nothing, and was
disillusioned, cross-tempered, disturbed by
many things.
He sat down and wrote to Miss Violet Nor
daunt IL am sorry to say that have failed
to receive the documents of which | had the
honor to speak to you. l have reason, how
ever, to believe that your fance, Mr.. van
Hupfeldt, has bought them, and from his
hand you will perhaps receive them
But his conscience felt this letter to be hard
ironical, and not sincere for if, as he suspected
Hupfeldt's name was on the certihcates
as the husband of dead Gwendoline Violet
was little likely to receive them from van
Hupfeldt's hand. So he tore up the note, and
wrote another which equally reflected his i'll
humor Nor did this go through the post. In
the end, though he knew that she must be
anxiousy awaiting a word of news from him,
he sh;rked for the present the task of announc-
ing his failure to her, and rushed out to the
dinner.
He came home late, and as he stepped from
the lift to the landing, something's light or
a fancy-caused him to start. 1t seemed to
him that through the opaque glass of his door
he had seen light. He went in with some dis
quiet of the nerves. All was dark, all still,
within He turned on three four of the
lights in rapid succession, and his eyes pierced
here and there, without discerning anything
unusual.
The fiat was lonely to him that night.
He sat a little while in his overcoat by the
dining-room fireplace, glanced at the heap
| of pictures, at the face of Gwendoline And
| now again he started. Something in the aspect
| of the heap struck him new as not perhaps
| the same as when he had gone out.
But here again he seemed to himself the
| prey of his own fancies He rose and stretched
| himself and yawned, and took in with him
| to his bedroom one of the pots of vioets.
| Now he lay down in the dark, and all was
| quiet Only, the question occurred to him
| incidentally: Am | really alone in this fiat
As matter of fact, is not some one with me?"
He had seemed to hear definite click, and if
it was not in the fat then, he thought, his
+bair tricl of