Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-15
He awoke to find light shining full in his face"

said and unless you are his sons wife, he
will kill me-"
Lady Evelyn knew this to be no chmera
of weakness or fear. The vengeance of the
mountains would follow Robert Forester
even to the glades of DerbYshire. Wit
nesses TO the truth still pitched their tents
beneath the giant yews-the smoke of the
gypsy camp drifted day by day blue and
lingering over the waters of the river.
FROM these there was no escape, for they
were the sentinelS of the absent counts
honor. and they logged the earfs footsteps
wherever he turned. When Gavin Ord APP
neared at the manor. their suspicious were
Instantly aroused They hid from him, and
yet watched him every hour. Who was
he; whence had he come? And was he also
the enemy of the man who had been Zal-
Tony s friend? This they made it their
purpose TO discover, entering even GavIn's
bed room for that purpose.
He was very far from being a timid man
or the episode referred to would quickly
have driven him from Derbyshire, despite
the engrossing interest of the work TO
which he had been called there This was
the third day of his residence at the hail.
Being left to himself Immediately after din
ner. he continued to draw for an hour and
to read for ANOTHER before counting sleep
IN the great black bed which tradition, low
ing the slumbers of the kings had allotted
in its accustomed way to that very wake
fuI person, James II. His bedroom was
high up In the northern tower of the house;
a low-pttched spacious apartment with
dressing table for which any Bond street
dealer would cheerfully have paid a thou
sand pounds. Gavin delighted in these
things because he was artist; while the
attendant luxury, the service of man and
valet, the superb fittings of the bath room
adjoining his bed room, the fruit the
cigarettes, the books which decorated the
apartment seemed in some way to be the
reward of his own labors not to speak OF
the attachments of long-cherished amhi-
tons.
To this historic chamber he retired on
the evening of the third day, and having
added little to his plans, read some pages
OF county history and smoked q final
ana contemplatlve pipe. he undressed and
got into bed and for an hour or more slept
that refreshing sleep which attends judi
eious success and a mind little given to
trivialities, From this, against all habit
ne passed TO dreams, at first welcome and
pleasing; dreams OF broad acres and shell
terng trees and land of plenty-then to
visions more disturbing, and to one chiefly
or storm passing over the woods and his
own spirit abroad in the storm and unable
TO ind harborage- AS a weary bird that
can reach no shelter and is buffeted bv
every wind, so did he, in his dream, appear
to be cast out from the world and unable
10 return to his home and kindred: a wan
derer through q tempestuous night beyond
whose horizon, far beyond It but ever grow
ing more distant, there arose the crimson
!lght OF day and the dawning beams of the
hidden sun. Strive as he would he could
not cast the darkness from him or shut
out the sounds of wild winds blowing In his
ears. Unseen hands held him back voices
Knocked him: he heard the rustling of wings
and was conscious of the movements OF
unknown figures. And then he awoke to
ma light shining full in his face and to
see TWO black eyes peering down at him
beyond IT. But for instant he saw
them; then the light was blown out swiftly
ana utter darkness fell. He knew that
he was not alone but feared nothing. he
knew not why.
Soma man had artarod htz -o.--
slept and stood, he imagined even at that
moment so close TO his bedside that he had
but to put out q hand TO touch him Who
the man was or what his errand might be
Gavin did not attempt even to guess More
by force OF habit than from any other rea
son, he asked aloud, WHO is there what
90 you wantF but he did not expect to be
answered, nor did any sound follow his
question. Lying quite still upon the bed
and beginning to be a little alarmed as his
senses came back to him. he listened In
tently for an echo of footsteps across the
polished floor. arguing that the unknown
man would wear no boots and must turn
the handle of door to go This was no
burglar. he felt sure; and he WAS half will
Ing to believe that he had dreamed the
whole episode when a football made itself
plainly audible. and followed by a deep
breath as or one who until that time had
been afraid to breathe at all Again Gavin
asked, What is It, what do you want?''
The silence continued unbroken and the
fear of things unknown robbed him for the
moment OF the voice TO repeat the ques-
ton This he set down afterward to the
traditions of Melbourne Hall and his init
mate knowledge of them. He would not
have been afraid IN any other house
Gavin stretched out his hand and tried to
switch on the electric light. A clumsy ef-
fort In an unfamiliar room found him pass
Ing his fingers idly over wainscoted wall;
and when he felt for the reading lamp by
his bedside. he overturned 1t with his elbow
and could not replace the plug which his
indebtedness had detached. Alarmed now
as he never believed that any situation
could alarm him. ne sprang from his bed
and felt with both hands extended for the
ngure which the room concealed. Hither,
thither. with an oath upon his clumsiness,
he sought the unknown. his hands touch
ing unfamiliar objects, the darkness SEEM
ing almost to mock him. That the I'M
known man was still In the room he had no
doubt whatever: for the interudes repeated
the sound of quick breathing and he heard
a garment rustling Just as he had heard 1t
In his sleep. Once indeed. he felt the warm
breath upon his cheek and struck savageIy
at an enemy OF sounds, who stu uttered no
word nor would acknowledge his presence
Had he been calmer, he might have known
that the darkness also deceived the In
truder and that he too, was at q loss to
escape. but this Gavin did not discover un-
til the door opened suddenly and Hash OF