The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1907-11-01
CHAPTER xvl.-(Continued.)


Megbie put the box down on the
table, and sank into a huge leather
armchair with a sigh of relief and
pleasure. 1t was good to be back in
his own place again, the curtains
drawn. the lamps glowing, the world
shut out. He was happier here than
anywhere else, after all! 1t was here
in this beautiful room, with its books
and pictures, its cultured comfort,
that the real events Of his life took
place, those splendid hours of solitude
when he set down the vivid expert
ences Of his crowded life with all the
skill and power God had given him
and he himself he'd cultivated SO man
fully and we'll.
Now for it! Tired a. his mind was,
there lay a time of deep thinking be-
fore It. There was the article for to-
morrow to group and arrange. 1t was
probably the most important piece Of
work he had ever been called upon to
do. It would startle the world, and it
behooved him to put forth all his n
ergies.
Lev SuCIO W0S SOAuOIAluA Cl0Os I1O
must consider the problem Of the
cigarette case first. It was immedi-
ate and disturbing.
How had this thing come into Sir
Williams possession? What CON-
m%unication had Gouldesbrough had
with Gerald Rathbone? That they
were rivals for the hand of Miss Poole,
Megbie knew quite well. Every one
knew 1t. 1t was most unlikely that
the two men could have been friends
or even acquaintance. Indeed, Meg
| bic was almost certain that Rathbone
did not know Sir William.
Wa that little, shining silver toy
Or was it rather instinct with a pres
ent meaning?
He took it up again and looked at 1t
curiously. Immediately that he did
SO the sense of agitation and unrest
returned to him with tremendous
force.
Megbie was not a superstitious man.
But nowadays we all know so much
more about the nonmaterial things Of
life that only the most ignorant people
call a man with with a belief in the
supernatural superstitious. Like many
another highly educated man of our
time, Megbie knew that there are
strange and little-understood forces,
all round us. When our ex-prime min
lister is q keen investigator into
psychic; when the principal of Birm-
ingham university. a leading scientist,
writes constantly in dispute Of the
mere material aspect of life, the cu1-
tured world follows suit.
Megbie held the cigarette case in
his hand; all the electric lights
burned steadily. The door was closed
and there raj not a sound in the fiat.
Then, with absolute suddenness,
Megbie saw that q man was standing
in front Of him, at the other side of
the fireplace, not three yardA away.
He was q tall man, clean shaver, with
light, close-cropped hair, and a rather
large face. The eyes were light blue
In color, and surrounded by minute
FUCKERS and wrinkles. The nose was
aquiline. the mouth ~clean-cut and
rather full. The nan vas dressed in
q dark blue overcoat. and the collar
and cuffs Of the coat were heavily
trimmed with ~astrachan fur. The
room was absolutely still.
Something like a gray mist OF cur.
tain descended over Megbie's eyes.
Il rolled up like q curtain and megbie
saw the man with absolute clearness
and certainty. He could almost have
put out his hand and touched him.
Measured by the mere material stand
ard OF time, these events did not take
more than q second, perhaps only q
part Of q second. Then the writer be-
came aware that the room was filled
with sound-sudden, loud and menac-
Ing. II was q sound al Of sudden
drums at midnight, such a sound as
the gay dancers in Brussels heard on
the eve Of Waterloo. when the assem-
byl sounded IN the great square end
the whole city awoke.
IN another moment Megbie knew
what the sound In his ears really was;
his own heart and pulses were racing
and beating like the sudden rolling OF
drums. In q fash he recognized the
face and form Of his visitor-this out
ward form and semblance Of a mar
which had sprung up and grown con-
crete in the night! The phantom
II, indeed, it was . phantom-wore
the dress and aspect Of Eustace
Charliewood, the well known man
about-town, who had killed himself ut
Brighton a short time before!
Megbie had spoken to Charlie
wood-so far as he could remember
hue he knew him perfectly we'll by
sight, as every one IN the West end
Of London had known him, and he
was q member Of one Of the clubs to
which the dead man had belonged.
Tho Thing that stood there. the
Thing or Person which had sprung
out Of the air. wore the earthly sem
blance Of Eustace C~harliewood.
Megbie shouted out aloud.
A great cry burst from his lips. .
cry Of surprise and fear-a challenge
OF that almost dreadful curiosity that
men experience now ana then when
49,. 60 a. khn ~~n.n~>A - thA aAAO.