Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-06

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
CHAPTER XXXvIII.
The Hand Of Death Was on Him, Too
A respectable-looking butler opened the
door in answer to DR.. NewinSton's pull
at the bell.
Luke had had time-on the day proceed
ing the inquest-to put some semblanc<
Of order in his uncle's household. The
doctor had sent In the nurses, and he had
seen to a nice, capable housekeeper being
installed in the house. She took the
further management at once in her own
hands. She dismissed the drunken couple
summarily and engaged q couple OF de-
cent servants-a butler and q cook:
The house, though no less gloomy
looked certainly less lonely and neeoected
Mr.. Warren, who had been Lord Rad
clyffes secretary for years. but who had
been speedily given his congo when the
impostor took up his permanent abode In
the house. was Installed once more In the
library. replying to the innumerable let
tiers and kilograms Of inquiry which
poured in with every post.
Louisa and Sir Thomas were shown in
to the room where the young man was
ne FOSe HI once, OHcT1H& CHAAI
and pushing his own work aside. In the
meanwhile the doctor had gone upstairs.
Several minutes elapsed. No ono spoke.
Mr.. Warren. who had always been deeply
attached to Luke de Mountford. was long
ing to ask questions. which. however, he
was too shy to formulate. At last there
was a knock at the door, and one Of the
nurses came in to say that Lord Rad
clyffe would be pleased to see Sir Thomas
Ryder upstairs.
Louisa rose at the same time as her
uncle, but the latter detained her with q
gesture full Of kind sympathy.
mot just yet. my dear he said. I'll
call you as soon as possible
But" she asked, anxiously. II shall
be allowed to see him, shan't To-
even If you do not see him, you can trust
to me. Oh. yes, you can" he added. in
sistently, seeing the deeply troubled look
that had crept into her face at his words.
II am going to do tonight what I often
have to do In the course Of my work.
am going to borrow your soul and your
mind and allow them to speak through
my lips. When I go upstairs shall only
outwardly be the police officer searching
for proofs Of q crime; fnwardly I shall be
a noble-hearted woman trying to discover
proofs Of her fiances innocence. That
will be right. dear, won't it,"
She nodded acquiescence. trying to ap-
pear content. Then she pleaded once
again, dry eyed and broken voiced: you
will try and get permission for me to see
Lord Radcliffe. won't yous"
Il give you my word" he said, SOL
EMMY.
Then he went upstairs
Mr.. Warren, quiet and sympathetic, per-
suaded Louisa to sit down again by the
hearth. He took her mum and fur stole
from her and threw q log on the fire. The
flames spurted of. giving cheerful
crackle. But Louisa saw no pictures In
this fire, her mind was upstairs in Lord
Radclyfe's room, wondering what was
happening.
Mr.. Warren spoke of the murdered man.
and the news that the tyrant who had
ruled over Lord Radcliffe for so long was
nothing but an impostor came as q fear
full shock to him.
There was the pitifulness OF the whole
thing! The utter purposelessness Of q
hideous crime. So many lives wrecked.
such awful calamity. such appalling hu-
initiation, such ignominy, and all just for
nothing! A very little trouble, almost SUI
perficial inquiry, would have revealed the
the dire humiliation, and prevented the
crime for which the law of men DEGREES
that there shall be no pardon.
The man who lay i'll upstairs-and he
who was lying in the public mortuary
surrounded by all the pomp and luxury
could tell the secret of the extraordinary
success OF the imposture. Lord Radcliffe
had accepted the bricklayer's son almos,
as his own, with that same obstinate re-
serve with which he had at first fiouted
the very thought OF the mans pretensions
Who could tell what persuasion was used
what arguments? what threats?
And the man was an impostor after all!
And he had been murdered, when one
word perhaps would have effaced him
from the world as completely and less
matestically than had been done by death
Mr.. Warren talked Of 1t all. and Louisa
listened with half an ear even while
every sense Of hearing in her was con-
centrated on the floor above. in q vain en-
deavor to get q faint inkling OF what
had heard her uncle's step on the land
ing, the few hurried sentences exchanged
with the doctor before entering the sick
chamber. the opening and shutting Of q
door. Then. again. the lighter footsteps
Of the nurses, who had evidently been sent
out Of the room when Sir Thomas went
in. Louisa heard the faint hum Of their
voices as they descended the stairs, even
a suppressed giggle now and then: they
were happy. no doubt. at the few mo-
which had apparently been accorded them.
They ran quickly down the last flight Of
stairs and across the hall toward the
servants quarters. Their chattering was
heard family echoing through the baixe
doors. Then nothing more
Less than quarter OF an hour went by
and again she heard the opening and
shutting Of q door and mems footsteps on
the landing.
Louisa could not believe either her ewes
which were gaxing on the clock, or her
ears. which heard now quite distinctly
the voice Of Sir Thomas descending the
stairs, and DIR. Newington's more pompous
tones In reply.
The Interview" remarked Mr.. Warren,
did not last very long,
But already she had risen from her
chair. desperately anxious. wondering
what the meaning could be Of the short
ness Of the interview. She was not kept
later Sir Thomas Ryder came in. followed
by Dr.. Newington. One glance at her
uncle's face told her the whole disap.
pointing truth. even before he spoke
TT was useless, my DEAR" he said, ''and
DR.. Newington was quite right. Lord
Radcliffe. I am sorry to say. IL hardly
conscious. He il. evidently unable to uri-
derstand what is said. and certainly
quite incapable of making any effort to
reply
ton. In his usual conventional tones: ''the
patient, you see, is hardly conscious His
mind is dormant. He just knows me and
his nurses, but no did not recognise Sir
Thomas"
Louisa said nothing: the blank, hopeless
disappointment following on the excite
ment OF the past two hours was exceed.
1ngly difhcult to bear. The ruling pas
sion-strong even in the midst Of despair
the pride that was IN her alone kept her
from IN utter breakdown. She was crate