The Raymer enterprise., 1912-08-01

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hands.
Pray sit down. nurse" he said.
Has DR.. Herslet told you the ma.
ture OF the operation?"
YES" ] replied. "He says 1t Is a
serious one"
Exactly. Well. couple of years
ago l received severe blow on the
head and DR.. Herslet believes there
Is pressure on a certain portion OF the
brain. Since the time Of the accident
/ have suffered from eplleptic fits. To
save myself from the horrors Of a
lunatic asylum l prefer to take the
chance OF the surgeons knife. re.
turned home fortnight ago. When
with my regiment received the blow
which l have Just mentioned. I was
supposed to be dead. but was taken
prisoner instead. have much to live
for. should the operation prove sue.
cessful. II not. there are certain
friends whom l would Just as soon
have believe that perished In India.
But ! must not talk too much as the
slightest excitement brings on fit.
Here Is the key OF my portmanteau.
Perhaps. nurse, you will 60 to my
room and unpack some OF my things"
took the key and went into his
bedroom. which adjoined the sitting
room. A large portmanteau stood by
the door. ! unlocked 1t and began to
put away my patients clothes. At
the bottom Of the portmanteau |
found pile Of papers on top OF which
lay a photograph. | took the photo.
graph up. and the wellknown face Of
my late patient. Leonora Trefusls,
was before me! My mind reverted to
the man ] had Just left. Surely, as he
, turned from out the shadow and the
lamplight fell upon his features. | had
noticed something familiar about that
frank. open face. Where had seen
1t before? Like fash OF truth, or
what seemed 10 be the truth, became
clear. The man was about to nurse
had only Just returned from India,
where he had been wounded and TAX.
en- prisoner, Was 1t possible that
had found Leonora'S lost loyer' But
] must make sure; must not be rash.
| returned to the sitting room.
Il have unpacked your things" !
said to the patient. by the way,
would you mind letting me know your
name.
My name is Captain Clifford" was
the reply.
l left the room without speaking
further II was nearly 10 o'clock, but
! resolved to 80 straight to Leonora
and tell her what | had discovered.
dressed hnrrledly and was descend.
Ing the stairs when the front door
opened and DR.. Herslct entered.
"Haye you seen the patient, nurse?"
he asked.
yes" | answered. II have unpack.
ed his things. am going out to see
Miss Trefusis; have some important
news for her"
Il am afraid | cannot spare you
now" he said. "The operation Is to
be performed early In the morning
and want to talk the case over with
you. Come into my consulting room"
followed him down the hall and
entered the consulting room.
Now, nurse" he said. "wha. do
you mean by saying you have news
for Miss Trefusis?"
DO you not intend to marry her In
about six weeks?" asked.
Certainly: but what has your news
to do with that"
Everything. You engaged yourself
to marry Leonora on a condition. She
promised to wed you only because she
believed her old lover to be dead"
Which he Is. did say TO her that
II such thing should happen as that
the dead should return to life. I
should In honor give her up. But |
was never sufficiently Interested to
even ask the name Of the gentleman;
| preferred to avoid the subject"
You can scarcely avoid 1t now"
said. DIR. Herslet, Leonoras old
lover exists; he Is alive and In this
house now. His name Is Captain Glf.
ford. Go to Leonora. II you do not be.
lieve me. and ask what her lovers
name was. Ask her to show you his
photograph. Tho photograph Is that
OF the man upstairs, your patient"
DR.. Herslet's cold eyes gazed at me
steadily. The mans nerves must have
been made Of steel. for he never
finched.
Il Will investigate your story" he
said. in the meantime, do not In.
tend TO allow you to see Leonora to.
night. While am absent you shall
remain here" Without waiting for a
reply. he left the room, and locked the |
door after him. At the end OF an
hour he returned. His face was as
cold and impassive as ever.
II have verified the truth OF your
tale" he said. II visited Miss Tref.
usis. and for the first time since our
engagement alluded to her old lover.
She wept ! asked his name and par.
tlculars about him and was shown his
photograph. My rival lives; he Is up.
stairs. Tomorrow am to perform a
critical operation upon him. Think