The Washington times., 1913-03-31
CHAPTER " (continued).

<%~ RESENILf L nearu loot-
steps and that seemed to
break the spell little
They were coming from
behind me. so / turned to look.
They were couple of gend-
armes tramping along on their route.
I heard little movement beside me,
and turned to look at the girl. The
sound had attracted her attention, too.
She was looking in my direction, but
wasn't looking at me at all-just in the
direction of the sound-and the hood
had fallen back from her head and
well, she was the girl of the portrait
the ghost-girl.
i felt then as II I'd known 1t was
she from the moment l saw her stand
Ing there. She didn't make sound, but
her eyes widened a little as the gend-
armes came nearer and she turned and
ned. vanishing in the mist When they
came opposite me they slowed down
and looked at me a bit curiousIy ana
passed on. They didn't pay any atten-
ton to the girl. I suppose the explana-
ton is that l fell asleep there on the
bridge and dreamed about the girl. as
often did dream about her, and that the
coming OF the gendarmes walked me
up"
"well," said I. '1et US be thankful for
a reasonable explanation where we can
get one. Undoubtedly that is the ex-
PLANTATION in this case"
jeffrey drew long, unsteady breath.
I wish could say undoubtedly In
that tone of voice about anything. Drew.
people can talk all they like about the
tortures Of the Inquisition and SO on,
but the most exquisite torture in the
world Is doubt about the validity Of
your own observations. That's the thing
that's driving me pretty near crazy.
can't trust my own sense any more
Don't exaggerate," l said, sharply.
don't doubt anything that you have
reported to me. / can't explain it. I'll
agree. But there is an explanation. We
may find it out some day, or We may
happened. I'm going to stick TO that
and ! want you 10"
II don't know" he said II haven't
told you yet. I've been afraid to tell
you. Because, when ! tell you, you
won't believe any more than ] do. List
arranges for me to paint portrait for
Miss Meredith from a Photographic
photograph of a girl who's dead. and he
takes the photograph out of its paper
wrapping and shows it to me. And what
do YOU suppose / see there? Whose face,
Drew? Guess-guess whose face IL was."
/ stared at him and my own dry
throat could hardly utter the question
the wild, fantastic question his words
suggested.
He nodded. THE same face. The
very same face that had seen on the
bridge, that I'd found painted during
my absence there in my studio-the face
ror while the sitter herself painted it,"
He stood up and thrust out his hands
at me with a kind of feverish energy.
do you believe me now? Haven't you
any misgivings yourself? Haven't you
got right now in the back of your head
the deo that you'll run around and talk
TO Pritchard or Foster or some other Of
those big nerve and insanity special
ists?"
the mark, but / thrust the misgiving
out of my mind as soon as II showed
Not a bit of it," said 1. But you
WIN be a patient of one of those fel-
Look here! You painted the portrait
from the photograph din't you? You
could see straight enough to put II on
canvass to satisfy Miss Meredith with
the result"
"oh! my, eyes and hands are all
rtRht." said jeffrey. IF there's kink
snywhere. it's farther inside than that"
"You say ii was Miss Merediths
niece you painted a portrait of? How
recent was the photograph"
Jeffrey eaYe a laugh that was half a
shiyer. well, that's the last question:
he said. That brings out the whole
tale. The photograph. Drew. was taken
In Paris four years ago. 1t was three
years ago that the girl died. She died
in Paris of smallpox-during the epi-
denic three years ago. And. well. you
can verify the other date yourself. 1t
was two wears ago that you and Made
line visited Paris, wasn't II? You're
quite sure of that?"
There was a ring at the door just then
and we heard Togo, the Jap, admitting
some one into the anteroom.