The Washington herald., 1914-12-27

1 his feet instantly. "A man turned
Then stopped suddenly. silencing the
rest behind clamped jaws and taking
sharp step which carried him round the
right angle of the bed into the shadow
cast by its canopied and curtained top.
For q gentle tap had sounded at the
ldoor.
Come inF called out cleek. and In
obedience to that the door swung softly
inward and hall porter appeared upon
the threshold.
Gentleman in the coffee room-name
Of Mr.. Arthur Spencer, sir-asking to
see Mr.. Dollops." he announced defer
entially.
Dollops glanced over to Cleek. met
masters inquiring look. and nodded.
"oh. all right" said Cleek. under
standing what that nod meant. SHOW
him up. please. at once" Then. as the
door closed and the servant vanished;
This Mr.. Arthur Spencer is the young
gentleman in question. is he not, Doll
lopsg'
Yes, sir. The gentleman as lived
with the other gentlemHn-hima as sum-
mersaulted OF himself into nothin' and
nowheres, sir. The dyer chap took me
to see him. guv'ner. He's come q long
way-from close to Rugby, sir-where
him and his sister and his brother
John lives in the house where the sum-
mersaultin' was done. and where the
party as done 1t used to live as well.
Father was a gentleman farmer in
Cheshire. sir. but lost all his money be-
fore he died. and the farm beIn'. mort
gagged and them not bein' able to pay II
of. the Spencers lost It, sir. and are as
poor as a church mouse. So when
Oh, lummy! II hadn't seen you do
that govner-and do IT this many q
time-rd never believe ! was q looking
at the same man; there aren't a feature
Of your ole blessed face like what it
was afore!''
CIeek's only response was one of his
curious one-sided smiles. A folded dress
ing-gown was in an open portmanteau
near his feet; he stopped and took 1t up.
put it on. pushed the portmanteau under
the bed with his foot, and had no more
than tied the cords about his waist.
when another tap sounded at the door.
and in response to his composed Come
in!' the knob turned and Mr.. Arthur
Spencer stepped into the room.
Cleek's Quick-moving eyes lifted,
flashed him a sharp. searching glance.
and then reste upon him-satisfied.
DoIlops had alluded to him as "a young
gentleman" CIeek's first look assured
him that the description was merited.
How are yer, sir?' said Dollops. as he
opened the door to him, and immediate
Iy closed it after him. I've spoke to
the gov'ner; and it's all right, Mr.. Spen-
cer-jist as told yer knowed 1t would
be. sir-Mr. CIeek-this ere Is Mr.. Ar
thur Spencer, the gentleman was q
teIlin' you of. as would come here on my
invite to lay q case before you
Pleased to meet you, Mr.. Spencer" 4"
said Cleek, walking forward and giving
him his hand.
IT have read so much about you," re-
piled young Spencer, returning warmly
the firm handshake. "But-may be very
frank? I am in no position to tender a
sum such as services from you both COM
mand and merit, and I would not insult
you by offering the little can afford
though. perhaps, If the mystery of the
thing can be cleared up, and It is found
that Mr.. Scarlet has lived up to his often
repeated promise to my sister, my broth
er John, and me, may one day be able
to show how greatly I appreciate and
how sincerely L"
I'VE won't talk about that" cut in
Cleek. Now, then. who is this Mr.
Scarlet? Any relation to the luckless in
dividual Cof whom Dollops has been tel
ling mel who summersaulted himself out
OF exercise?''
He is the actual person"
You speak as IL he were still in the
world, Mr.. Spencer. / thought he was
supposed to have summersaulted him
self out Of it,
so did we up to last night Then, as
mysteriously as he disappeared, he came
back again-we don't know how, we
don't know from where; all that we do
know is that, from going away almost
in a state of imbeciIity; a man who did
nothing but jabber all day OF dead son
who was-in his own terms-Beckoning,
beckoning, beckoning' ne has come back
a dumb man who has lost not only the
power OF speech but the power Of hear
ing as well, and who, far from wishing
to be always in our company and to
listen to my sister, as formerly, now
seems to have no desire but to huddle
away in his own bedroom with all light
and all air excluded, and his head sunk
dejectedly between his hands"
'Hum-m-m-"' said Cleek, screwing up
his lips and pinching his chin. That's
peculiar. Suppose you begin at the be-
ginning, Mr.. Spencer, and let me have
the facts in their proper order. Should
be right or wrong in supposing that
the man is related to your"
Quite wrong, sir. As a matter Of fact,
none Of US ever saw or even sheard Of
him until nine or ten months ago. He
came into our lives quite accidentally,
and all we know Of him is What we have
learned from his own lips. Possibly you
may have been told, Mr.. Cleek, that the
foreclosure of a mortgage which we