The Spectator., 1915-07-09

and that no card was necessary. He, however, gave the name of Chatter"
 Chatter" I cried, starting up. Are you certain of that name?"
 T only know what Cowan told me, was my uncle's reply. But do you know him?"
 Not at all Only I've heard that name before,' I said. "I knew a man out in Italy of the same name But where is the visitor now?"
 Tn the hospital at Dumfries. They took him there in preference to leav- ing him alone at Rannoch."
 "Alone?"
 "Of course. Everyone has left, now the host and hostess have slipped off without saying goodby. Scandalous affair, isn't it? But, my boy, you'll re- member that I always said l didn't like those people. There's something mysterious about them. I feel certain. That telegram gave them warning of the visit of the man Chatter. depend upon it, and for some reason they're afraid of him. It would be interesting to know what transpired between the two men in the library. And these are people who've been taken up by every body-mere adventurers, l should call them!" And old Sir George sniffed again at thought of such scandal hap pening in the neighborhood. If Gilrae must let Rannoch, then why in the name of Fortune doesn't he let 1t to respectable folk and not to the first fellow who answers his advertisement in the Field? It's simply disgraceful!
 Certainly it is a most extraordinary story" l declared. "Leithcourt evi- dently wished to escape from his wis., itoI and that's why he drugged him"
 Why he poisoned him, you mean. Cowan says the fellow is poisoned, but that he'll probably recover. He is al ready conscious. l hear"
 resolved to call on the doctor. who happened to be we'll known to me, and obtain further particulars. Therefore at eleven o'clock l drove into Dunn. fries and entered his consulting room.
 
 trifle bald, and when I was shown in he welcomed me warmly, speaking with his pronounced Galloway accent
 Well, it is a very mysterious case, MT. Gregg" he said, after I had told him the object of my visit. The gentle man is still at the hospital, and I have to keep him very quiet, He was poi soned without doubt and has had a very narrow escape of his life. The police got wind of the affair and Mac kenzie called to question him. But he refused to make any statement what. very lightly. The police however, are mystified as to the reason of MT. Leith- courts sudden flight, and are very anx- ious to get at the bottom of the curious affair"
 Naturally. And more especially after the tragedy up in Rannoch wood short time ago" said.
 That's just it" said the doctor, re. moving his pince-nez and rubbing them. Mackenzie seems to suspect some connection between Leithcourt' s sudden disappearance and that mys- terious affair. It seems very evident that the telegram was warning to Leithcourt of the man Chater's inten- tion of calling. and that the last-named was shown in just at the moment when the fugitive was on the point of leaving"
 Knowing all that did. was not sur prised. Leithcourt had undoubtedly taken him unawares, but knights of in dustry never betray each other.
 My next visit was to Mackenzie, for whom I had to wait nearly an hour. as he was absent in another quarter of the town.
 "Ah. Mir. Gregg!" he cried gladly, as patiently reading the newspaper You are the very person wish to see. Have you heard of this strange affair at Rannoch?"
 "I have" was my answer. Has the man in the hospital made any state ment yet?"
 None. He refuses point blank" an sWtTtu tHe ueteCtlNe. put my own idea is that the affair has a very close connection with the two mysteries of the wood"
 The first mystery-that of the man proves to be a double mystery" said.
 How? Explain it."
 Well, the waiter Olinto Santini is alive and we'll in London"
 What" he gasped. starting up. Then he is not the person you identi- fled him to be-"
 No. But he was. masquerading as Santini-made up to resemble him, mean. even to the mole upon his face"
 But you identified him positively"
 When person Is dead 1t is very easy to mistake countenances. Death alters the countenance so very much
 That's true" he said refectively But If the man we've buried is not the Italian. then the mystery Is con aN.4 .4.as