Evening star., 1920-02-15

called my man servant Kellmann-I am
going to speak of him particularly later
on-who fetched lamp. I turned the
light on the white face at our feet. 1t
was emanciated, the hair prematurely
gray. but ! recognized my poor cousin.
as l was sure l should. He opened his
eyes and fixed them on me with a wild,
with a most imploring expression.
eAclaimed-'Good Cod Lionel! Is it
really your
He gave me wan smile, nodded,
then tainted. With Kellmanns aid l
carried him to my bedroom During
that short Journey / reflected that since
my cousin had visited the house in this
secretive. this stealthy fashion, which
so became the mystery that surrounded
him, 1t might be polite to respect his
wish not to be seen and talked about.
So l requested Kellman to keep his
tongue still. This was to prove fatal
piece Of evidence against me.
Directly l saw Lionel in the full cleo
trio light felt that he was dying. Not
that he had received any serious hurt
from his tumble; but his wasted body,
the fever that burned in him, his ex-
hausted breathing. told their eloquent
tale. With Kellman's help got Off his
wretched clothes and put him into nv
own bed. l had a telephone in the house
and l promptly rang up my doctor. He
arrived and pronounced the case almost
hopeless. He said. He is on fire with
fever. and 1t will burn, out his candle
within twenty-four hours
when l heard that l saw the ex-
pediency of taking the medical man into
my confidence. Naturally, he was as
tonished. He said. You may have some
difficulty in proving it. 1t may be a
good thing for you that you called me-
Doubtless you recognize him, but have
you any other evidence?' Yes, he an
s"ered 10 his name, and my servant
kellman was witness to that I re-
piled. That Is something said the doc
tor. But had You not better search
these rags of clothes"
Together We acted on the suggestion
We discovered pathetic testimony to
the truth. In his coat pocket we found
the last letter he had received from his
fancee.'
And his left hand?" he asked.
Our visitor showed bewllderment
Did you notice his left hand?'' re-
peated Tredways
II cannot say that I did," was the
surprised response.
"All right. Continue"
1.-The doctor went, but promised to
look in again in an hour or two. I
spent the interval by Lioners side,
AS his temperature climbed up and
up he became so violent in his de-
lirium that I called in Kellman to
assist me in sheer physical control
of the patient. More than once dur
Ing that painful interval I caught
my servant looking flxedly at me in
a stealthy, sidewise fashion. He was
aware that there was a life between
me and fortune, and that this life
was ebbing as we watched It,"
How did he know as much?" Tred-
ways questioned.
He was in the room when the doc
tor and l talked"
"Then OF course he knew. well?"
My cousins struggles gradually
ceased; the incoherent expressions on
his lips died away into long sighs
He was dying. The doctor did not
appear. ! hoped fervently that he
would come and that by admins
tering one Of those forceful injec-
tions which make a fading spark leap
into flame he would give q few lucid
seconds to my cousin in which he
could explain the mystery of his
strange vanishing and his more ex-
, traordinnry re-appearance: in which
he could give me few words of
farewell to the woman whose heart
he had almost broken by his mex
plicable conduct.
AT an early hour before midnight the
doctor came. He bent over the pa
tient who was then perfectly still.
b Good God! he cried. This man is
going to pull through
AT those words some inclination drew
my eyes toward Kellman, who was
folding the wretched garments that
lay In a pile on the floor. He was
regarding me with a cunning express
sion that seemed to worm its way to
the middle OF my soul. Despite my
efforts to show perfect composure i
felt my face grow pale. / am but
human and 1 am not rich. A great
fortune which had just been extend
,ed toward me was abruptly jerked
back. But controlled that ignobls
emotion the instant Of its birth. 4
+, am alad TO hear IT, doctort I ans0rareA