The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-02-18
By nw;a3Raa


treatises which had won for him an en-
viable place in the scientific world. Ten
years of his life had been spent abroad.
Concerning this decade the good people of
Laurens knew little but imagined much.
While the more conservative attributed his
isolation to the eccentricities of genius,
that rumor always rife in provincial COM
munities limited darkly at mystery. But
whatever that mystery if mystery there
were, it did not react unpleasantly upon
the daughter
Nerissa Selden moved in the highest So
cial circle afforded by the staid little In
diana city, grazing it by her beauty, in
tellect and varied accomplishments. She
was the idol of the doctors heart. He in
dulged to the uttermost her every within
and desire as though finding in her hap
piness ample recompense for the dreariness
and sadness that apparently enveloped his
own life.
Thus it was that Gordon Bristow. en-
viable as had been his successes, allur-
ing as were his prospects, and unimpeach-
able as was his character, had hesitated
long before deciding to ask the recluse-for
the greatest solace of his lonely life.
Despite his semi-intimacy with Miss Sell
den, the lawyer had never been within the
walls Of her home, for the Seldens did not
encourage visitors. But from hearsay he
knew that, aside from the eccentric phy-
stefan himself, the household consisted only
of the daughter and a housekeeper.
The Selden homestead fronted on mar
row street in what once had been the most
aristocratic section of Laurens. II was an
ivy-ciad, square stone house, ponderous.
gloomy and half-concealed with gnarled
trees. The grounds about it were over
grown with shrubbery which had been
brought to some semblanee or order. vet
retained its share of the pieturesoueness
tnat seemed an inseparable part of the
whole place
AS Br.stow assembled the steps of the pill
Jared veranda he espied pinned to the door
a square sheet of coarse, heavy paper
which, as he gained closer view of it,
caused an ejaculation of amazement to fall
from his lips
Crudely outlined upon the surface was
red circle transfixed by a purple dagger!
Instantly his thoughts reverted to the
stranger he had encountered on the walk,
instinctively connecting him with this fresh
puzzle. But almost Immediately the pal
pable absurdity of the deduction dawned
upon him. The work was decidedly ANA
flourish and no doubt attributable to some
mlschevious urchin in the neighborhood.
But he failed to note a double line of foot
prints leading to and from the entry way
--fpnfur;rfc uuh L
Actuated by desire to save the family
from the annoyance of discovering what he
considered practical joke, Bristow pulled
the paper from its fastening and crammed
it into his pocket. Then, with the discon-
eerting fear that his suit would be rebuffed.
he applied his knuekles to the door.
Scarcely had his vigorous rat-tat ceased
echoing through the house than the portal
was opened and woman stood framed in
the doorway. She was dressed for the
street Her figure, Brstow observed, was
1.-THE and well-formed. Not much past the
meridian of life, she still retained traces of
what must once have been great beauty.
But her eyes were what commanded and
held his attention. They were large and
black and seemed to look him through and
eiHoosh' couio Sne ne the housekeeper?
Bristow doubted it. There was nothing
about this well-dressed, perfectly poised
woman to suggest the unGering.
no are you and what do you wish?n
she demanded after an interval of inspec
ton SO prolonged as to prove embarrassing.
Her voice matched her eyes, Bristow
thought, both in coldness and penetrating
qualities Yet he fancied there was an
Indercurrent perturbation IN her man.
rer