Produced by Jeffrey KrausyaoTHE MASTER OF SILENCEA ROMANCEFiction Fact and Fancy SeriesEdited by Arthur StedmanBy Irving BachellerNew York Charles L Webster  Co 1892THE MASTER OF SILENCECHAPTER INear the end of my fourteenth year I was apprenticed to Valentine King Co cotton importers Liverpool as a pair of legs My fatherhad died suddenly leaving me and his property in the possession of mystepmother and my guardian It was in deference to their urgent advicethat I left my home in London with little reluctance since my lifethere had never been happy to study the art of moneymaking Onarriving at the scene of my expected triumphs I was assigned to thesomewhat humble position of errand boy In common with other boys whoperformed a like service for the firm I was known as a pair of legsLodgings of a rather modest character had been secured for me in thewestern outskirts of the city near the banks of the Mersey I was slowto make friends and my evenings were spent in the perusal of some storybooks which I had brought with me from London One night not longafter the beginning of my new life in Liverpool I was lying in bedlistening to the wind and rain beating over the housetops and drivingagainst the windows when suddenly there came a loud rap at my doorWhos there I demanded starting out of bedAs I heard no answer I repeated my inquiry and stood a momentlistening I could hear nothing however but the wind and rainLighting a candle and dressing myself with all haste I opened thedoor I could just discern the figure of a bent old man standing inthe hallway when a gust of wind suddenly put out the candle The doorleading to the street was open and the old man was probably a stragglercome to importune me for shelter or for something to eat As I relit thecandle he entered my room and stood facing me but he did not speakHis clothes were dripping and he was blinking at me with strangegleaming eyes His hair was snowwhite and as I looked into his facethe deathly pallor of it frightened me His general appearance was morethan startling it was uncannyWhat can I do for you I askedGreatly to my surprise he made no reply but with a look of pain andgreat anxiety sank into a chair Then he withdrew from his pocket aletter which he extended to me The envelope was wet and dirty It wasdirected to Kendric Lane Esq No Old Broad street London EnglandThe address was crossed and 22 Kirkland street Liverpool writtenunder it in the familiar hand of my guardian A strange proceedingthought I Was the letter intended for my father who was long dead andwho had removed from that address more than ten years ago The old manbegan to grin and nod as I examined the superscription I broke the sealon the envelope and found the following letter undated and with noindication of the place from which it was sentDear BrotherI need your help Come to me at once if you canConsequences of vast importance to me and to mankind depend upon yourprompt compliance I cannot tell you where I am The bearer will bringyou to me Follow him and ask no questions Moreover be silent likehim regarding the subject of this letter If you can come procurepassage in the first steamer for New York My messenger is provided withfunds Your loving brotherRevis LaneI had often heard my father speak of my uncle Revis who went to Americaalmost twenty years before I was born Now he was my nearest livingrelative No news of him had reached us for many years before my fatherdied I was familiar with his handwriting and the specimen before me waseither genuine or remarkably like it If genuine he had evidently notheard of my fathers deathExtraordinary as the message was the messenger was more so He satpeering at me with a strange halfcrazed expression on his faceWhen did you leave my uncle I askedHe sat as if unconscious that I had spokenI drew my chair to his side and repeated the words in a loud voice buthe did not seem to hear me Evidently the old man could neither hear norspeak In a moment he began groping in his pockets and presently handedme a card which contained the following wordsIf you can come tear this card in halves and return the right half tohimI examined the card carefully The words were undoubtedly in my uncleshandwriting The back of the card was covered with strange characters inred ink I tore the card as directed and handed him the right halfHe held it up to the light and examined it carefully then put it awayin a pocket of his waistcoat The look of pain returned to his faceand he coughed feebly as if suffering from a severe cold The hour beinglate I intimated by pantomime that I desired him to occupy my bed Heunderstood me readily enough and began feebly to remove his clothingwhile I prepared a sofa for myself He was soon sound asleep but I layawake long after the light was extinguished He was evidently quiteill and I determined to go for a physician at the first appearance ofdaylight As soon as possible I would go with him to my uncle Therewere no ties to detain me and it was clearly my duty to do so Perhapsmy uncle was in some great peril If so I might be of service to himWhen I arose in the morning my strange lodger seemed to be sleepingquietly His face looked pale and ghastly in the light of day I steppedclose to his bed and laying my hand upon his brow was horrifiedto discover that he was dead What was I to do I sat down to thinktrembling with fright I must call in a policeman and tell him all Iknew about my strange visitor No not all I must not tell him aboutthe letter thought I My uncle might not wish