The Weekly Journal. — 1903-12-04 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

CHAPTER I.  Nearly twenty years have elapsed, and many evbeennent adventures in my career have keg since been forgotten, but that awful night, and the terrible chain of events which were destined to follow in its wake, will never be eradicated from my memory. It was long pad midnight, and I was ha.. teeing homewards through a labyrinth of streets in a distrkt in North London, where I then practised; for I had been detained for mineral hours by the critical condition of a patient, and was anxious to obtain sense reposse before starting on my morning rounds to fulfil my professional engagements. To shorten the route I turned into Bautwell Equare, and had only proceeded a few paces when the door of one of the large houses of nhich it is composed was thrown violently open, causing it to rebound with a loud crash, vilich broke the silence of the night There. disclosed to my view, was a fair young girl of eighteen or thereabouts, attired in a loose Hewing gown, over which long golden tie-sees of hair hung down her back. As I passed momentarily to gate on this sine:wets-A apparition, she bounded down the wide steps ficm the entrance, and advancing, threw her arms convulsively over my shoulders, turned her handsome face up to mine, and cried in a %dee expreseive of deep anguish and dread: "Oh ' save inc Save me Irons baum !" Before I could reply to Shia heartreadin appeal a man of &Mut forty years of age, attired in evening dregs, appearea at the open doer, and holding at arm's length what I could «in by the glimmer of a neighbouring lapels was a revolver, shouted in a rough commanding tone: Move but one step and I'll fire!' I was young and impetuous then, and the feeling of chivalry which dominates the breasts of most young Englishmen when lovely woman is in distress left no time for reflection, and, ei Weft my companion by the arm, we ran Demise the road. _ _  Two shots were fired, but luckily for us the would-be asasasia was too agitated to take a careful aim.  f• Fora moment my heroine stood as if paralysed, sad I was greatly relieved to hear a cab approaching, which I hailed, and drove to my residence in Antill-etrect. a mile distant. On arriving home I led the exhausted girl into the consulting room, and administered • soothing cordial, whilst in • low tone *be uttered repeated thanks to ate for effecting • timely rescue. There was • tremor in her voice, indicating that • reaction had sent in, consequent on the excitement and terror of the situation in which I found her. I therefore refrained from aiding any unnecessary questions. I had seen and beard enough to justify me in acting as I had done, and so resolved to wait until the morrow for an expkination of the Ininterious attack made on her life. IVithout further delay I placed her in the care of my housekeeper, Ipirgaret Gaut, a plain. matter-of-fact perms, who at my request subdued her womanly curiosity and put her charge in a spare bedroom usually reserved for visitors.  At dayhreak I was called out to attend my patient of the previous night, and on my way hack I surveyed the scene of the etrane enCounter. The blinds of the house were drawn i"f aa t were unoccupied, and cantentiAg myeelf with observing that the number was ninety-one !retraced my steps to Astill-street. As the morning was somewhat advanced I was stir'prised on arriving home to learn from the ibottsekeeper that my companion of the previous night had no Ued atamadwn tealmaa alappezzagi demister:a. kelannt, who bad my tp eall va meal lor, tea*, mining breathlenb ints ths 'room, exclaiming • '" Dr. Heythorn ! come 1; =Latimer ermine's lying etilessie• aa4 eh dear litre s Samalt Oa ' • = • s fr s ;a , ,  to observe, too. that the hands were clenched and the face drawn in a manner which to my professional eye could only give one possible interpretation—poison! During the first few moments of this tragic discovery my concern was only for the dead, hut presently my own perilous position dawned upon me. llere beneath my own roof were the poisoned remains of a strange girl, of almost peerksa beauty, of whom I could give no so. count, either as to her antecedents or even her name; and the circumstances under which we met were hardly such as would be credited, without some corroborative evidence were forthcoming, which was rather improbable. Then the possibility of the deceased having committed suicide suggested itself to my mind, and I carefully examined the surroundings, but they disclosed no indication which would justify one in arriving at such a conclusion. The more I pondered over the situation the inure convinced I became that it would be necessary for me to proceed to investigate matters with the greatest caution. The only chance of elucidating the mystery lay in finding our midnight assailant, and upon the success of the search depended my future; for my professional career, if not life itself, was at stoke.  11