Year: 1874

not certain on which day they intended
to leave London, thought should call
at my uncle's house in Westend Square
and inquire. When l rang the bell the
door was opened by tall woman respect
ably dressed in gray. She did not look at
all like servant, and seemed between
forty and fifty. Her features were good,
but masculine, and she was very pale, but
her paleness was not unhealthy. To my
inquiry if Mrs. -w was at home, she
said: "No; they have all gone" and be-
fore had time to ask when they left the
door was shut. I knew that my uncle did
not intend leaving town till the dissolu-
ton of Parliament, and that, when his
family were from home. he generally
stayed at the Palace Hotse!l.; so / went in
search of him. found he was staying
there, but was not in. I then went to his
club, but was unable to find him. /
wished to know when was expected at
Brighton; but, as was aware that l
should be welcome at any time, my chief
reason jp looking for him was to find out
who the strange woman was that was
taking care of his house, as I could not
get her face out of my head. did not
see him, however, and the next day I left
for Brighton. I took the earliest oppor
tunity Of asking my aunt in whose charge
she had left her house.


"There is no one in the house." she
said; lit is locked up."


l then told her that had gone to the
house; and described the woman who had
opened the door, adding that she was one
of the strangest.looking women had
ever seen. My aunt said that I must be
mistaken, as it was quite impossible there
n0nT0 he fhoro Nv
agreed with her, and asked me, among
other things, whether had dined before
going to the square.


II know what he has DONE" cried
Amy, a smart child of eight" he has
rung the wrong bell" The theory ap
peared to receive general acceptance; but
I was not to be done out of nv belief in
this manner, and stuck firmly to nv orig
inal assertion. My favorite cousin,
Annie, was the only one who took nv
part, and said that, for all they knew.
some one might have got into the house.
III any one had got into the house."
said my aunt, cit is quite evident that
they would not open the door to any per-
son who came to it,


But" pleaded Annie, "if they were
there for no harm!"


Nonsense" said one of her sisters;
"it's Mathematician" At this they all
laughed, and joined them, though I was
in no laughing mood.


AS Annie had taken my part, she did
not desert me, but telegraphed to her
papa to 60 to their house and ring the
bell, knock at the door three times and say
"Open sesame" When she told us her
| message, she added: "If there is any one
in the house they are certain to come for
that" to which we all agreed. My uncle,
who would do anything for his daughter,
| did as he was requested and telegraphed
back that all his efforts had made no i'm
! preston on the door. I was then left
alone. Annie sided with the rest in tell
| ing me had made mistake. was un-
shaken, however, and the recollection of
the strange appearance of the person who
had opened the door made me feel very
uncomfortable. made some excuse to
60 up town the next day and determined
to investigate the matter for myself. On
arriving in London, went at once to my
uncle's house. l rang the bell, but no an
swer. knocked, but all was still. I
again rang furiously and even kicked the
door; but in vain. began to think that
l must on the former occasion have gone
to the wrong door, and went out some
distance from the house to look at it be-
fore leaving. The blinds we're all down.
but just as | was turning to 60 away saw
a hand holding the bottom of one of them,
was merely for an instant that saw this,
and left, feeling rather sick.


| I returned to Brighton the next day, and
told what had seen. could not, how
ever, affirm that l had seen the hand with
the same confidence as had spoken about
the woman. The action was so instanta'
neous that felt might have been de-
ceived; so that when my cousins began
to cross examine me on the subject, and
show its unlikelihood, rather Wavered.
When l admitted that I had rung and
knocked for about five minutes without
any one coming, they evidently thought
that was mistaken on both occasions,
and had seen nothing. My aunt had not
this time ventured to give any opinion.
Much to my disgust, they then began to
talk of people who had imagined they saw
all sorts Of strange things, till at last my
aunt stopped them. She was looking very
| grave, and put numerous questions to me
about my health. Was quite certain I
had not been reading too hard, lately? My
cousins understood her and we're silent. I
saw Annie looking very pitiful]y at me.
They evidently thought my mind was af-
fected. This was more than could bear,
and I quite believed what they told
me the next few days, that I was
looking very unwell indeed. My
uncle came down for a night. He took
me aside, and began talking very mysteri-
ously. "Young men," he said, reading
law in chambers ought to take great care
of their health, and not overwork them
selves" I had not had book in my
hand for about month, but I did not


tell him so. He strongly advised me to


take tour on the Continent. When


saw my aunt she repeated what her hus-


band had said. They had evidently had


conference about me. AS did feel q


little unwell, and had no desire to stay


among people who thought was little


erazed, replied that I thought little
travelling would do me good. I found
; some men whom had known at college
who were going to Switzerland, and they
asked me to join them. We spent three
J very pleasant weeks in rambling about
!, and then we went to Vienna. I saw
/ many people knew, and quite forgot
, why had left England. The memory OF
that strange looking woman never haunt
, ed me while was away. was away al
:, together about five weeks. The day after
J I returned to London, as l was going to
Westend Square to see if my uncle had
, returned before going to Scotland, the
, thought of what had seen at his house
darted into my mind. Just then I met {


friend. "Have you heard of the grea


robbery at your uncle's?" he said. I wa!
unable to answer MIN. II have not hearc
particulars,'' he continued, "but it seem,