Show AN EVENTPUL NI9HT I BY CLARA ARKER Copyright W by s S McClure Co When Brown saw that I had been interrupted In-terrupted he too came to my side and the paIr grouped themselves about me and stared at me expecting and with reason that noW I had been given leisure for thought lucid ideas must begin to flow from me while In reality real-ity had I been tapped for speech at that moment 1 must have babbled forth mere scraps of the perplexing 4 chaos with which my mind was reeling reel-Ing Vas the girl Insane Was it my duty to hand over the little crumpled confiding con-fiding note to the stern dark man beside be-side me Never Whether the girl was insane or not that note was mine 1 If insanity had been its Inspiration some reverent hand must deal with its own folly If not Insanewhat then was expected of me Why was I j reply and Hoskins moving forward at that moment I stood revealed to the sharp eyes of my host In all the glare of light which the small lamp could boast 1 am Dr A of whom you have perhaps per-haps heard I said boldly setting fire to my ships with an unfaltering hand 1 supposed that you had sent directly to me 1 am something of a stranger here was the evasive reply and svIth a long look at me he was gone leavIng me In a state of feverish uncertainty as to whether I was unmasked or not Gladly now wquld I have entered the sick room alone on some pretext or another In hopes of a lat word of expfanatlon but the slowpacing Mos hIns was ever at my heels and to all my suggestions that the young lady should be left entirely alone and that Hoskins herself might take some sleep while I kept watch she brought forth I I w I I i trI f a = i = I I J jl lil I Felt Rather Shocked at the Lightfingered Dexterity I Suddenly Developed De-veloped warned against the dog beneath her window Could it be that she actually meditated a theatrIcal flight If so where were the needed ladders What Was to be done with the dog And how do you find her sir broke In Mrs Hoskins cheerfully Pretty bad aint she I had a niece I once that was took the same way and We Was upwards of three days a glt ting her to sense things If she would only take a little nateral sleep now Her words came to me like an Inspiration Inspira-tion Blessed be thy wagging tongue Hoshim oh long may It wave went I up my mental shout while outwardly I said a few grave things about nerves and mental pressure which seemed to hit the mark somehow for my listeners did not jeer me but on the contrary looked reasonably Impressed To speak candidly I exclaimed bOldly while I was groping for words as though grappling with a foreIgn tongue 1 fear congestion of the nerve centers but 1 cant be sure There Is nothing more illusive than these symptoms symp-toms However I shall give her a quieting powder and In three or four hours I shall be able to tell exactly how much Wl have to fear 11r proposal which involved a long stay at the house was not pleasing that much 1 could gather from the frown upon Browns dark face but It excited no suspicion and with a faint gleam of hope glowing at my heart I Cook the water which Mrs Hoskins was still holding and after pouring out half of It with a great show of caution managed while apparently mixing It with the contents of a small black bottle bot-tle which smelled like varnish to drop Into it half a chocolate of cream which in tla 1 i nimbly extracted from a honboa dish In the table at which I was working Indeed 1 felt rather shocked at the lightfingered deXterlt I suddenly developed eloped It seemed to indicate an aptitude apti-tude for questionable practices anything any-thing but encouraging to contemplate ThY seemed to expect that I would administer my own medicine but after covertly rinsing the candy about as long as I dared in my guilty effort to dissolve it and color the water a respectable re-spectable brown 1 handed the glass sternly tp Mrs Hoskins I had no right to touch the Impulsive girl who had thrown herself on my honor underthe false impression that 1 must be some peaceful old fellow with marriageable daughters and all that though how she could have epecter any such antiquated anti-quated party to climb about through windows and toy with bloodhounds I could not nor cannot yet conceive However her innocent blunders had nothing to do with my plain course of duty so 1 looked on with what grace 1 might while the clumsy Hoskins lifted upon her arm the slender figure and forced my harmless dose between the scarlet lips devoutly praying the while that the candy had all dIssolved Very neath dId the patlcnt do her part Not even a profeseonal artist could have Jut to shame her restless 1mpatlenct the drowsy opening of her eyes and their soft closing We must haw the room perfectly Quiet now 1 said Mr Brown would It be possible for me to have the use of a room next to this for an hour or so The trouble with my tooth has used me up badly but what can 1 expect Whets one chooses the life of a physician he chooses a dogs life let him be clever as he will And then rook at the thanks he gets Let him I crag a aria out of his grave clothes 5 and ts ProvidenCe that gets the credit II but let the man die and how quickly Providence iS let off scot free i And yet a doctors fee Is not a bad r thlIU to have In ones pocket 1 Imag i Iie half laughed half sneered my i companIon But come below with me i and we wIll have them set us out some J lunch I As may be Imagined all this talk had I not been carried on In the sick room Gradually we had drifted out Into the hall and stpod thcre lighted dimly by clamp Which Mrs Hoskins carried Of = course I knew I must not go below I though the suggestion of lunch was rI tempting Indeed SO 1 still held to my jj ungracious bluster You are very kind I saId severely But 1 must get my boom off arid cover up warm We physicians need some care though our rratlents seem to doubt it However How-ever I added more grIclousl 1 might pick at a little cold meat If you would send It UP that an1 a glass Of nlne wouldnt be at all bad You shall have them Immediately said Brown But let us say a bottle or wIne lnstebd tif 3 glass and by the way slre do YOu know that 1 have neglected to get your name How very strange YOU must think me and I j paused while his foot was act1Jally raised to go and leave me In peace to send that fatal broadside back Into lay shaky breastworks What under heavens was 1 to say t 1 What did 1 know of Ills knowledge of J the people In the City where I was almost al-most a total stranger I 1 Well well I exclaimed with a hol lQW laugh this Is droll certaInlY but I b I took It for granted that our servant I had explained J 1 have not seen him was the short o > c oJ t U r i = G the same rambling argument A quilt In a chair and me In It couldnt be In any ways disturbing to one more accustomed ac-customed to company than to be without with-out she exclaimed amIably until 1 gave un fairly worn out I took possession of the room assigned as-signed to me as soon as a lamp a fire and a neatly set lunch table had made I It ready Once alone InsIde that room the door shut on all Intruders and brought before the bar of sober judgment judg-ment 1 felt that a straight jacket was all I lacked for a fully equipped madman mad-man Yet condemn my folly as 1 would I felt no desIre to retreat Even then 1 mlghthae crept downstairs on some pretext or other have slunk from tha house and made off wIthout much chance of detection But there I sat turning over and over agaIn every project that presented itself tomy feverish fe-verish fancy for carrying out the scheme of the crumpled note which I now boldly consulted Conqult it as I would however there was nothing moro to be got from It than that 1 was expected to help a perfect stranger a young girl apparently appar-ently confined to her bed with a serIous serI-ous illness 010 rise from that bed and bolt through a secondstory window guarded by an ugly bloodhound out Into a freezing night In the care of a single man of 50 reckless a character char-acter that he had earlier In the evenIng even-Ing hidden himself In an innocent mans carriage killed that helpless nJan taken his belongings and was now foisting himself upon her notice t 01 fc I under an assumed name A black outlook out-look 1 was forced to admit and I dont mistake me for imagining 1 made light of the painful circumstances I deplored them deepl but what would you have had done k Had the lddy been plain reason mIgiit have spoken with a louder voice or at least Its faint piping have been lIstened to but as It was I merely I decided by the time my lunch Was finIshed fin-Ished that If anything was to be done 1 must immediately set 1n action someone some-one of the many operations neces san sanHosllns Hosllns What was to be done with her And then from all I could recall of her personalitY beyond her loosely balanced tongue and the fact thAt she was large and dark one little thing came hack to me which brought me to my feet a hopeful smIle struggling with the wollen melancholy of my features fea-tures She had a very red nose which I might reSult from a disordered stomach stom-ach andmlght not Very softly I c I ened the door of my room for I had nO wish to disturb the slumbering of the rest of the household and very softly I tiptoed to thedooof the sick rGm whfch found st ndlng a ferw Inches ajar on account of the heat I surmised for I cjuld eel the hot air fanning my face as 1 peered In cnrtlouslo before entering Everything was quiet The bed 1 could not see plainly but before the fire which was blazing brightly Mrs Hoslins sat leaning back comfortably In a hue rocker while her feet In reckless disregard Of the laws of grace and decorum were holsted upon a second sec-ond chair where they lad slid from the red woolen blanket which had been wrapped about them and confronted me as I approached huge and motionleFi1 in their gray woolen casings like sentinels senti-nels before a sleeping city For Mrs ltut I = HoskIns was sleeping But even as 1 saw It and moved back with my heart thumping violently at the swift thought that bfore wakIng her that I word of explanation I might as my right demand could bespoken she started peevishly awake Lor a mere she muttered pet tislily her eyes glaring at me wild and bleared but She followed me wlll Ingl3 enough when I beckOled her Into the hall where we might talk without disturbIng our patient Vas she took any way that you heard 1 she asked In a hoarse whisper whis-per her mouth working with an abortive abor-tive yawn Im ttoubled with InflamIng Inflam-Ing of the lids an set mostly with ID eyeS shut Its more saving on em than glasses besidos being more handy I have been thinking over all possIble pos-sIble causes for this attack I exclaimed exclaim-ed with the absorbed air of a medical fanatic Has the young rady been in the habit of drugging herself Does she ever use opiates of any kind to mak her sleep and I glared at the woman as sternly as the limited use ot my rIght eye would admit Her silts were fogged with sleep and stirred slowly but after staring dully at me for a moment she brightened visibly evldentl fired with the hope of ansWerIng ansWer-Ing and getting rid of me Yes sir she answered eagerly she do sometimes use a powder an Its often an < ften Ive told her she hadnt orter but shes that stubborn and set youd jud hardly believe I when she gas a notion UonShe She has some left Bring them I sid sternly 1 shall sift this matter to the bottom Upward of a dozen I should say sy sir and with a step heavy wlth7s1eep she moved away returning after a few moments with a small green box Inher 1 C T t 0 hand These are ur she saId giving vent to a might yawn which had been convulsing her since she started from her sl ep You lool all used up said fasten 1001 upa Ing a professional eye upon her You need something to brace you up Have you noting in there that you can tae a little Ine now or even a drop of straight whisky Ah I had not been mistaken Her 1 eyes lighted greedily and then were overcast with helpless resentment I haent a drop of nothing she said sullenly Mr Brown Is not of the thoughtful kind and makes no reckon Ins of the wear and tear of being broke of ones sleep as a stlddy thing Them that goes to bed regular she added morosely cab little estimate the needs of them that must set awake nes In their hours of rest re Tat Is very true I remarked austerely But I shall have n word to say about that tonight 1 cat have you wearing out suddenly just when I may need you Walt here for a moment mo-ment andY highly gratified with my clever trick I took the box of powder and hurried back to my room where after pouring out a liberal glass 6f wine 1 stood debating what next On the box I read Miss Brandon One powder every hour until relieved S my young friends name was Brandon Until relievedthat meant of curse until she should fall asleep But surely If one powder was prescribed for so dainty an Invalid at least double that dose should be allowed for the great robust creature I had just left and hasily shaking In the contents of two of the folded papers 1 rushed back Into I me the hall where my victim was awaiting With what pleasure and Jlfcongat Ulaton did 1 watch her drain the glass to Its uttermost dregs Then we separated arated she going her way to fan asleep as 1 told myself Inside of the net five minutes and I mine to gloat In secret over the easy victory 1 had won Five minutes 1 waited In restless inaction and then felt tempted to go and view mv work But there was no hurry and taking a chair by the fire I had determined to walt patent for another five when the sound of shufing steps in the halhvay outside brought me to my feet in vague alarm Had my fraud been discovered Had Doctor A come back to life and followed fol-lowed me My hand flew to my pocket where it grasped a sal penknife my sole weapon when the door opened and In walked Mrs Hoskins in a state of feverish excitement She was carrying a box In her hand a blue one this time and she lung It down before me with a most disrespectful disre-spectful dlla of Ill temper Thems the sleeping powders she snapped laying her hand upon her head with a reeling motion while 1 stared at her in i lively horror But how Is one to tell I with writn worse than them as dont i lay claim to be no scholards Lr help I me them spirits went straight to my head she went on Which t right 1 your and sir snatching vacantly Into the air beside me You look to I have a d zent want had I dOne In the name or mercy of what had 1 given a double I dose to the poor creature Wildly 1 turned over In my mind all possible poisons and their antidotes mik oil whites of eggs all danced before me Women sometimes I had heard took I dreadful tins for their complexions Vas there to be a second corpse on I my hands that night And yet once more It had not been my fault Rushing at the tottering woman I got her Into a chair gazing at her as 1 did In such an agony of fear let she drop dead in my grasp that she took the alarm herself and making certain that death was near turned such a greenish white that wIthout reasonIng reason-Ing what I was about 1 seized anotbm tumbler or the spirits and dashed It down her throat with scarcely me caution than 1 would have used had I pitched I Into the kitchen drain Fear of her immediate death that and only that was my motive in stocking her thus heavily with the strong liquor and I what followed cannot be laid at my door excepting In the form of an un I merited accident Yet 1 understood there are those who do not take the same view of the matter At first the poor creature choked which 1 will admit was m3 fault In that 1 forced the liquor or her 5J nb rupty I was sorry for my awkward zeal find aided her to the best of my power to regain her breath patting her 1 violently upon the Jack while her gurgling though deep was low But once she had passed this stage 1 san what that second glass had done saw reason leave her eye and she place to a sly stupor saw and flung a pillow upon the floor to which she shambled and sank down babbling Im feeling very comfortable thank you she gabbled as I strove to drag her farther from the fire but my I head aint what It shoud te Too much setting up of nIghts has done It Rut 1 heard no more Leaving my I sacond victim 1 hurried across the bal to tap as light as a feather against the door of the sick room though had my own ears been all 1 cared to reach he loud thumping of my hear kt that moment would have equaled the boomIng boom-Ing of any cannons cannon-s though my timid knuckles had touched some hidden sprIng the door resp6nded Instant and through a slight aperture a wisp of dark hair waved and the gleam of a fine eye shone on me te a whispering voice i asked me what 1 wanted It Is I I altered idiotically forgetting forget-ting that 1 had as yet no Identity with my questioner beyond the rather vague one of a medical man Im the doctor doc-tor you know I added huskily my tongue refusing me the service of a glib lie Oh with a most dPJlghtul inflec ton and the door swung an Inch or two farther open i4it in place of ae blt ceplng this friendly advance L skulked back Into the shade of the unlit hal like some sheepish assassin I C J Where Is Mrs Hoskins came In the same guarded hlper Look out for her Sine zany be hiding somewhere She doe that lots and then dodges qUL Oh1 shes just horrid She wonLno Sheshes asleep 1 altered 1 gave her something smeof your powaerS but no sooner had 1 uttered the words then I re pentedmy confession What i ate all It as not the wine which pad affected tected her what I eVen then she was breathing her last l In some horrid death ffgqpy The thought was sicken Inc Oh oh hoW awfully clever And there was a sound as of soft hands beaten together gently Bu the dog was the nextdlsmaed exclamation Theyc let him out again I heard him champing about downthere just a moment ago Oh you may depend on It we can never get out l he Isnt done away with I had forgotten the brute and J must confers that but for the gleam of that fine eye which had grown plainer and gwn developed Into a pair I should have par felt much vexed at the reminder I I could Qn give him sleeping powders My ear erkened painfully for the slightest sound from the room 1 had left Oh 1 think ve can manage the dog all right 1 sid lightly while not the alntest plan as to how I was to male good my word suggested Itself to my m1nd In the mood 1 then was 1 could have strangled any best with my naked hands and relished the details de-tails of the tS at that 01 how awfully clever you are came In ant bdmirlng gasp from behind be-hind e the hafop ned dear But f yturegolng a to shot please let me know before you set Ule gun Ol o shall be sure to scream I always I co coI shall not shoot 1 said with a patience pa-tience begot O the fine eyes and huffy halrn wouldnt do you know The noise would Why to be sure with a soft little laugh It would make a mess o everything Qut you see Im so stupid Goody now Ill get dressed and be all ready and tile door shut gently In I face leaving me standing alone in the darkness gaping helplessly about me All ready she saId 1 could have laughed aloud but that Ifel more In dined fur tears All ready for what Well I could not ImprOve matters by Yel standing there sowith a reluctant tep1 turned to reent r the chamber I lad left What shoUld 1 see Some horrId starIng corpse soni miserable froth m ing object ll but gone yet with strength left to rIst and curs me I so gbodb even totfne eyes and Sift dark hair 1 had stood a great deal that night but there were limits I felt to myendurace the With a sinking heart 1 pushed door open only to jump back In hysterical hys-terical amazement The won was afoot again and babbling foolishly How gladly What was to be done then would I have exchanged her for the corpse 1 had so dreaded to see There was little sense In what she said but I made out that she was lookIng look-Ing for Miss Brandon and 1 managed to quiet that cry by telling her Miss Brandon was asleep and must not be disturbed at the same time tearing about In searCh of something to do with her while she trailed at my heels with doglike devotion doglke And then her intoxication if such 1 may call it began to tale alarming forms which preyed dreadfully on my conaclence Her islon grew shock tingly distorted and what with her resolution to folow me about and the number of me sheremed to see she was forever taking Imaginary walks with wa me In part 01 the room where I was nottalklng asraJly to any piece of furniture as to me and never findIng find-Ing out her mistake unless she haPpened haP-pened to run against me r Heving bove she would whisper hoarsely to a tall dresser by the window win-dow 1 cant rightly make out docQr to be leggy all I how It Is you come s legg of a suddlnt and then to the tsh stand as 1 chased her there Give her nateral sheep docj gie her nateral sleep and shell PUll through some how Ive said It before an t say I Ive eore now sleCls what we need and plenty of I It was a shameful situation and I what was worse I distinctly heard steps below The creatures babblng tongue had started some one awak With a desperate hand I jrked open the next door to me and when 1 found It admitted ad-mitted me to a small dark closet I did not hC3 tate Miss Brandon 1 In here I hissed In the womans ear snatching her ranticlly by the arm Go In and lie down beside her It will keep her quiet and then youtn have your sleep out She obeyed me In the same doglike manner In which she had followed me about and although In the face of this docility It seemed a brutal act I turned ed the key securely upon her feeling analmost murderous thrill of satlsfac tlon as her murmuring died away In the denser stqpor into which the confined con-fined air of the place plunged her And none too soon did those mutter I H a Ii 1 1 q 41 J I11ThfNV II Her Peat In Reckless Disregad of Grace and Decorum Were Hoisted Upon a Second Chaiiv logs cease for I now dIstinctly hearc step mountIng the stairs with evident Cl not to trOtid too roughly Not darIn dar-In to meet day questioner where 1 then was I rushed softy into the hal where the happy conception seized meof affecting to be just on the pglnp of leaving the sick room when my visitor should come up It was well though that he darkness of the hal concealed m guistined features or tIle merest child must have detected some mischief brewing l that you doctor cafe In a growIng whlspei from Brown while a firm cool hand seized me so suddenly I sud-denly I l but shrieked so shattered was my sellcontrol What In the areou up to anyhow Itsounded as though a pair of you were dancing lt1e minuet I thought an order for quiet asgIven And so it was managed to say coldl as a man without humor who r c feels himself affronted with a jest Butt But-t hope that does not Interfere with Mrs I Hoskins heating tlannels at my order for your niece now that her fever ha suddenly left her Brown gae a soft whistle To be sure not he said with more civility 1 Intended no disrespect I assure you but kindly ask Hoskns to toeandhee it In her stocking feet hereafter Sir I exclaimed Irritably Im a wretched sleeper he C plalned coming hastily back to dlgnl I fed discourse and Hoskins should I know It I cant imagine how she had the temerity to go crashing about so Shivering like a windswept red I I waited for him to demand that he should see hlsnlee or cal for the disgraced dis-graced Hoskins but these trials were I notlad upon me for now with a restless rest-less yawn he left me atera mid hope for the further Improvement of his niece and when the last echoes of his steps had died away 1 rePt back to the room I had left and stood trembling trem-bling there for some moments before I could be certain that he had really gone with no suspicion to bring him creeping up those stairs aaln For ten minutes I waited while the house was silent as the grave Not aboard I a-board creaked not a curtain rustled Then drwlng off my shoes 1 made soft across to a window which I reasoned rea-soned must look out upon the place where the ferocious bloodhQund lurked Inch by Inch IJke a trained housebreaker house-breaker I raised the sash my heart stopping dead still at the faintest creak then rushing on with congestive jerks at a easy slide until finally It was prODDed un at n helht to admit of nut tnS out niy head and shoulders Cautiously I peered forth Into the darkness for dark i was with only a star glimmering here and there and nothing but faint outlines of the jagged jag-ged mountain peaks showing themselves them-selves against the sky The air was keen and cold and the ground covered with a skim of had dry snow A nice night Indeed for people to be launching launch-ing themselve from sndstor win cows and taking to theIr heels through unknown frozen districts Well end up at the bottom of a canyon wIth a fractured bone or two for company I muttered as I let my gaze roam despondently about Theres the dog sure enough as my eyes becoming be-coming more accustomed to the dark nC made out a moving black body on the snow beneath I Is one thin to look down at a dog from a secondstor window and alotherrnd quite a different thing to rid yourself quietly of him On any other night 1 should have exclaimed Impossible and tamely closed the i wIndow But on this special night I mind seemed fairly lurfd with bright I thoughts 1 suddenly sped back to the table clutched the napkin from my lunch tray and found that 1 had not exhausted the generous supply of cold meat sent up for my refreshment With trembling fingers 1 spread out the contents con-tents of the medicine chest upon a chair close by1 and bean In a purblind fashion to studY the different labels Confusion seized upon my mind at the first row How could medical men pretend to understand such gibberish 1 My mind had not been neglected In mouth m-outh and yetA could make nothing of i Defeat stared me In the face but with a cold proud smile 1 counted the number of bottles I had before me Ten with a few bold slashes I had the meat quartered and lying ready to my hand This done and the bottles divided into four different sets and ranged con vqnlenty about me my real work b gun The first relay or bottles came tome to-me In the form of powders 1 dipped section No 1 of my meat supply in the milk jug before 1 attempted to smear I over with as much of the powdery stuff as I could make hang on being careful to tae a fair amount from each bottle in hope that In some one I of them lay the deadly drug 1 sought I was remarkable how much 1 made that piece of cold beef hold When not another cram would stick I took it up gingerly crept to the window took accurate aim and flung It straight at the tee of he restless animal They must have kept the brute hal starved for with a plunge and a snap he sem d to catch the morsel while It was et In the air But nothing hap pened his restless walk went on and Impatiently I rushed back to my ghast h work ThIs time I was liquids wIth which 1 had to deal and m3 work was easier but how they smelled The house seemed reeking with their biting fumes and i was with streaming e I again sought the window and stood with my second prescription suspended over the hay space below No need to peer abut In the darkness now In search of my reckles prey The animal ani-mal expected me and crouched directly beneath my window where the light from the lamp shone upon his gaunt frame revealing him with his huge jaws distended a pretty sight for one who might at any moment be pitched forth to become his midnight lunch Out went my second lot I could see him plainly this time He met I his full length from the round with U an appetite perfectly disheartening Not even its horrid smell feazed him and down it went with a dreadful champing champ-Ing sound While completely discouraged 1 turned again to thE table What did Dr A keep In his chest anyhow Drugs designed solely for the use of teething children And ret who could tell Perhaps Per-haps my method might be bad 1 might be doing up poison and antidotes In I the same bundle This time 1 mixed I powders and liquids with an Impartial Impar-tial and liberal hand but It was with wih only the faintest hope that I gathered up mj third dose and again sought my post at the window The dog was not there Was not here nor was he lead I could see hIm seq him plainly I that mass of moving snow and fur could be a dog Faint angry yelps rose from the tossing heap and my I heart stood still Then suddenly a I looked the mass took shape and rose and ran as nothing dependent on mere legs ever ran before melting away Into the darkness beyond with a long low howl which struck etonecold upon my fainting heart We are undone 1 all but cried for that mournful howl must set even the cocks crowing upon their roost Then came the thought that speed might even yet save us for once outside who was to follow u In such darkness with enough and more than enough of cay ems about Into which ve might crawl and evade pursuit Why we were do in It at all and what right we had to evade pursuit I had no time to consider con-sider as again 1 fled the room which was strewn all about with evidences of my late traffic In animal life The disordered dis-ordered boxes which had been handed me by the now helpless Hoskins the uncorked medicine phals all spoke loudly to me of my deadly work and 1 could but feel like some beast or prey creeping from its lair a 1 stole out and closed the door behind me This time my knock at the door of the second chamber was less guarded for my nerVes were getting into horrible hor-rible state but it was not so quickly answered and 1 was growing alarmed when It was flung wide open though I en noiselessly and Miss Brandon stood before me not dressed In her flowing robes but In a trim suit of black such as you might see a dozen Jf any day In a well dressed crowd only they would not all be so becoming becom-Ing to their owners Over this she wore a short fur coat Her hair was tucked away under a cap to match and there she stood looking so warm so fresh and smiling that somehow the memory oC my bandages came back tome to-me filling me with such a sense o deformity and inferiority that 1 think my bearing took color from the morbid mor-bid abasement of mY mind I know hat 1 held my right eye with one hand while I talked to her and that 1 shufedtn my feetas she looked at me while Tblt mf tongue t6 keep from cring aloud that I a not the bloodless old dotard she so fondly I dreamed me to be Oh she brust out In an excited whisper as soon as per eyes fell on me YOU do think pf the funnlst thing I Now tel re whatever you have done < F d t = to that dreadful dog to mae him go running about so scratching things Did you her him yelping I guess thats what dogs do Iws just sure hed wake everbody up wezent you 1 I had been indeed and yet was At that very moment I fancied I could hear some one movln and bracIng up my manhood I spoke decidedly Insple of those things about my jaw Ye must go atonce I said moving Into the room with a catlike step Wilt you be able to hang cn t one end of a blanet while I lower you from the windowZ I dared not look at her while 1 made this cool proposal for I fully expected her toturn pale and shrinkbae besides be-sides th horrid suspicion haunted me that even should she consent It would end In her completing my listf vle tms and what with the doctor 1 Hoskins and the dOg I was sickepeI of blood T mf amazement she laugheda delghtful gentle little chuckle thlch made me lon more keenly than ever long to bury the snuff old doctor zn t rise mself to fill his shoeS nl Oh how perfectly killing it will be she whispered seeking for sympathy In the dePths of my dull swollen eye See The wIndow Is all readylor us I tier was putting I up when 1 mw the tierSuddenly SUddenly 1 started stabbed to the heart with fresh trouble I had dragged a blanket from the large chair In which r Hoskinshadbeen sttr t and was testing Its strength as best 1 could when It occurred to me that allmy oUtdoor out-door apparel was downstairs 1 certainly cer-tainly could not venture out on such a night ant knowIng how long I might remain dodging about without some sort of covering yet I dared not go downstairs In search of mine My cap and coat was the cry wrung from me In my distress Instantly In-stantly my companion grasped the situation sit-uation with smiling composure Are downstairs she dnlshe for me Of course we cant think of going to get them but there ae some of Ir Hoskins things here that will do Shes so dreadfully big you knov and before I could prevent her she had dived Into a closet close at hand fri which she emerged presently frlurn phanty holding up o mj view a large gray and black plaid shawl and one of those mamcolord woolen bag known a toboggan capI was the last straw fo my overburdened vanity Weal them 1 could have snatche them frm her iIuinthem on the floor at hr fet lunthC upon them but for the added absurdity And then too what awkward evidence Ih the shape of cardcase marked handker chief or other fataLtrifie might I nit leave In the pockets of my abandoned coat Insulted perplexed and downright angry I stood glaring about me but before I had voiced my annoyance a faint sound below put tlght to all thought of more trifling dlsconrforta Someone was moving cautiously whether towards movltg from us to seek or avoid I could not tel but It decide me to haggle no ipcger l over my appearance good or baa Literally snatching the hqrrible headgear from Miss Brandon who was tranquilly I kneading It Into shape I crmmed I down about my ears feeling a certain savage delight In the selrtoitr 1 II mcted mctedI will be warm anyway murmured mur-mured my companlm with a glance of kindlY amusement which I haughtily loed Come I said briefly snatching up the blanket We hae not a second to Ipse and I rsled stealthily to the pn windotr and tungqut In advance the shawl which was to serve me asa as-a covering Miss Brandon folQwed me In a state of what I could plainly see was pleased excitement The window was high up fromthe floor and as we stopped before It she looked Into my swollen eye with a facE Qt Innocent expectation J cant get up there alone ythi know he whIspered and with an almost audible groan I put my arm gingerly about bel lurclad waist ad the next instant in-stant she was sitting with her feet outside holding towards me her un sloe hands for the blanket The mor ld fear which possessed me that she was to make my fourth victim was not lessened by that moment In which I held her inmy arms and a she grasped j grasp-ed the quit with two small white hands andoked at me with a friendly nod to tel me that she was ready for the drop r felt every particle of strength leave my bidy Come back I faltered but she was over the side and with desperate hands 1 clutched the blanket I seemed so short Had I miscalculated miscalcu-lated the height of the window I f dared not look down as 1 leaned far out giving the full length of my arms to the clumsy contrivance Suddenly the weIght left i Had she fallen My eyes seemed glazed a I turned them downwards There was a black heap upon the snow beneath Was she living or dead But now again sounded that step b low I seemed nearer this time I was coming upstairs comIng softy I and pausing on each step a though s1m one had stopped to listen It had a horrid sound in that gloomy house and I seemed to see a dark face gliding toward me a whit hand uplifted to huh the very echoes that he might her 1 had meant to do glany things the time for which was passe The closet door1 had meant to unlock It upon the hapless Hos king but now the feet had reached the hal With a warning hiss for my conlrator below J swung myself front the window and dropped speculating even while I fell on the probable length or my life should some part of pie double up and strike wrong In my mad plunge To b Continued |