| Show faw f il i l ca TOR 14 4 L PY 4 L ay I 1 ir I 1 pl r 0 socia airn CHAP CHAPTER Triz XVI vi 4 I 1 A MIDNIGHT VISITOR OW all this time while the corn com edy was being played in these three suburban vil las while on a corn coin mon place stage love end humor and lights and shadows mere so swiftly sue beeding each other and while these three families drifted together by fate were shaping each other s destin destinies lei and working out in their own fashion the strange inari ate cate ends of 0 human life there were human eyes which watched over every stage of the herfor nance and which were keenly ariti al of every actor on it across the road beyond the green palings and the close cropped lawn be hind the curtains of their creeper framed windows sat two old ladies miss bertha and miss monica william williama looking out as from 4 private box at all that was being enacted before them the growing friendship of the three families the engagement of harold denver with clara walker the engage ment of charles with her eister sister the dangerous fascination which the widow exercised the doctor the preposterous behavior of the walker girls ai d the unhappiness which they had caused their father not one of these incidents escaped the notice of the two maiden ladies bertha the lounger had a smile or a sigh for the lovers monica the elder a frown or a shrug for the elders every night they talked over what they had seen and their own dull uneventful life took a 41 warmth and a coloring from their neighbors as a blank wall reflects a beacon fire ana now it was destined that they should experience the one ke keen en sensa tion of their later years the one mem arable insider t from which all future in should be dated it was on the very night which sue ceedee the events which have just been narrated when suddenly into monica williams head as she tossed upon he sleepless I 1 lee pless bed there shot a thought which made her sit up with a thrill and a gasp bertha said she plucking at the shoulder of I 1 er sister I 1 have left the front window open no monica surely not bertha sat up vp also and thrilled in sympathy 1 I am sure of it you remember I 1 had forgotten to water the pots and then I 1 opened the window and jane called me 4 about the lam jam and I 1 have never been in the room since good gracious monica it is a mercy that we have not been murdered in our beds there was a house broken into at forest hill last week shall we so go down and shut it I 1 dare not go down alone dear but our it if you will come with me put on your slippers and dressing gown we vve do not eed need a candle now bertha we will go down together two little white patches moved vaguely through the darkness the stairs creaked the door whined and they were at the front room window monica closed it gently down ind and tast fastened ened the what a beautiful mooil moon said she looking out we can see as clearly as it if it were day how peaceful and quiet the three houses are over yonder it seems quite sad to see that to let card apon number one I 1 wonder how num her ber two will like their going for my 14 part I 1 could better spare that dreadful woman at number three with her short I 1 skirts and her snake but oh bertha sr 4 look look look her voice had fal 1 10 sen len suddenly to a quivering whisper and ehe she was pointing to the Westma cotts houas house her sister gave a gasp of hor and stood with a clutch at monica s arm staring in the same direction there was a light in the front room a blight slight wavering light such as would be given by a small candle or taper the blind was down but the light ahone shone dimly through outside in ohp th garden with his figure outlined against the luminous square there stood a man his back to the road his two hands upon the window ledge ana and his body rather bent as though he were trying to peep in past the blind so absolutely still end and motionless was he that in spite of the moon they might well have over looked him were it not for that tell tale light behind good heaven gasped bertha it is a burglar but her sister set her mouth grimly and shook her head we shall see ehe she whispered it may be something worse swiftly and furt furth hely ely the man stood suddenly ud denly erect and began to push the window slowly up then he put one knee upon the sash glanced round to see that all was sate safe and climbed over into the room As he did so he had to i push the blind aside then the two i spectators saw where the light came from mrs was standing as rigid as a a statue in the center of the room with a lighted taper in her right hand for an instant they caught a glimpse of her stern face and her white collar then the blind fell back into position and the two figures digap feared irom from their view oh that dreadful woman cried monica that dreadful dreadful worn wom aal an she was waiting for him you sav it with your own eyes sister bertha hush dear hush and listen said her more charitable companion they pushed their own window up once more and watched from behind the curtains for a long iong time all was silent within the house the I 1 still stood motion les 1 as though MS M s re bained ricilly in the one position tion while from time to time a shadow passed in front of it to show that her midnight or was ras pacing up and down in front of her once they saw his outline c parly early with mith his hands outstretched as if in appeal or entreaty then suddenly there vee was a a dull sound a cry the noise of a fall the taper was extinguished and a dark figure fled in the dooni rushed across the garden and vanished amid the shrubs at the farther side then did the two old ladles un der stand that they had looked on whilst a tragedy had been enacted help they cried and help in their high thin voices timidly at first but gather ing volume as they went on until the rang with their shrieks lights shone in all the windows appo site chains rattled bars were nere doors opened and out rushed friends to the rescue harald with a stick the admiral with his sword his grey head and bare feet protruding from either end of a long brown ulster finally doc doe tor for wall er with a poker all ran to the help of the Westma cotts their door had been already opened and they crowded tumultuously into the front room charles white to his lips was kneeling on the floor sup supporting his aunt s head upon his knee she I 1 lay AY outstretched dressed in her ordinary clothes the extinguished taper still grasped in her hand no mark or wound upon her pale placid and senseless thank god you are come doctor said charles looking up do tell me how she Is and what I 1 should do doctor walker kneeled be belde beide ide her and passed his left hand over her head while he grasped her pulse wi with t h the right she has had bad a terrible blow said he it must have been with some blunt weapon here is the place behind the ear but she is a woman of binary physical powers her pulse la 13 full and slow there is no it is my belief that she Is rr arely stunned and that she Is in no danger at all thank god for that we must get her to bed we shall carry her upstairs and then I 1 shall send my girls in to her but who has done some robber said charles tou you see that the window la Is open she must have heard him and come down for she was always perfectly fearless I 1 wish to goodness she had called me but she was dressed sometimes she sits up very late I 1 did sit up very late said a voice she had opened her eyes and was blink ing at them in the lamplight A villain came in through the window and struck me with a 4 life Pr preserver eserNer you can tell the police so when they come also that it was vms a little fat man now charles give me your arm and I 1 shall go up stairs but her spirit was greater than her strength for as she staggered to her feet her head swam round and she would have fallen again had her nephew not thrown thron his arros arms around her they carried her liar upstairs among them and laid her upon the bed where the th doctor watched beside her while charles went off to the police station and the den vers mounted guard over the frightened maids CHAPTER IN PORT AT LAST al had broken be fore the several den izene of the wilder ness had all re turned to their homes bomes the police fin shed their in quirles and all come back to its normal quiet mrs h had a d been left sleeping peacefully with a email small to steady her nerves and a handkerchief soaked in arnica bound round her head it was with some surprise therefore that the admit al received a note from her about ten 0 clock asking him to be good enough to step in to her he hurried in fearing that she might have taken som turn tor for the worse but he was reassured to find her sitting up in bed with clara and ida walker in attendance upon tier her she had removed the chandker chief and had put on a little cap with pink ribbons and a maroon dressing jacket daintily bulled at the neck and sleeves my dear friend said she as he en I 1 lh lah to make a last few re marks to you no no sha continued continue di laughing as she saw a look of dismay upon his face I 1 shall not dream of dying tor for at least another thirty years A woman should be ashamed to die be fore she Is seventy I 1 wish clara that you would ask your father to step up and you ida just pass me my cigar ettes and open me a bottle of stout now then she continued as the doctor joined their party I 1 don t quite know enow what I 1 ought to say to you ad miral you want some very plain speaking to pon my word ma am I 1 don t know what you are talking about the idea of you at your age talking of going to sea and leaving that dear patient little wife of yours at home who las seen nothing of you all her life it a ill all very well for you you have the life and the change and the excitement but you don t think of her eating her heart out in a dreary london lodging sou you men are all the same TO BE CONTINUED CONTINUE D |
