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Show OUT: Ofr TttE BlTY: 0 c yi: V. ' "X fiy A. CON AN DOYL& JNTERlWT'rni '" t'SXMTlON. CltAPTKIl XVI. A MlliMolir VIslTllll. nJC T OW nil this time. r ,l while the trugl-coin-. . ' V I rrtv wan being J!. V; ..' A I, i-iy " 'i"" ( (;... three suburban vll-f vll-f $'" l- while on a cow t J 4"1 mnnplnee stage love UV' ntnl humor nd IlKhln bii.1 shadows I were swiftly suc- reeding ench other. J ml while these three limlMK. drifted together by Into, were shsplng each others ftratlnli-i end working oul In their own fashion the strange. Intricate Intri-cate ends of human life, there were human ryes which watched over every (lax of the performance, and which were keenly rrltl.-nl of every actor on it- Across the rend brynnd the green palings and the close-cropped lawn, behind be-hind the curtains of their creeper-framed creeper-framed windows, ant two old Indira, Silas llerlha and Mm Monica Williams, looking out aa from a private box nt all that wsa being enaeted before them. The growing friendship of the three families, the eng.iclnenl of Harold Denver wllh Clara Walker, the engage. ment of Charles Wcstn.nrolt wllh her Inter, the dangerous fascination whlrh the wlilow exercised over the Hot lor. the preposterous behavior of the Walker girls mid the Ulihapplni-SB Which they had caused Ihdr father, not one of these lucid. 11 let cscniH'd the notice of the two maiden hidlea. llerlha the younger had a smile or a sigh for the loveta, Monica the elder a frown or a ahrug for the eldera. livery night they talked over what they had even, auid their own dull, uneventful Ufa took warmth and a coloring from their neighbors aa a blank wall rellocta a beacon lire. And now It waa deatlned that they should experience the one keen sens-tlon sens-tlon of their laler years, the one memorable mem-orable Incident from which all future In-oidenta In-oidenta ahould be dated. II waa on the very night which uc-f uc-f eeded the eventa which have Juit been 1 narrated, when suddenly Into Monica rj Wllllama' hd. aa aha luaeed llton her I v sleepless bed. there shot a thought ' I which made her all up wllh a thrill and a gasp. ' "llerlha," aald ahe, plucking at the ( atioulder of her sister, "I have left the front window open." "No. Monica, aurely not." Bertha aat W alao, and thrilled In aympalhy. "1 am aura of It You remember I had forgotten to wnter the pota, and then I opened the window, and Jane called me about tho Jam, and 1 have never been ta the room since." "Good gracious. Monica, It la a mercy that we have not been murdered In our beds. Tl.cre waa a house broken Into at Forest 1 1 III Inst week. Shall we go down and shut It?" 'I dnro not go down alone, dear, but tf you will come with me. put on your allppera and dressing gown. We do not aeed a candle. Now, llerlha, we will aTO down tokether. Two Utile white patrhea moved vaguely throuKh the darkness, the alalra creaked, the door whined, and they were at the front room window. Monica cloaed It gently down, and fastened the snlb. "What a beautiful moon!" said ahe, looking out. "We can aee aa clearly as If It were day. How peaceful and quiet (he three bounce are over yonderl II aeema Quite sad to see that 'To U)t' card apoa number one. I wonder how number num-ber two will like their going. Kor my part I could better epere thnt dreadful woman at number tkrve wllh her ahort aklrta and her snnke. Hut, oh, llerlha. look) look!! look!!!" Her volee had fallen fal-len ainhli nly to a quivering whisper and he was pointing to the Westmacolts' house. Her slater gave a gnsp of horror, hor-ror, and stood wllh a clutch nt Monica's arm, staring In the same direction. There waa a llvht In the front room, a sIlKht. wavering light suck aa would be given by email candle or tnper. The blind wan down, but the light ahone dimly through. Outside In the garden, with his figure outlined against the lumlnoua square, there stood a man. Ills hack to the road, his two hands upon the wlnilow ledge, and his body rather bent as though he were trying to peep In past the blind. Ho absolutely still and motionless was he that In spite of the moon they might well have overlooked over-looked him were It not for that tell-tale light behind. "flood heavenl" gasped Mertha, "It Is a burglar." Hut her sister aet her mouth grimly and shook her head. "We ahsll aee," ahe whispered. "It may be something worat." Hwlftly and furtively the man stood auddealy erect, and began to push the window slowly up. Then he put one knee upon the aash. glanred round to aee that all was anfe, and climbed over Into the room. As he did so he had to push the blind aside. Then the two spectators ssw where the light came frum. Mrs. Weslmacott wna atandlng. aa rigid aa 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 fare and her while collar. Then the Mind fell back Into position, and the two llgurea dlssp-peared dlssp-peared from their view. "Oh, thnt dreadful woman!" erled Monica. "That dreadful, dreadful woman! wom-an! Hhe was waiting for him. You saw It wllh your own eyes, slsier Hertha!" "Hush. dear, hush and listen!" said her more charitable companion. Tliey pushed thalr own window up once more, and wat'hel froin behind the eurtntne. Kor n lonu time ill w.i silent within the house. The light f 1 1 ' I too, motion. Ir-s aa though M.. Wi'tmncott remained re-mained rid lly In the one poriti n. while from time to time a Kluinv p I In ft -it of It to show th.it her tut In ,:M vlait .r waa . icing up an I d -n In fiont f her . they saiv hi. ..lllllne ' .irlv. with his hands ouistr.'t ! .1 n If In appeal or entr.Mty. Tl en eiH'l.'t'ly li'.-re was a .lull sound, a it.-, the noise of a f ill, the taper was exilnsulshed, I and a dark llmire fled In the moonlight. ! rushed across the garden, nn.l vm.shed ntnl. I the shrill s nt the r.uthcr sMc. Then only .lid the two old ladles understand un-derstand thnt they hail l .ok. d on whll-t a tragedy ha.1 been enaeted. "Help!" they .-rlcd. and "Help- In their Hah, thin voices, 1 1 ml lly at firm, but gathering gather-ing volume ns they went on. until the Wilderness rang with tt'elr shrieks. Lights shone In all the windows opposite, oppo-site, chains rattled, bars were unshot, doors opened, and nut rushed friends to the reseue. Harold, with a stick: the Admiral, with his sword, his grey head and bare feet protruding from ellhor end of n long brown uNter; finally, !oe. tor Walker, with n poker, nil ran to the help of the Wrattiiaeotta. Their door had been already opened, and they crowded tumultously Into the front room. Chnrles Weslmneotl. while to his lips, was kneeling on the floor, supporting his atinl'a head upon his knee. Hhe lay outstretched, dressed In her ordinary clothes, tho extinguished taper still grnsped In her band, no mnrk or wound upon hcppnle, plneld and senseless. "Thnnk Hod you are come. Doctor," snld Chnrles, looking up. "Ho tell me hnw ahe Is, and what I should do." Doctor Watker kneeled b'je her, nnd passed his left hand over her head, while ho gruspe.v her pulse with the right. ".he hns had a terrible blow." snld be. "It must have been with some blunt weapon. Here Is the place behind the ear. Hut ahe Is a woman of extraordinary extraor-dinary physical powers. Her pulse Is full snd slow. There Is no stertor. It Is my belief that she Is merely stunned, and that she Is In no danger at all." "Thank God for Hint!" "We must get her to lied. We shall carry her upstairs, and then I shall aend my girls In to her. Hut who has done Hilar' "Home robber," aald Charles. "You see that the window la open. Phe must have heard him and come down, for ahe was always perfectly fearless. I wish to goodness she bad cnlled me." "Hut she was dressed." "Bometlmes she sits up very late. "I did sit up very late." snld a voice, "he had opened her eyes, and was b!luk Ing at them In the lamplight. "A villain came In through the window and struck me with a life preserver. You can tell the police so when they come. Also thnt It waa a little fat mnn. Now. Charles, give nie your arm and I shall go upstairs." up-stairs." Hut her spirit waa greater than her strength, for, aa ahe staggered to her feet, her bead awam round, and shu would have fallen again had her nephew not thrown his arms around her. They carried h.T upstnlrs among them and laid her upon the bed. where the Doctor watched beside her, while ('harlea went off to the poltre-atutlon. and the Den-vera Den-vera mounted guard over the frightened malda. CHAT'TKIl XVII. IN POUT AT LAST. ilf AY had broken be- Hl rnsA fore the s-v. rnl den-Jr den-Jr U ,"n" ' ,n Wilder- (UfMy turned to their V."L n finished their In- t'VrD-7 0'lrles, and all i'ST' Y come back to Its I iVl tj, normal unlet. Mrs. I l-et" Westina.ott had r been left sleeping neacer.illv -lil. small chloral draught to ateady her nerves nnd a hsndkerchlef soaked In arnica bound round her head. It was with some surprise, therefore, that the Admiral received a nole from her alaaut len o'clock, nsklng him to be good enough to step In to her. He hurried in, f.iarlng Hint she nilKht hnve taken sotn turn for the worse, hut be was tvas ureil to find her sitting up In bed, with, Clara and Ida Walker In attendance upon her. Hhe had removed the handkerchief, handker-chief, and had put on a little cap with pink ribbons, mid n mnroou drcslng-jacket, drcslng-jacket, daintily fulled at the neck and "My dear friend," said she aa he entered, en-tered, "I leh to make a last few remarks re-marks lo you. No, no," she continued, laughing, as she saw a look of dismay upon his face. "I shall not dream of dying for at lea.t another thirty years. A woman should he aslramcd to die lie. fore alto la eeventy. I wish, Clara, that you would ask ottr father to step up And you, Ida, Just pass nie my cigarettes, cigar-ettes, and nta-n nie a bottle of stout." "Now then," she continued, as the Dootor Joined their party. "I don't quite know what I ought to say to you. Admiral. Ad-miral. You want some very plain speaking to." " 'Pon my word, ma'am, I 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 has seen nothing of you all her life! It's all very well for you. You have the life, and the change, and the excitement, hut you don't think of her eating her heart out In a dreary !nndnn lodging. You men are all the same." (TO ss roxrixUBii.) |