Cabriston's Gift

[TOLD BT PH1I.IP BRAND, M. D., LON'DON.] [CONCLUDED.J CHAPTER II. The door through which I taaI burst llke a battering-ram opened straight into a sort of kitchen, so although I entered in a most undlgnified way, iu f act on my bands and knees, I was well established in the center of the room before the man and woman emerged from behind the door, where my guccessful as9ault had thrown tham. I stood up and faced them. They were a couple of ordinary, re9pectatly-attired country people. The man, a sturdy, strongbuilt, bull-necked rascal, stood scowling at me, and I concluded making up his mind as to what course to pursue. "My good people," I said, "you are behaving in th9 most unheard-of manner. Can't you understand that I mean to pay you well tor any trouble I gire you? But whether you like it or not, hera I stay to night. To turn me out would be shaer murdar." So saying I pulled off my overcoat and began shaking the snow out of my whiskors. I dare say my determined attitude, my spactable, as well as my muscular appearance, impressed my unwilliag ho-its. Anyway, they gave in without more ado. While the womau shut the door, through whieh the snowflakus were whirling, the mau said sullenly: "Well, you'U have to spend the night on a chalr. We've no beds here for strangers. 'Specially those as ain't wanted." "Very well, my friend. Having settled the matter you may as well make yourself pleasant. Go ani put my horse under cover, and give hiui a feed of soms sort - raake a maah if you can." After giving the woman a quick glance, as of warning, my scowling host Ut a hom lantern ani went on the errand I suggasted. I gladly sank into a chair and warmed myself bef ore a cheerïul fire. The prospect of spending the night amid such discomfoit was not alluring, but I had, at least, a roof over my head. As a rule, the more churlish the nature the more avaricious it is fouiid to be. My promise f liberal remuneration was after all not without iw effect upon the strauge couple whose refusal to afford me re fugo had sonearly endangered my life. They condescended to get me some tea and rough f ood. After I had disposed of all that the man producod a bottle of gin. We fllled our glasges and then, with the aid of my pipe, I settled down to maka the be-jt of a night spent in a hard wooden ehair. I had come across strange people in my travels, but I have no hesitation in saying that my host was the sullenest, sulkiest, most boorish specimen of human nature I had as yet met with. In spite of his recent Ql-treatment of me, I was ready to establish matter on e friendly footing, and made saveral attempts to draw kim into conversatlon. The bruta would only answer in monosyllables or often not answer at all. So I gave up talking as a lal job and sat in rilence, smoking and looking into the fire, thinking a good deal, it may be, of some on I should have met that moraing at Lilymere, had the wretched snow but kept off. The long clock - that cumbrous eight-day machine which inevitably occupies one corner of every cottager's kitchen - g truck nina The woman ro#o and left us. I concluded she was going to bed. If so I envied her. Her husband showed no signs of retiring. He still sat over the fire, opposite me. By t bis time I was dreadf uil tired ; every bone in my body ached. The hard chair whioh, an hour or two ago, seemed all I could dosire, now scarcely came up to my ideas of the comfort I was justly entitled to claim. My sulky companion had been drinking silently but steadily. Perhaps the liquor he had poured into himself might have rendered his frame of mimi more pleasant and amenable to reasou. "My good fellow," I said, "your chaira are excellent ones of the kind, but deucedly uncomfor tabla I am horribly tired. If the resources of your establishment can't f urnish a bed for me to sleep in, couldn't you flnd a mattre3s or somethin to lay down before tho fiïe?" "You've got all you'll get to-night," he answered, knocking the ashes out of his pipe. "Oh, but I sayl" "So do I say. I say thia: If you don't like it you eau leave it. We didn't ask you to come." "You infernal beast," I muttered - and meant it, too - I declare, had I not been so utterly worn out, I would have had that bullet-headed ruffiau up for a few rounds on his own kitchen floor, and tried to knock hun into a more amiable frame of niind. "Never mind," I said, "but remember, civility costs nothing, and often gets rewarded. However, if you wish to retare to your own couch, don't let your native politeness stand in your way. Pray don't hesitate on my account. Leave plenty of fuel, and I shall manage until the morning." "Where you stay, I stay," he answered. Then he filled his pipe, and once more relapseii into stony silence. I bothered about him no more. I dozed off for a few minutes - woke - dozed off again for some hours. I was in an uncomfortable sortor half sleep, crammeJ f uil of curious dreama - dreams from whlch I started, wondering here I was and how I got there. I eren began to grow nervou3. All sorts of horrible travelers' tales ran through my head. It was in just such places as this that unsuspecting voyagers were stated to ha vu been murdered and robbed, by just such unmitigated rnfflans as my bost. I can teil you that altogether I spent a must unpleasaot night. To makt) mattere worse and more dismal, the storm stili raged outside. The wind moaned through the trees, but it had again changad, and I knew from the sound on the window panes that heavy rain had suoceeded snow. As the big drops of water found their way down the large old-fashioned I chimney, the fire Lissed and spluttered like f' a spitelul vixen. Everything eombined to deprive me of what dog's sleap I could by sheer persistency snatch. I think I tried every position which an ordinary man, not an acrobat, is capable of adopting with the assistance of a common wooden chair. I even lay down on the hard flags. I actually tried the table. I propped up the upper half of my body against the corner walls of the room ; but found no rest. At last I gave up all idea of sleeping, and fully aroused myself. I eomforted myself by saying that my misery was only temporary - that the longest night mm t coma to anend. My companion had by now succumbed to fatigue, or to the combined effects of fatigue and gin-and-water. His head was hanging sideways, and he slept in a most uncoinfortable attitude. I chuckled as I looked at him, feeling quite sure that if such a clod ' was capable of dreaming at all his dreama must be worse even than min.1. I filled another pipe, poked the smoldering logs into a W9, and sat almost noie and kn-es over Ui Iflro, flnding some amusement in speculatingi upon the condition of the churl before me, and thaakui the Lord I was not like unto this man. Suddenly an idea flashed across me. I had scen this fallow before. But when or where I could not remember. His features, as I lcoied at them with keener interest, seemed to grow more and more familiar to me. Where could I have met him? Somewhere or other, but where? I racked my brain to associate him with some scène, soma event. Although he was but an ordinary countrynian, such as one sees scores of in a day's ride, only differing from his kind on account of his unpleasant face, I feit sure we were old acquaintanoes. When he awoke for a moment and changed his straiued attitude, my ieelinggrewstrongerandstronger. Yet puzzle and puzzle as I would, I could not cali to inind a former encounter; so at last I began to think the supposed recognition was pure fancy on my part. Haviug smoked out several pipes, I thought that a cigar would be a slight break to the mono tony of the night's proceedings. So I drew out my case and looke J at its contents. Among the weeds was one of a lighter color than the others. As I took it out I said to myself, "Why, old Brand gavs me that one when I was last at his house." Curiously enough that cigar was the mis iug link in the chain of my memory. As I held it in my hand I knew at once why my host's ugly face seemed familiar to me. About a íortnight before, being in town, I had spent the evening with the doctor. H was not alone, and I was introduced toa tall, pale young man named Carriston. He was a pleasant, polite young fellow, althougb not much in my line. At first I judged him to ba a would-be poet of the fashionable miserable school; but Onding that he and Brand talked so much about art Í eventually decided that he was one of the doctor's maiiv artist friends. Art is a hobby he hacks about on grandly. (Mem. Brand's own attempts at picture are simply atrociousl) Just before I left, Carriston, the doctor' back being turned, asked me to step into anotuer room. There he showed me tha portrait of a man. It seemed very cleverly drawn, and I presumed he wanted me to criücise it. "I am a predous bad judge," I said. "I amnot asking you topaas an opinión," said Carriston; "I want to beg a favor of you. I am almost ashamed to beg it on so short an acquaintance." He seemed modest and not in want of money, so I encouraged him to proceed. "I heard you say you were going into the country," he resumed. "I want to aak you if by any chance you should meet the original of that drawing, to telegraph at once to Dr. Brand." "Whereabouts does heUver "I have no idea, If chance throws him in your way pleaso do as I ask." "Certainly I will," I said, seeing the young man made the request in solemn earnest. He thanked me, and then gave me a small I photograph of the picture. This photograph he beggad me to keep in my pocketbook, so that I might refer to it in case I met the man he wanted. I put it there, went my way, and, am sorry to say, forgot all about it. Had it not been for the strange cigar in my case bringing back Carriston's unusual request to my mind, the probabilities are that I should not hare thought again of the matter. Now, by a remarkable coinciden ca, I was spending the night with the very man who, so f ar as my memory serve.l me, must have sat for the portrait shown me at Brand's house. "I wonder what I did with the puoto," I said. I turued out my letter-case. There it was, right enough 1 Shading it with on hand, I carefuüy compared it with the sleeper. Not a doubt about it ! So f ar as a photograph taken from a picture can go, it was the man himself. The same ragged beard, the same coarse features, the same surly look. Young Carriston was evidently a wonderful hand at knocking off a likeness. Moreover, in case I had feit any doubt on the matter, a printed note at the bottom of the photograph said that one joint was missing from a right-hand finger. Sure enough, my friend lacked that small portion of his ruisbegotten frame. This discovery threw me into an ecstasy of delight. I laughed so loudly that I almost awoke the rutilan. I guessed I was going to take a glorious revenge for all the discomforts I had suffered. No one, I feit sure, could be looking f jr guch a fellow as this to do any good to him. I was quite happy in the thought, and for the remainder of the night erloated over the idoa of putting a spoke iu the wheel of oue who had been within an ace of causing mv (leath. I resolved, the moment I got back to eivüization, to send the desired inteligente to Brand, and hops for the best. CHAPTER HL The end of that wretched night came at last. When the welcome moruiug broke I f ound that a great change had taken place out of doors. The fierce snowstorm had been the farewell of the frost. The heavy rain that followed had filled the roads with slushy and thawing snow. I managed to extort sotue sort of a breakfast from my host; then, ha ving recompensed him according to my promise, not hia deserts, started, as soon as I could, on the bare back of my unfortunate steed, for Midcomba, which place, after my night's experieucos, seemed gifted with meritsaot its own. I was surprised upon leaving the house to find it was of largar dimensions than, from the little I saw of it during the night, I had imagined. It was altogether a botter class of residence tban I had supposed. My surly friend accompanied me until he had placed me on the maiu road, where I could make no possible mistake. He was kind enough to promise to assist any one I might send out in gottiug the dogcart under way. Then, with a hearty wish on my part that 1 might never again meet with his like, we parted. I found my way to Midcome without rnuch trouble. I took off my things, had a wash, and, like a sensible man for once, irent to bed. But I did not forget to send a boy straight off to the nearest telegraph station. My message to Brand was a brief one. It imply said : "Teil y our friend I have found his man." This duty done, I digmissed 11 peculation cu lo the rcsuit frora my mind, and sattlei down to ma'te up arrears of sleep. I was surprised at the reply re"eived that same evening f rom Brand: "We shall be with you as soon as we can get down tomorrow. Meet us at station." From this it was clear that my friend was wanted particularly- all the bettcrl I turned to tha time table and fonnd that, owing to changa and deiay?, they could not get to C , the nearest station to Midcombe, until 3 o'clock in the af ternoon. I inquired about the crippleddog-cart. It had been brought in; so 1 left strict inntruction3 that a shaft of some sort wa3 to be rigged in time for me to drive over the next day and meet the doctor and nis friend, They came as promised. It was a comfort to sea frienJs of any description, so I gave them a h-arty welcome. Carriston took hold of Doth my hands and shook them so warmly that I began to fear I had discovered a lost father of his in my friend. I had almost forgotton the young fellow's appearance, or he looked a very different man today frora the one I had seen when last w met. Then be was a wan, pensive, romantic, poetical-1 ooking sort of fellow; now he seemed full of energy, vitality and grit. Poor old Brand looked as serious as an uiulertaker engaged in burying his own mother. Carriston began to question me, but Brand stoppel hini. "You promised I should makt inquiries first," he said. Then ha turnad to me. "Look here, Richard," - when he calis nu Richard I know he Is fearfully in earnest - "I believe you have brought us down on a fool's errand; kut let us go to some place where we can talk together for a few minutes." I led them across the road to the Railway Inn. We entered a room, and, baving for the sake of appearances ordered a little light refreshment, told the waiter to shut the door trom the outside. Brand settled down with the air of a cross-exaniining counsel. 1 expected to sse him pull out a New Testament and put me on my oath. "Now, Richard," he said, "before we go further I want to know your reasons for thinking this man, about whom you tele graphed, is Carriston's man, as you cali him." "Reasons i Why of course he is the man. Carriston gave me his photograph. The likeness is indisputable - leaving the flngerjoint out of the question." Here Carriston looked at my cross-examiner triumphantly. The meaning of that look I have na ver to this hour understood. But I laughed becauae I knew old Brand had for once made a mistake, and was going to be called to account for it. Carriston was about to speak, but the doctor waved him aside. "Now, Richard, think very carefully. You speak of the missing joint We doctors know how many people persuade themselves into all s orte of thiugs. Teil me, did you notice the likeness before -you saw tbe mutilated finger, or did the fact of the finger' s being mutilated Luing the likenese to your mind?" "Bless the man," I said; "one would think I had no eyds. I teil you there is no doubt about this man being the original of the plioto." "Never mind - answer my question." "Well, then. I am ashamed to confess it, but I put the photo in my pocket, and forgot all about it until I had recogm'zed the man, and pulled out the likeness to make sure. 1 didn't even know there was a printed description at tbe foot nor that any member was wanting. Confound it. Brand 1 lm not such a duffer as you think." Brand did not retalíate. He turned to his friend and said gravely, "To me the matter is inexplicable. Take your own course, as I promised you should." Then he sat down, looking deliciously crestfollen, and wearing the di-.eontented expression always natural to hün when worsted in argument. It was now Carriston's turn. He plied me with many questiona. In fact, I gave him the whole history of my adveuture. "VVhat kind of house is it!" he asked. "Bettor than a cottage- scarcely a farmhouse. A place, I should think, with a few miserable acres of bad land belonging to it. One of those wretched little holdings which are simply curses to the country. ' ' He made late of other inquiries, the purport of which I could not then divine. He seemed greatly impressed when I told him that the man had never for a moment lef t, me alone. He shot a aecond glance of triumph at Bi and, who still kept silent, and looked as if all tbe wind had been taken out oí his sails. "How far is the place?" asked Camston. "Could you drive nie there after Jarki" At tbis question the doctor returned to lile. "What do you mean todo?' he asked bis frieud. "Let us have no nonsense. Even dow I feel sure that Fenton is misled by sume chance resemblance " 'Deuce a bit, old chap," I said. Well, whether or not, we needn't do foolish things. We must go and swear iníormation and get a search warrant and tbe assistance oí tbe pólice. The truth is, Richard," he continued, turning to me, "we have reason to believe, or I should say Carriston persista in f ancying, that a friend of his bas for soms time been kopt in durance by the man whom you say you recognized." "Likely enough," I said. "He looked villain enough for anything up to murder." "Any way," said Brand, "we must do everytliing according to law." "Lawl I want nolaw," answered Carriston. "I have focnd her, as I knew I should find her. I shall simply fetch her, and at once. You can come with me or stay here, as you üke, doctor, but I am afraid I must trouble your friend to drive me snmewhere near the place he speaks of." Foreseeing an adventure and great fun- moreover, not unmoved by thoughts of revenge - I placed myself entirely at Carriston's disposal. He expressed his gratitude, and suggested that we should start at once. In a lew minutes we were ready and mounted the dog cart. Brand, after grumbling loudly at the whole proceeding, flnished up by following us and in-stalling himself in the back seat. Carriston placed a parcel he carried iiiside the cart, and away we went. It was now nearly dark and rainiwc cata and doga. I bod tuy lampa llghted, 10 we got along without much difficulty. The roads were deep with mud, but by thÍ8 tima the snow bad been pretty nearly washed away f rom everywhere. I don'c make a mistake in a road twice, so in due course we reached the scène of my upset. Here I drew up. "The house Hes about five hundred yards up tha lañe," I told Carriston; "we had better gol out here." "What about ths horse?" asked Brand. "No chance of any one passing this way on such a night as this; so let us put out the lampa and tio him up somewhere.'' Wedidso; then stmggled on afoot until we saw the gleam of light which had been so welcomed by me two nights bofore. Itwas just about as dark as pitch; but guided by tha light, we went on until we stood in front of the house, where a turf bank and a dry hedge hid us from sight, although on such a night we had littla fear of our presence being discovered. "ÏVhat do you mean to do nowf' asked Brand in a disconten ted wbisper. "You can't break into the house." Carrigton said nothing for a minute; then I feit him place hls hand on my shoulder. "Are there anyhorses; any cows about the place?" Le asked. I told him I thought that my surly friend rejoiced in the possession of a horss and a cow. "Very we'.l. Then we mu3t wait. He'll come out to sse theni before he goes to bed," said Carriston, as decidedly a3 a general giving orders just before a battle. Icouldnotsea how Brand expressed hia feelings upon hearing this order from our commander. I know I shrugged my shoulders and if I said nothing I thought a deal. The present situation was all very well for a strongly-interested party like Carriston, but he could scarcely expect others to relish the prospect of waiting, it might be for hours, under that comfortless hedge. We wero all wet to the skin, and although I was extremely anxious to sea the end of the expeditiou, and find poëtica! justice meted out to my late host, Carriston' s Fabián tactics lacked the excitement I longed for. Brand, in spite of bis disapproval of the whole course of action, was better off than I was. As a doctor, he must have feit sure that, provided he could survive the exposure, he would secure two fresh patients. However, we made no protest, but waited for eyents to develop thomtelves. CHAPTER IV. Moro than half an hour went by. I was growing numbed and tired, aad bsginning to think that we were making asses of ourelves, when I beard the rattle of a chain, and feit Carriston gire my arm a waraing touch. No doubt my late hcst had made gure that his new door-fastenings wereequal to a stronger test than that to which I had subjected the former ones; so we were wise in not atteinpting to carry his castle by foree. The door opened and closed agaia. I saw the feeble glimmer of a lantern moving towards the outhouse in which my norse had been stabled. I heard a slight rustling in the hedge, and, stretching out my arm, found that Carriston had left my side. In the absen.so of any command from him I did not folio w, but resumed the old occupation - waiting. In a few minutes the light of the lantern reappeared; the bearer stood on the threshold of the door, while I wondered what Carriston was doing. Just as the door was opened for the boor's readmittance, a dark figure sprang upon him. I heard a fierce oath and cry of surprise; then the lantern flew out of th man's hand, and he and his assailant tumblei struggling through ths narrow doorway. "Hurrahl the door is won, anywayl" I shouted, as, followed closely by the doctor, I jumped over the hedge and rushed to the scène of the fray. Although Carriston's well conceived attack was so vigorous and unexpected that the man went down under it; although our leader had utilizad the advantaga he had gained in a proper and laudable manner, by bumping that thick bullet head as violeatly as he could against the flags on which it lay : I doubt if, alter all, he could hare done his work alone. The countryman was a muscular brute, and Carriston but a stripling. However, our arrival speedily settled the question. "Bind him!" panted Carriston; "there is cord in my pocket." He appeared to have come quitj prepared for contingencies. While Carriston still embraced his prostrate foe, and Brand, to facilítate matters, knelt on his shoulders, sat on bis head, or did something else useful, I drew out from the flrst pocket I triod a nica length of halfinch line, and bad the immense satisfaction of trusting up my scowling friend in a most workmanlike manncr. He must have feit those turn-? on his wrists for days afterwards. Yet when we were at last at liberty to rise and leave him lying helpless on his kltchen floor, I consider I exercised great self-denial in not bestowing a few kicks upon him, as he swore at us in bis broadest vernacular In a way which, under the circumstances, was no doubt a graat comfort tohim. We scarcely notic?d the man's wlfe while we rendered her husband helpless. As we eutered she attempted to fly out, but Brand, with a promptitude which I am glad to record, interceptad her, cl osad the door, turned and pockete 1 the key. After that the vroman sat on the floor and rocked herself to and fro. For come moment?, while recoverlng hls breath, Carriston stool and positively glared at bis prostrate foe. At last he found words: "Where is she} Where is the key, you houndï" he thundered out, stooping over the fellow, and shaking him with a violence which did uiy heart good. As he received no answers save the unrecordable expressions abova mentioned, we unbuttoned the wretch's pockets, and searched those greasy receptadas. Among the usual litter we did certainly find a key. Carriston suatcbed at it, and shouting, "Madelinel Madeline! I cornet" rushed out of the room like a maniac, leaving Brand and me to keep guard over our prisoners. I filleil a pipe, lit it, and then came back to my fallen foe. "I say, old chap," I said, stirring him eently with the toe of my boot, "this will be a lesson to you. Remember, I told you that civility costa nothing. If you had giren me Christian bed accommodation instoad of making me wear out my poor bones on that infernal ohair, you could have jogged along ín your rascaiity quite coinfortably, so far as I am concerned." He was very ungrateful - so much so that my desire to kick him was inl ensiiiu 1. I should not like to svvear. I did not to a Blight degree yield to the temptation. "Push a handkerchief in his mouth," criad Brand, suddenly. "A lady is coming." With right good will I did as the doctor suggestxi. Just then Carriston return?-l Idon't want toraise home tempests, yet I must say he was accompanied by the moet beautif ul creature my eyes have ever ligbted upon. True, she was palé as a lily - luoked thin and delicate, and her face fcore traces of anxi ty and suffering, but for all that she was beautiful - too beautiful for this world, I thought, as I looked at her. Sha was clinging in a halffrightened, half-confidine way to Carriston, nd be- Jífippr feUöw!- rajar Jlew ai oar prúíenco, wu showering down kisses on her Bweet país faoe. Coufound Itl Igrow quite romantic as I reoall the sight of those lovers. A most curious young man, that Carristou I He carne to us, the lovely girl on his arm, without showing a trace of his recent excitement. "Let us go now," ha said, as calmly as if he had been taking a quiet evening drive. Then he turned to me. "Do you think. Mr. Fenton, you could without much trouble get the dogcart up to the house?" I said I vrould try to do 90. "But what about these people!"' asked Brand. Carriston gare them a contemptuous glanee. "Lsave them alone," he said. "They are but the tooU of another - him I cannot touch. Let us go." "Tes, yes. But why not verify your suspicions whüe you can f' Just like Brand 1 He' 9 always wanting to verify everything. In searcbing for the key we had found some papors on our prisoner. Brand examined them, and handed to Carriston an envelope wbich contained what looked like banknotes. Carriston glanced at it. "Tho handwriting is, of eourse, disgulsed," he said, carelesaly, "but the postmark shows whence it came. It is as I always told you. You agree with me nowf ' "I am afrai 1 1 must," said Brand, lrambly. "But we must do some t hing about t his man," he continued. Hereupon Carristoa turned to our prisoner. "Listen, you vfllain," he said. "I will let you go scot-free iL you breathe no word of tuis to your employer for the next f ortnight If he learns f rom you what has happened bef ore tk it time, I swear you shall go to penal ser' itude. Which do you choosei" I pulle out the gag, and it is needless to say which the fellow chose. Then I went off, and recovered the horse and cart. I relighted the lamp, and with some difficulty got the dogcart up to the nous. Carriston must have exactly anticipated the events of the night. The parcel he had brought with hun contained a bonnet and a tbick, warm cloth cl aak. H13 b autiful friend was equipped with these; then learinc the woman of the house to uutie her husband at her leisure and pleasure, away we startod; the doctor sitting by me; Carriston and the lady behind. We just managet! to catch the last train from C . Not feeling sure as to what fonn inquirios might take to-morrow, I thought it botter to go up to tnwn with my friends, so, as we passed through Midcombe, I stopped, paid my bill, and gave instructions for my luggage to be forwarJed to me. By 6 o'clock the next morning we were all in London. DB. BRAND IN CONCLUSIO!. When I osked Dick Fenton to relate bis experiences I did not mean him to do so at such leugtb. But there, as he has written it, and as writing is not a labor of love with him, let it go. When Madeline Rowan found the bed, by the side oí which she had thrown herself in an ecstasy of grief, untenanted, she knew in a momont that she was the yictim of a deeplaid plot. Beiug ignorant of Carriston's true poition in the world, she could conceive no reason for the elabórate soheme which had been dsvised to lure her so many miles from her home, and make a prisoner of her. A prisouer she was. Not only was the door locked upon her, but a slip of paper lay on the bed. It bore these words: "No harm is meant you, and in due time you will be released. Ask no questions, make no foolish attempts at escape, and you will be well treated." Upon reading this the girl's flrst thought was one of thankfulnes). She saw at once that the reported accident to her lover was but au invention. The probabilities were that Carriston was alive, an i in bis usual health. Now that she feit certain of this, she could bear anything. From the day on which sbe entered that room to that on which we rescued her Madeline was to all intents and purposes as close a prisoner in that lonely house on the hülaide as she miglit have been in the deepest duugeon in the world. Tbreats, entreatiee, promises of bribas availej nothing. Sbe was not uukindly treated - that is, suffered no absolute ill-usage. Books, matenals for iieedlework and other little aids to wbile away time wera supplied. But the only living creatures she siiw were the woman of the house, who attended to her wants, and, on one or two occasions, the man whom Carriston assertod be had seen in his trance. She had suffered from the close eonflnement, but had always feit oertain that sooner or later her lover would find her, au i effect her deliverance. Now that aha knew he wat alive she could not be unhappy. I did not choose to ask her why sbe had feit so certain on the above points. I wished to add no more puzzles to the one which, to teil the truth, exercised, even annoyed, ma more than I care to say. But I did ask her if, during her incarceration, her jailer had ever la d ais hand upon her. She told me that some short time af er her arrival a stranger had gained admittance to the house. Whila he was there the man had entered her room, held her arm, and threatened her with violence if sbe made any outcry. Af ter hearing this I did not pursue the subject. Carriston and Madeline were married at the earliest possible moment, and left England immediately after the ceremony. A week after thoir departure, by Carriston's request, I forwarded the envelopa found upon our prisoner to Mr. Ralph Carriston. With i 1 1 seut a few Unes stating where and under wbat peculiar circumsl ancos we had become possessed of it. I liever received any reply to my communication, so, wild and improbable as it seems, I am bound to believe that Charles Carriston's sumiso was right- that Madeline was decoyed away and concealed, not from any ill-will towards herself, but with a view to the possible baneful effect which her mysterious disappearanee might work upon her lover's strango and excitable organization; and I firmly believa that had he not in some inexplicable way been firmly con vineed that she was alive and faitbful to hlm the plot would havd been a tnorough suocess, and Charles Carriston would havo apent the rest of hij 3-6 In em asylum. Both Sir Charles- he succe-de.J to his tíüe shortly aftel' his marriage - aml Lady Carriston are now dead, or I shculd not havs renturei to relate these things ccncerninu them. They had twelve years of happines. If moasurei by time tha period was bnt a short one ; but I teel gure thafc in it they enJoyed more true happiness than many others flnd in the course of a protractod life. In word, thought and deed they were as ona. Shedied, iu Rome, of fever, and har hnband, without, so far as I know, any particular complaint, simply foliowei her. 1 was alwaya honorei with thsir sincer8st friendship, nnl Sir Chsrles left me sole trustee and guardián to his three 3011S ; so there are now plenty of lives between Ra!ph Carriston and his desire. I arn pleasoJ to ay that the boys, who are as dear to rae as mj" own children, as yet show no evídence at posssssing any gifts beyond I know that my having made this story public will cause two sets of objectors to fall equally foul of me - the matter-oi-fact prosaic who will say that the abiuction and subsequent imprisonmentof Madeline Rowan was an absurd imponsibility, and the tcientific man, iike myself, who cannot, dara not believe that C jarles Carriston, from nsither memory nor imagination, could draw a face, and desoribe peculiarities, by wbich a certain man could be identified. I am far from say ing there may not be a simple natural explan ation of the purzle, but I, tor one, have failed to fiad it, so close tuis tale as I began it by saying I am a nanator, ad nothing more. TBK EXD.