the agony column-第6部分

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〃Decidedly；〃　I　answered。　　〃Will　you　sit　down？〃

〃Thank　you。〃　He　sat　and　gazed　frankly　into　my　eyes。　　〃Policemen；〃　he　added　meaningly；　〃are　a　most　suspicious　tribe　…　often　without　reason。　　I　am　sorry　you　happen　to　be　involved　in　this　affair；　for　I　may　say　that　I　fancy　you　to　be　exactly　what　you　seem。　　May　I　add　that；　if　you　should　ever　need　a　friend；　I　am　at　your　service？〃

I　was　touched；　I　thanked　him　as　best　I　could。　　His　tone　was　so　sympathetic　and　before　I　realized　it　I　was　telling　him　the　whole　story　…　of　Archie　and　his　letter；　of　my　falling　in　love　with　a　garden；　of　the　startling　discovery　that　the　captain　had　never　heard　of　his　cousin；　and　of　my　subsequent　unpleasant　position。　　He　leaned　back　in　his　chair　and　closed　his　eyes。

〃I　suppose；〃　he　said；　〃that　no　man　ever　carries　an　unsealed　letter　of　introduction　without　opening　it　to　read　just　what　praises　have　been　lavished　upon　him。　　It　is　human　nature　…　I　have　done　it　often。　May　I　make　so　bold　as　to　inquire　…　〃

〃Yes；〃　said　I。　　〃It　was　unsealed　and　I　did　read　it。　　Considering　its　purpose；　it　struck　me　as　rather　long。　　There　were　many　warm　words　for　me　…　words　beyond　all　reason　in　view　of　my　brief　acquaintance　with　Enwright。　　I　also　recall　that　he　mentioned　how　long　he　had　been　in　Interlaken；　and　that　he　said　he　expected　to　reach　London　about　the　first　of　August。〃

〃The　first　of　August；〃　repeated　the　colonel。　　〃That　is　to…morrow。　Now　…　if　you'll　be　so　kind　…　just　what　happened　last　night？〃

Again　I　ran　over　the　events　of　that　tragic　evening　…　the　quarrel；　the　heavy　figure　in　the　hall；　the　escape　by　way　of　the　seldom…used　gate。

〃My　boy；〃　said　Colonel　Hughes　as　he　rose　to　go；　〃the　threads　of　this　tragedy　stretch　far　…　some　of　them　to　India；　some　to　a　country　I　will　not　name。　　I　may　say　frankly　that　I　have　other　and　greater　interest　in　the　matter　than　that　of　the　captain's　friend。　　For　the　present　that　is　in　strict　confidence　between　us；　the　police　are　well…meaning；　but　they　sometimes　blunder。　　Did　I　understand　you　to　say　that　you　have　copies　of　the　Mail　containing　those　odd　messages？〃

〃Right　here　in　my　desk；〃　said　I。　　I　got　them　for　him。

〃I　think　I　shall　take　them　…　if　I　may；〃　he　said。　　〃You　will；　of　course；　not　mention　this　little　visit　of　mine。　　We　shall　meet　again。　Good　morning。〃

And　he　went　away；　carrying　those　papers　with　their　strange　signals　to　Rangoon。

Somehow　I　feel　wonderfully　cheered　by　his　call。　　For　the　first　time　since　seven　last　evening　I　begin　to　breathe　freely　again。

And　so；　lady　who　likes　mystery；　the　matter　stands　on　the　afternoon　of　the　last　day　of　July；　nineteen　hundred　and　fourteen。

I　shall　mail　you　this　letter　to…night。　　It　is　my　third　to　you；　and　it　carries　with　it　three　times　the　dreams　that　went　with　the　first；　for　they　are　dreams　that　live　not　only　at　night；　when　the　moon　is　on　the　courtyard；　but　also　in　the　bright　light　of　day。

Yes　…　I　am　remarkably　cheered。　　I　realize　that　I　have　not　eaten　at　all　…　save　a　cup　of　coffee　from　the　trembling　hand　of　Walters　　…　since　last　night；　at　Simpson's。　　I　am　going　now　to　dine。　　I　shall　begin　with　grapefruit。　　I　realize　that　I　am　suddenly　very　fond　of　grapefruit。

How　bromidic　to　note　it　…　we　have　many　tastes　in　common！

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　EX…STRAWBERRY　MAN。

The　third　letter　from　her　correspondent　of　the　Agony　Column　increased　in　the　mind　of　the　lovely　young　woman　at　the　Carlton　the　excitement　and　tension　the　second　had　created。　　For　a　long　time；　on　the　Saturday　morning　of　its　receipt；　she　sat　in　her　room　puzzling　over　the　mystery　of　the　house　in　Adelphi　Terrace。　　When　first　she　had　heard　that　Captain　Fraser…Freer；　of　the　Indian　Army；　was　dead　of　a　knife　wound　over　the　heart；　the　news　had　shocked　her　like　that　of　the　loss　of　some　old　and　dear　friend。　　She　had　desired　passionately　the　apprehension　of　his　murderer；　and　had　turned　over　and　over　in　her　mind　the　possibilities　of　white　asters；　a　scarab　pin　and　a　Homburg　hat。

Perhaps　the　girl　longed　for　the　arrest　of　the　guilty　man　thus　keenly　because　this　jaunty　young　friend　of　hers　…　a　friend　whose　name　she　did　not　know　…　to　whom；　indeed；　she　had　never　spoken　…　was　so　dangerously　entangled　in　the　affair。　　For　from　what　she　knew　of　Geoffrey　West；　from　her　casual　glance　in　the　restaurant　and；　far　more；　from　his　letters；　she　liked　him　extremely。

And　now　came　his　third　letter；　in　which　he　related　the　connection　of　that　hat；　that　pin　and　those　asters　with　the　column　in　the　Mail　which　had　first　brought　them　together。　　As　it　happened；　she；　too；　had　copies　of　the　paper　for　the　first　four　days　of　the　week。　　She　went　to　her　sitting…room；　unearthed　these　copies；　and　…　gasped！　For　from　the　column　in　Monday's　paper　stared　up　at　her　the　cryptic　words　to　Rangoon　concerning　asters　in　a　garden　at　Canterbury。　　In　the　other　three　issues　as　well；　she　found　the　identical　messages　her　strawberry　man　had　quoted。　　She　sat　for　a　moment　in　deep　thought；　sat；　in　fact；　until　at　her　door　came　the　enraged　knocking　of　a　hungry　parent　who　had　been　waiting　a　full　hour　in　the　lobby　　below　for　her　to　join　him　at　breakfast。

〃Come；　come！〃　boomed　her　father；　entering　at　her　invitation。　　〃Don't　sit　here　all　day　mooning。　　I'm　hungry　if　you're　not。〃

With　quick　apologies　she　made　ready　to　accompany　him　down…stairs。　Firmly；　as　she　planned　their　campaign　for　the　day；　she　resolved　to　put　from　her　mind　all　thought　of　Adelphi　Terrace。　　How　well　she　succeeded　may　be　judged　from　a　speech　made　by　her　father　that　night　just　before　dinner：

〃Have　you　lost　your　tongue；　Marian？　　　You're　as　uncommunicative　as　a　newly…elected　office…holder。　　If　you　can't　get　a　little　more　life　into　these　expeditions　of　ours　we'll　pack　up　and　head　for　home。〃

She　smiled；　patted　his　shoulder　and　promised　to　improve。　　But　he　appeared　　to　be　in　a　gloomy　mood。

〃I　believe　we　ought　to　go；　anyhow；〃　he　went　on。　　〃In　my　opinion　this　war　is　going　to　spread　like　a　prairie　fire。　　The　Kaiser　got　back　to　Berlin　yesterday。　　He'll　sign　the　mobilization　orders　to…day　as　sure　as　fate。　　For　the　past　week；　on　the　Berlin　Bourse；　Canadian　Pacific　stock　has　been　dropping。　　That　means　they　expect　England　to　come　in。〃

He　gazed　darkly　into　the　future。　　It　may　seem　that；　for　an　American　statesman；　he　had　an　unusual　grasp　of　European　politics。　　This　is　easily　explained　by　the　fact　that　he　had　been　talking　with　the　bootblack　at　the　Carlton　Hotel。

〃Yes；〃　he　said　with　sudden　decision；　〃I'll　go　down　to　the　steamship　offices　early　Monday　morning〃



CHAPTER　V

His　daughter　heard　these　words　with　a　sinking　heart。　　She　had　a　most　unhappy　picture　of　herself　boarding　a　ship　and　sailing　out　of　Liverpool　or　Southampton；　leaving　the　mystery　that　so　engrossed　her　thoughts　forever　unsolved。　　Wisely　she　diverted　her　father's　thoughts　toward　the　question　of　food。　　She　had　heard；　she　said；　that　Simpson's；　in　the　Strand；　was　an　excellent　place　to　dine。　　They　would　go　there；　and　walk。　　She　suggested　a　short　detour　that　would　carry　them　through　Adelphi　Terrace。　　It　seemed　she　had　always　wanted　to　see　Adelphi　Terrace。

As　they　passed　through　that　silent　Street　she　sought　to　guess；　from　an　inspection　of　the　grim　forbidding　house　fronts；　back　of　which　lay　the　lovely　garden；　the　romantic　mystery。　　But　the　houses　were　so　very　much　like　one　another。　　Before　one　of　them；　she　noted；　a　taxi　waited。

After　dinner　her　father　pleaded　for　a　music…hall　as　against　what　he　called　〃some　highfaluting；　teacup　English　play。〃　　He　won。　　Late　that　night；　as　they　rode　back　to　the　Canton；　special　editions　were　being　proclaimed　in　the　streets。　　Germany　was　mobilizing！

The　girl　from　Texas　retired；　wondering　what　epistolary　surprise　the　morning　would　bring　forth。　　It　brought　forth　this：

DEAR　DAUGHTER　OF　THE　SENATE：　Or　is　it　Congress？　　I　could　not　quite　decide。　　But　surely　in　one　or　the　other　of　those　August　bodies　your　father　sits　when　he　is　not　at　home　in　Texas　or　viewing　Europe　through　his　daughter's　eyes。　　One　look　at　him　and　I　had　gathered　that。

But　Washington　is　far　from　London；　isn't　it？　　And　it　is　London　that　interests　us　most　…　though　father's　constituents　must　not　know　that。　It　is　really　a　wonderful；　an　astounding　city；　once　you　have　got　the　feel　of　the　tourist　out　of　your　soul。　　I　have　been　reading　the　most　enthralling　essays　on　it；　written　by　a　newspaper　man　who　first　fell　desperately　in　love　with　it　at　seven　…　an　age　when　the　whole　glittering　town　was　symbolized　for　him　by　the　fried…fish　shop　at　the　corner　of　the　High　Street。　　With　him　I　have　been　going　through　its　gray　and　furtive　thoroughfares　in　the　dead　of　night；　and　sometimes　we　have　kicked　an　ash…barrel　and　sometimes　a　romance。　　Some　day　I　might　show　that　London　to　you　…　guarding　you；　of　course；　from　the　ash…barrels；　if　you　are　that　kind。　　On　second　thoughts；　you　aren't。　But　I　know　that　it　is　of　Adelphi　Terrace　and　a　late　captain　in　the　Indian　Army　that　you　want　to　hear　now。　　Yesterday；　after　my　discovery　of　those　messages　in　the　Mail　and　the　call　of　Captain　Hughes；　passed　without　incident。　　Last　night　I　mailed　you　my　third　letter；　and　after　wandering　for　a　time　amid　the　alternate　glare　and　gloom　of　the　city；　I　went　back　to　my　rooms　and　smoked　on　my　balcony　while　about　me　the　inmates　of　six　million　homes　sweltered　in　the　heat。　Nothing　happened。　　I　felt　a　bit　disappointed；　a　bit　cheated；　as　one　might　feel　on　the　first　night　spent　at　home　after　many　successive　visits　to　exciting　plays。　　To…day；　the　first　of　August　dawned；　and　still　all　was　quiet。　　Indeed；　it　was　not　until　this　evening　that　further　developments　in　the　sudden　death　of　Captain　Fraser…Freer　arrived　to　disturb　me。　　These　developments　are　strange　ones　surely；　and　I　shall　hasten　to　relate　them。

I　dined　to…night　at　a　little　place　in　Soho。　　My　waiter　was　Italian；　and　on　him　I　amused　myself　with　the　Italian　in　Ten　Lessons　of　which　I　am　foolishly　proud。　　We　talked　of　Fiesole；　where　he　had　lived。　Once　I　rode　from　Fiesole　down　the　hill　to　Florence　in　the　moonlight。　I　remember　endless　walls　on　which　hung　roses；　fresh　and　blooming。　I　remember　a　gaunt　nunnery　and　two…gray…robed　sisters　clanging　shut　the　gates。　　I　remember　the　searchlight　from　the　military　encampment；　playing　constantly　over　the　Arno　and　the　roofs　…　the　eye　of　Mars　that；　here　in　Europe；　never　closes。　　And　always　the　flowers　noddi