THE DOCTOR'S PROTÉGÉE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 497, 4 September 1912, Page 2

THE DOCTOR'S PROTÉGÉE.

(All Rights Reservbd.)

By ALBERT LEE,

CHAPTER lll.— (Continued). Finding it impossible to effect the woman's restoration, since there were no necessary means at my disposal, I determined to carry her into my home without further delay. Bending down, I took her into my arms, then, going cautiously down the stairs, I bore her into the open air, and across to the low garden wall, on the top of which I laid her while I clambered over. Before long she was lying on the couch in my room. Fastening the back door to prevent anyone from entering—the husband, for example, in case he had revived, and had seen what I had done—l went up to Mrs. Dawney's room, and knocked loudly at her door. "What's the matter?" she exclaimed, throwing the door open, and standing all in white before me, too startled at this midnight call to think of appearances. I told my story, and while I did

so she drew on her dressing-gown, and before long we had succeeded in restoring the unconscious stranger. While we were doing so, something fell from her dress when we loosened it at her neck and bosom, and, bending down to see what it was, T saw a small white paper package about the size of a lady's visitingcard, but nearly half an inch thick. It was bound round with a scarlet ribbon, which made it look like a red cross on either side, and was sealed in two places. There was no writing upon it, but the seal bore the impress of a tiny trident fixed into the body of an elephant which stood on the head of a man.

I replaced the package in her bo

som, and waited for her recovery. Presently she opened her eyes, and gazed about her in some bewilderme but did not speak; and when I told her that she was to remain quiet, and that she was safe from further molestation, and in a doctor's house, she closed her eyes and lay without a word.

An hour later, when I saw that she was lying quietly, with Mrs. Dawney at hand to attend to her wants in true motherly fashion, I went for the police. The inspector and a couple of constables came back with me, and takiug them to the door by which I myself had entered, we tramped up

the stairs and walked into the room. The dagger lay where it had fallen. There was the bloodstain on the carpet where I had left Andrieno lying —but the man himself was gone!

CHAPTER IV.

THE VENDETTA

'After a thorough search through the house the police satisfied themselves that this man Andrieno was nowhere within it. He had obviously recovered, remembered what had transpired, then realised that he must be in danger of discovery if he remained where he was, now that some stranger had found his hidingplace, and therefore made good his escape. In a cupboard in one of the rooms at the back of the house were several printed pamphlets, and on a writing table was an unfinished manuscript—all in Italian. They were of a revolutionary nature, and consequently the inspector took possession of them.

smg, I'd have you buy and sell so, so give alms,

One of the constables suggested that the house was used by coiners', but from roof to cellar nothing was found which would warrant the barest suspicion of such a thing. At the utmost the indications were these—that someone had occupied a supposed empty house, and lived what might be imagined a hermit's life, beguiling the time in producing revolutionary literature. _"I should like to see the lady, sir," said the inspector, when, having gone for a second time through the house, we mounted the steps which led down to the basement. "By all means," I answered.

Pray so; and for the ordering of your affairs, To sing them, too. When you do dance, I wish you A wave o' the sea, that you might

ever do Nothing but that.

As I stood and watched her while she spoke, and when presently, at my wish, she returned to her chair and sat down again, it was to me such an astounding thing that any man could dare to lift a hand against her, or deal out to her rough words. As a doctor, it fell to my lot to see women in many moods, and I flattered myself that Teresina Telamone was one whose good nature was in no sense assumed, but was altogether real. When she sat and watched the flickering fire pensively, or turned her bright eyes and her anxious face at times to me, now with gay repartee, or again with wistful pleading, I felt my anger rise against the man who had dealt so shamefully with her, and might even now be devising ways for compassing her death. Presently, I put the question to her almost bluntly. "Will you not explain the remarkable scene on which I intruded last night?" She looked at me, and her face flushed. "If I dared to do so, Dr. Carson, I would. For to whom should I make explanation unless it were to him to whom, without a doubt, I owe my life ? But I dare not, much as I know that it is your due."

Leaving the constables in the kitchen I went into my own den, where Mrs. Dawney and her strangerguest were sitting, taking the inspector with me. But to all our inquiries the lady was dumb, save when she declared that she had nothing to tell, and that she wished no action whatever to be taken in the matter. I thought she looked intensely relieved when I told her that the man who had been endeavouring to stab her had got away. But she did one thing while she was being questioned. She put her hand into her bosom and drew from it the small scarlet-cross package I had picked up from the floor. Looking at it carefully, as if to assure herself that it had not been tampered with, she gave what seemed to be a sigh of relief, then replaced it in her bosom and buttoned up her dress carefully. She then turned her attention to the questions the inspectdr was putting, only, however, to reiterate that she desired that no action should be taken. The officer's methods of obtaining information were Bkilf ul, but although he endeavoured to gain his object in a most subtle way his efforts were abortive. "I'm floored time, sir," lie Raid, when we stojgd-at t.ho. front dtoor

v I flushed in turn, and begged her to pardon me for venturing to ask. "I asked, signora, not out of curiosity, but because I thought I might be of service."

No more was said until the evening, when I came in and found Mrs. Dawney sitting with her, as if they were old friends. ;The motherly woman seemed to h'ave got to ; the

Author of "The Baronet in Corduroy," "The Key of the Holy House," King Stork of the Netherlands," " The Black Disc," &c. Published By Special Arrangement.

can do nothing, for I know nothing, and the lady, as the injured party, won't prosecute. The housp agent may tell me to press her for trespass, but I shouldn't like to do that."

"Neither should I," I interposed hastily. "Suppose you let the matter stand over until she has had time to think, then, perhaps, she may tell you more, and you may know in such a case what ought to be done." When the police were gone I went back to the room, and found our guest so unwell that quietness was essential. Mrs. Dawney took her to her own room and put her into bed, then stayed with her until the morning. I tried to sleep for the few hours that remained, but, capable as I was ordinarily of sitting down and sleeping at a moment's notice when waiting in the house of a patient, 1 was now so wakeful that the thing was altogether impossible. If 1 j

dozed off for a few moments terrible things happened in the dream that came. Teresina was being assailed by her husband, who was mad, and I sprang up in desperation to protect her, to find the room in darkness, and the house in absolute silence. I got up and dressed, went to Mrs. Dawney's door, and listened ; but all was quiet. I went downstairs, half afraid lest the doors and windows had been tampered with, and that the man Andrieno was trying to effect an entrance. But the bells and chains were as they should be, the windows were safe, and when I peeped outside the garden was white with swiftly-falling snow. There was still' a fire in the grate of my sitting-room, and putting some coal on quietly, not to awaken the sleepers overhead, I sat down to read, keeping the door open so that I might see into the hall and hear any sound that might come. But as for reading, it was as impossible as sleep.

The time dragged on until the usual routine of the day began, and shortly after breakfast I was called out to see one who had been taken suddenly ill. Mrs. Dawney had said when she came down that the young lady was sleeping beautifully, and that contented me. I did not get home again until the afternoon, and having gone my full round, I returned, hoping that I might now have an opportunity of making a fuller acquaintance with my guest. She was sitting in an easy-chair which Mrs. Dawney had pulled up to the fire, but when I entered the room she rose to her feet, and coming forward with outstretched hand began to' thank me for the inestimable service I had rendered her, and for my hospitality. Her pretty foreign accent charmed me, and her beauty, now that there was no longer terror to spoil it, impressed me more than before. She was small and dainty, her dark eyes seeming to flash good nature, and every gesture was so full of grace that I found myself using some of Shakespeare's words:!

What you do Still betters what is done. When you speak, sweet, I'd have you do it ever: when you

one who was alone in the world, and longing for a confidant, had told her much. I could see by the elder woman's face that she knew something of her story, and that she had yet more to learn, but that my entrance had brought it to an abrupt ending. When I was seated, however, she be-gan-of her own free will. "Dr. Carson, I have been telling some of my life story to Mrs. Dawney. May I repeat it to you? I have been thinking the matter over since you went out this afternoon, and am now convinced that I ought not to keep you in ignorance of what has gone, lest a worst thing might happen, which would involve you, perhaps, as well as myself." I sat and listened to her story. "My husband is an Italian patriot —a man of rank, but how high that rank I will not say, since it may not be expedient. Nor will I say what his true name is, lest I should betray him. lam sure you will not deem me ungrateful, Dr. Carson?" she asked, turning to me, and laying her shapely hand on mine. "I am more than content to hear as much as you choose to tell me, signora," I answered hastily, and she proceeded with her story. "As I said, he is an Italian patriot, who was compelled some time ago to quit Calabria, and seek, like . o many others, a safe asylum in this England of yours, where men are free to think and speak as their hearts prompt them. Here you have no repression, but enjoy a delightful liberty. "He came, of course, under an assumed name, and is known here as Andrieno Telamone. He was anxious to keep his real name secret because he was aware that his life was in jeopardy, not merely by reason of his patriotism, but on account of a vendetta which was sworn against him by an Italian family. I understood that that was the reason, Dr. Carson, but he was never explicit on the point. But this I know, that the pursuit was so keen that even in England he was not secure. He was dogged everywhere. There were spots where he thought that the keenest-scented sleuth hounds could not trace him; but it was all in vain. It mattered not whether he went to the remotest village or hid himself in the densest quarters of the English cities—he was compelled to move on. Sometimes he woul need to start out of his bed at night and get away, and a fleet horse has barely served to save him from the avenger. At last he came to Bristol, and resorted to the novel expedient of dwelling in an empty house, so residing in it that the public should esteem the house as still to let. It was thus that, unknown to you, he came to be your next door neighbour, and there he has resided for a long time. He told his story to the house agent, and stipulating for secrecy, not only paid the full rent, but a further sum also, on condition that the place should continue to wear the look of emptiness. None would think of searching for him there. The fact that the house bore an evil reputation because of a crime committed in it long ago, served naturally to cause house-hunters to give the place a wide berth, and Andrieno was, therefore, able to live on there for months unmolested. Tf you, who were next-door neighbours, had no suspicion of the house having an occupant, surely others deem it empty. And up to last night the fact remained a secret only shared by the agent. Whenever Andrieno went out, which was seldom, he u

so at night, when it was dark, slip

ping down the garden path in the shadow of the trees, and, passing in-

to the road well muffled and

guised. His days were spent in writing books and pamphlets in the cause of liberty." "In the cause of revolution," I ventured, breaking in upon her story. "Well, yes," she responded somewhat dubiously. ''ln order to get his writings into Italy he came by stealth to the house in which .my father dwelt: he, too, like Andrieno Telamone, being a refugee, and living in England for several reasons under an assumed name. It was in this way that we met, and when he asked me to marry him, though I never loved him, I consented, be- j cause of my father's strongly urged I

desire. "I did not live in the house next door with my husband, for there

were grave reasons why I should not

do so; but sometimes I spent days and nights with him, writing at his

dictation frequently when his hand was tired; at other times I did not

go near to him for days together, since my husband had the conviction

that the vendetta was being pursued just then with extra keenness. Why he should suspect this I could not

say. When my father died I saw him more frequently, because I fc!t

my loneliness in England. {To be Continued.) O.P. —3.