Adventure, December 1914 — page 115: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A Man With Nine Lives also ridiculous—absurd. He’s really dead.” Adair, standing up straight, extended his arms as if to stretch himself. The strain upon his garments caused by his attempt to do so turned his thoughts into another channel. “T believe I’ve burst the sleeve of this coat, and I’m almost sure that something went behind. Since I’m a rich man the first thing I must do is to buy myself clothes proper to my position, which will fit. Iam rich!” He took from his coat pocket a wad of bank-notes. “One hundred pounds, twenty-fives; an advance from my solicitor in proof that Iam rich. I shall probably have to wait more than six months before I touch any of Jern- ingham Creed’s money. In the meantime my solicitor will see that I am properly clad. That again seems funny. I can’t help think- ing that old Creed must have been a humor- ist. What’s that?” Turning suddenly on his heel, he glanced behind him. “T thought I heard somebody laughing. When a man’s in a certain state what tricks his senses can play him!” He crossed to a door which was in the op- posite corner. “Empty—of course that room’s empty. Who imagined that it wasn’t empty? This is the apartment in which I used to sit and work myself to the bone to earn thirty shillings a week, which Creed took particular care should never be paid in full.” Martin Adair stood with the open door in his hand, looking from one room to the other with an odd expression on his face.’ “T wonder why he took me into his office. I felt at the time that it wasn’t only grati- tude for the little service I rendered him under the shadow of Waterloo Bridge which induced him to employ me. Then what other inducement could he have had? And why, in the name of all that’s wonderful, did he leave me his money?. What was in his mind when he made that will?” Returning into the larger room he seemed to develop a sudden restlessness. “The atmosphere of this room worries me; it will get on my nerves if I stop here long. I’ve a preposterous notion that, if I could only see him, Creed’s in it all the time. I must be a bit under the weather; a man who has just heard that a fortune has been left him oughtn’t to feel like that.” 8 113 Again spinning suddenly on his heels, he stared around him. ‘“‘Confound it! I could have sworn there was some one there—this is most unpleas- ant. Let me see; that door leads into Creed’s private apartments. I presume it’s open—TI was never on the other side of. it. tricks on the other side of that door. there is ie He left the sentence unfinished, crossing the room and opening the door to which he had alluded. “What a musty smell! This place does want doing up. This, I take it, was his private sitting-room.”’ He was standing in a fair-sized apart- ment which was rather overcrowded with substantial furniture. A big oak dining- table, a huge side-board, heavy chairs. Everything was in confusion. A dirty tablecloth was at one end of the table, on which were the remnants of ameal. Having opened the windows, Adair took up a dish on which there was something not nice to look at. “That’s the remains of Creed’s last sup- per. Fancy leaving it there all this time. What am I to do with it? I can’t put it out of the window.” Something struck his ear; he listened. “Hullo! That sounds like some onein the next room; some one of real live flesh and blood. Who’s there?’ There can’t be any one playing fool If (Za) HE RETURNED to the adjoining # | apartment to see. A woman was standing in the doorway which open- ed on to the landing. ‘You must excuse my coming in, sir, but I knocked and no one answered.”’ “That’s all right; I didn’t hear you. Who are you and what do you want?” “Can I see Mr. Creed?”’ “Mr. Creed? I don’t think you can.” He eyed her. She was a woman probably in the forties; careworn, anxious; a type he had seen represented again and again in that room. His tone was unintentionally brusque; it seemed to awe her. She was apologetic. “‘T’m very sorry to seem troublesome, but T should very much like to see Mr. Creed. I’ve come all the way from Spalding.” “Have your Permit me, madam, to offer youachair. In Spalding they seem to be a little behind the times. News must MICLOOOK C©