From Whose Bourne

  Produced by Juliet Sutherland, David Widger and PG DistributedProofreaders from images generously made available by the CanadianInstitute for Historical Microreproductions

  FROM WHOSE BOURNE

  BY ROBERT BARR (LUKE SHARP)

  AUTHOR OF "IN A STEAMER CHAIR" ETC.

  William Brenton.]

  _WITH FORTY-SEVEN ILLUSTRATIONS

  BY C.M.D. HAMMOND, G.D. HAMMOND, AND HAL HURST_

  1893

  TO

  AN HONEST MAN

  AND

  A GOOD WOMAN

  FROM WHOSE BOURNE

  PRINCIPAL ILLUSTRATIONS:

  Buel placed his portmanteau on the deck

  William Brenton

  "Do you think I shall be missed?"

  He again sat in the rocking-chair

  He saw standing beside him a stranger

  A Venetian Cafe

  Venice

  In Venice

  The Brenton Murder

  Mrs. Brenton

  Gold

  Publicity

  The Broken Toy

  "She's pretty as a picture"

  Raising the Veil

  Jane

  The Detective

  Jane Morton

  "Oh, why did I do it?"

  "How much time do you give me?"

  In the prisoner's dock

  "I feel very grateful to you"

  "Here's the detailed report"

  "Guilty! Guilty of what?"

  CHAPTER I.

  "My dear," said William Brenton to his wife, "do you think I shall bemissed if I go upstairs for a while? I am not feeling at all well."

  "Do you think I shall be missed?"]

  "Oh, I'm so sorry, Will," replied Alice, looking concerned; "I will tellthem you are indisposed."

  "No, don't do that," was the answer; "they are having a very good time,and I suppose the dancing will begin shortly; so I don't think they willmiss me. If I feel better I will be down in an hour or two; if not, Ishall go to bed. Now, dear, don't worry; but have a good time with therest of them."

  William Brenton went quietly upstairs to his room, and sat down in thedarkness in a rocking chair. Remaining there a few minutes, and notfeeling any better, he slowly undressed and went to bed. Faint echoesreached him of laughter and song; finally, music began, and he felt,rather than heard, the pulsation of dancing feet. Once, when the musichad ceased for a time, Alice tiptoed into the room, and said in a quietvoice--

  "How are you feeling, Will? any better?"

  "A little," he answered drowsily. "Don't worry about me; I shall dropoff to sleep presently, and shall be all right in the morning. Goodnight."

  He still heard in a dreamy sort of way the music, the dancing, thelaughter; and gradually there came oblivion, which finally merged intoa dream, the most strange and vivid vision he had ever experienced.It seemed to him that he sat again in the rocking chair near the bed.Although he knew the room was dark, he had no difficulty in seeingeverything perfectly. He heard, now quite plainly, the music and dancingdownstairs, but what gave a ghastly significance to his dream was thesight of his own person on the bed. The eyes were half open, and theface was drawn and rigid. The colour of the face was the white, greyishtint of death.

  "This is a nightmare," said Brenton to himself; "I must try and wakemyself." But he seemed powerless to do this, and he sat there looking athis own body while the night wore on. Once he rose and went to the sideof the bed. He seemed to have reached it merely by wishing himselfthere, and he passed his hand over the face, but no feeling of touch wascommunicated to him. He hoped his wife would come and rouse him fromthis fearful semblance of a dream, and, wishing this, he found himselfstanding at her side, amidst the throng downstairs, who were now merrilysaying good-bye. Brenton tried to speak to his wife, but although hewas conscious of speaking, she did not seem to hear him, or know he wasthere.

  He again sat in the rocking-chair.]

  The party had been one given on Christmas Eve, and as it was now twoo'clock in the morning, the departing guests were wishing Mrs. Brenton amerry Christmas. Finally, the door closed on the last of the revellers,and Mrs. Brenton stood for a moment giving instructions to the sleepyservants; then, with a tired sigh, she turned and went upstairs, Brentonwalking by her side until they came to the darkened room, which sheentered on tiptoe.

  "Now," said Brenton to himself, "she will arouse me from this appallingdream." It was not that there was anything dreadful in the dream itself,but the clearness with which he saw everything, and the fact that hismind was perfectly wide awake, gave him an uneasiness which he foundimpossible to shake off.

  In the dim light from the hall his wife prepared to retire. The horriblethought struck Brenton that she imagined he was sleeping soundly,and was anxious not to awaken him--for of course she could have norealization of the nightmare he was in--so once again he tried tocommunicate with her. He spoke her name over and over again, but sheproceeded quietly with her preparations for the night. At last she creptin at the other side of the bed, and in a few moments was asleep. Oncemore Brenton struggled to awake, but with no effect. He heard the clockstrike three, and then four, and then five, but there was no apparentchange in his dream. He feared that he might be in a trance, from which,perhaps, he would not awake until it was too late. Grey daylight beganto brighten the window, and he noticed that snow was quietly fallingoutside, the flakes noiselessly beating against the window pane. Everyone slept late that morning, but at last he heard the preparations forbreakfast going on downstairs--the light clatter of china on the table,the rattle of the grate; and, as he thought of these things, he foundhimself in the dining-room, and saw the trim little maid, who stillyawned every now and then, laying the plates in their places. He wentupstairs again, and stood watching the sleeping face of his wife. Onceshe raised her hand above her head, and he thought she was going toawake; ultimately her eyes opened, and she gazed for a time at theceiling, seemingly trying to recollect the events of the day before.

  "Will," she said dreamily, "are you still asleep?"

  There was no answer from the rigid figure at the front of the bed. Aftera few moments she placed her hand quietly over the sleeper's face. Asshe did so, her startled eyes showed that she had received a shock.Instantly she sat upright in bed, and looked for one brief second on theface of the sleeper beside her; then, with a shriek that pierced thestillness of the room, she sprang to the floor.

  "Will! Will!" she cried, "speak to me! What is the matter with you? Oh,my God! my God!" she cried, staggering back from the bed. Then, withshriek after shriek, she ran blindly through the hall to the stairway,and there fell fainting on the floor.