The Double Life Of Mr. Alfred Burton

breath and his silk hat was reclining at the back of his head. In his mouth was a large cigar which he felt certain was going to disa

acter of the young man himself; a pale, characterless face, a straggling, sandy moustache, and an earnest, not to say convincing, manner. He was dressed in such garmen

fidentially, "the governor insisted upon a deposit and it didn't seem to be exactly convenient. It isn't always these people with titles who've got the money. That we find out in our business, sir, as quickly as anybody. As for the steam heating you were talking about, Mr. Lynn, why, that's all very well for New York," he continued, persuasively, "but over here the climate doesn't call for it-you can take it from me that

cigar from his mouth. He was a middle-aged American with a wife and daughters on their way over from New York, and his business was to tak

vingly, "you've learned h

ton clapped on his hat a little more securel

e was speaking to us both, for the governor always introduces me to clients as being the one who does most of the letting,-'Mr. Waddington and Mr. Burton,' she said, 'if a tenant comes along whom you think I'd like to have living in my rooms and using my furniture, breathing my air, so to speak, why, go ahead and let the hous

t belonged to a "Lady" anybody. He was perfectly well aware, also, that his companion had suspected this. The consideration of these facts

l go back to the office with you, anyhow, and have a word wi

f the room of Fate and down at the bunch of keys whic

" he replied, "because, if perfectly agreeable to the

r. Lynn repeat

s and making discoveries. Well, last time he came home from abroad, he brought with him an old Egyptian or Arab,-I don't know which he was, but he was brown,-settled him down in this room-in his own house, mind-and wouldn't have him dis

Mr. Lynn

ody was to be buried and the room locked up, in case the old chap's heirs should come along. Seems he'd brought a few odd things o

was int

our just looking

eclared, promptly. "I was going

hed the door open. Mr. Lynn took one

hat'll do! I've seen

s and an indomitable curiosity. The room was dark and stuffy, and a wave of pungent odor swe

inside. "I'll just look around an

ount but in the furthest corner was a great pile of cushions, and on the floor by the side a plain strip of sandalwood, covered with a purple cloth, on which were several square-shaped sheets of paper, a brass inkstand, and a bundle of quill pens. On the extreme corner of this strip of wood, which seemed to

k exclaimed. "I sa

andalwood. They were covered with wholly indecipherable characters save for the last page only, and there, even as he stood with it in his fingers, he saw, underneath the concluding pa

this tree shall see the things of Life and Death as they are. He who shall eat-" The translatio

been," he remarked to himself. "

lt the earth in the pot it was quite dry.

wn bean," he continu

held it in his fin

l do me any harm," he

ghed uneasily to himself. The shadows of the room a

, but the deed was no sooner done than he was startled by a curious buzzing in his ears and a momentary but peculiar lapse of memory. He sat and looked around him like a man who h

e?" he aske

quite ready," Mr. Lynn remarked from the thresho

to him. He hated the musty odor of the place, the dusty, unswept hall, and the general air of desertion. He wanted to get out in

unsightly hat. "Really, I think that when we get a sunny

ompanion, who was now sl

e exactly what I want but it seems to me to be about as near as anything I a

ton shook his

take it, if I were yo

air of one very little interested in the subject of conversation. He was watching approvingly a barrow

ry-one of those old-fashioned gardens, you know, with narrow paths where you have to push your way through the flowers, and where there are always great beds of

ttle impatiently, "and I don't know as I want to just

eplied. "Excuse me for on

d to be very little left of the smart, businesslike young man whose methods, only a short time ago, had commanded his unwilling admiration. Mr. Alfred Burton's expression had unde

on't you?" he said, as

violets before this ye

rs so s

w," the American insi

plied, removing his ey

ally don't think you

ot generally known, bu

had typhoid

Lynn exclaimed,

panion

to have the drains put in thorough order, but when we got the estimate out for her she absolutely declined. To tell you the truth, the

uth for a moment. There was a slight f

g at me for any reason,

so, you are not going the right way to secure a suitable house. You simply walked into our office because you saw the sign up, and listened to anything the governor had to say. We haven't any west-end houses at all

were cracking it up like blazes only a few minutes ago?" Mr.

hook his hea

e truth, I do not understand in the least how I could have brought myse

hich the offices of Messrs. Waddington & Forbe

ere, young man," he declared. "There's no use in m

ry to persuade you to take the house. If you'll accept my advice, sir, you will go to Miller & Sons in St. James

ce more at his co

ought that you were a rare little hustler, right on the job. I was set against that

hook his hea

asking me," he replied, "for I

on, the more he appreciated the subtle change of demeanor an

Oriental fellow had been shut up. The more I think of it, the odder it seems. You were as

on lifte

"I trust that you will fin

with a puzzled frown

slight gesture of av

led into the offices

rb