Detective and mystery stories; Stone, Fleming (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
As he looked, she took a step toward him, her eyes burning with a glance
of hate. Judith might have looked so, or Jael. Not exactly frightened,
but alarmed, lest she might fly into a passion of rage that would
really injure her, Embury closed the door, practically in her very face.
Indeed, practically, he slammed it, with all the audible implication of
which a slammed door is capable.
The next morning Ferdinand waited for the usual summons from Embury’s
bedroom. The tea tray was ready, the toast crisp and hot, but the
summons of the bell was unusually delayed.
When the clock pointed to fifteen minutes past the hour Ferdinand tapped
on Embury’s door. A few moments later he tapped again, rapping louder.
Several such attempts brought no response, and the valet tried the door.
It would not open, so Ferdinand went to Eunice’s door and knocked
there.
Jumping from her bed, and throwing a kimono round her, Eunice opened her
own door.
Ferdinand started at sight of her white face, but recovered himself, and
said, “Mr. Embury, ma’am. He doesn’t answer my knock. Can he be
ill?”
“Oh, I guess not,” Eunice tried to speak casually, but miserably
failed. “Go through that way.” She pointed to the door between her
room and her husband’s.
Ferdinand hesitated. “You open it, Mrs. Embury, please,” he said,
and his voice shook.
“Why, Ferdinand, what do you mean? Open that door!”
“Yes, ma’am,” and turning the knob, Ferdinand entered.
“Why, he’s still asleep!” he exclaimed. “Shall I wake him?”
“Yes--that is--yes, of course! Wake him up, Ferdinand.”
The door on the other side of Eunice’s room opened, and Aunt Abby put
her head in.
“What’s the matter? What’s Ferdinand doing in your room, Eunice?
Are you ill?”
“No, Aunt Abby--” but Eunice got no further. She sank back on her
bed, and buried her face in the pillows.
“Get up, Mr. Embury--it’s late,” Ferdinand was saying, and then he
lightly touched the arm of his master.
“He--he--oh, Miss Eunice! Oh, my God! Why, ma’am--he--he looks to be
dead!”
With a shriek, Eunice raised her head a moment and then flung it down
on the pillows again, crying, “I don’t believe it! You don’t know
what you’re saying! It can’t be so!”
“Yes, I do, ma’am--he’s--why, he’s cold!”
“Let me come in!” ordered Aunt Abby, as Ferdinand tried to bar her
entrance; “let me see, I tell you! Yes, he is dead! Oh, Eunice--now,
Ferdinand, don’t lose your head! Go quickly and telephone for
Doctor--what’s his name? I mean the one in this building--on the
ground floor--Harper--that’s it--Doctor Harper. Go, man, go!”
Ferdinand went, and Aunt Abby leaned over the silent figure.
“What do you suppose ailed him, Eunice? He was perfectly well, when he
went to bed, wasn’t he?”
“Yes,” came a muffled reply.
“Get up, Eunice; get up, dear. That doctor will be here in a minute.
Brush up your hair, and fasten your kimono. You won’t have time to
dress. I must put on a cap.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account