DR. RUMSEY'S PATIENT
A VERY STRANGE STORY
BY L. T. MEAD AND DR. HALIFAX
JOINT AUTHORS OF "STORIES FROM THE DIARY OF A DOCTOR"
NEW YORK
HURST & COMPANY
Publishers
Copyrighted, 1896, by
THE INTERNATIONAL NEWS COMPANY
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
MRS L. T. MEADE.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XIII.
CHAPTER XIV.
CHAPTER XV.
CHAPTER XVI.
CHAPTER XVII.
CHAPTER XVIII.
CHAPTER XIX.
CHAPTER XX.
CHAPTER XXI.
CHAPTER XXII.
CHAPTER XXIII.
CHAPTER XXIV.
DR. RUMSEY'S PATIENT.
CHAPTER I.
Two young men in flannels were standing outside the door of the Red Doein the picturesque village of Grandcourt. The village contained one longand straggling street. The village inn was covered with ivy, wistaria,flowering jessamine, monthly roses, and many other creepers. The flowerstwined round old-fashioned windows, and nodded to the guests when theyawoke in the morning and breathed perfume upon them as they retired tobed at night. In short, the Inn was an ideal one, and had from timeimmemorial found favor with reading parties, fishermen, and others whowanted to combine country air and the pursuit of health with a certainform of easy amusement. The two men who now stood in the porch wereundergraduates from Balliol. There was nothing in the least remarkableabout their appearance—they looked like what they were, good-hearted,keen-witted young Englishmen of the day. The time was evening, and asthe Inn faced due west the whole place was bathed in warm sunshine.
"This heat is tremendous and there is no air," said Everett, the youngerof the students. "How can you stand that sun beating on your head,Frere? I'm for indoors."
"Right," replied Frere. "It is cool enough in the parlor."
As he spoke he took a step forward and gazed down the winding villagestreet. There was a look of pleased expectation in his eyes. He seemedt