The Mystery of the Scar-faced Beggar - M. V. Carey [36]
“I have seen you before,” she said.
“I … I don’t thi
h n
i k
k so
s ,
o ” said Bob.
“You
o wou
o ld
l not
o kn
k ow
o
w of
o
f it
i ,
, bu
b t I
I ha
h ve se
s en
e you
o ,” sa
s i
a d
i
d Mr
M s
r .
s
. De
D n
e i
n c
i o
c l
o a
l .
a
. “It was in a
dream tha
h t
a
t I sa
s w you
o ,
, and the
h n
e I
I sa
s w you
o again
i ou
o t the
h re.” Sh
S e
h
e wa
w v
a e
v d
e
d to
t w
o a
w r
a d
r s
d
s th
t e
h
e
window
o .
. “I
I thi
h n
i k you
o
u sh
s o
h u
o ld
l not
o be
b he
h re.”
She
h se
s emed to
o expe
p ct
t so
s m
o e repl
p y.
. Bob
o
b op
o e
p ned hi
h s
i
s mou
o th
h to
o sp
s e
p ak,
, bu
b t hi
h s
i
s voi
o c
i e
ha
h d dese
s rted
e hi
h m
i .
. What came ou
o t was
s so
s m
o ethi
h n
i g be
b twe
w en a cho
h k
o e and a cou
o gh.
h
. He
clo
l s
o e
s d hi
h s
i
s mou
o th
h and
n t
oo
o k
o a deep
p br
b eath,
h
, the
h n
e cle
l ared
e hi
h s
i
s throat.
“I was
s just
s …
. just
s he
h lp
l i
p n
i g wit
i h
h th
t e
h pa
p in
i tin
i g,
g ” he
h sa
s id
i .
. “I
I wa
w s
a
s ne
n v
e e
v r
e
r he
h r
e e
r
e be
b f
e o
f r
o e
r ,
e
,
and …”
He st
s op
o p
p e
p d,
, su
s ddenly
l fe
f eli
l n
i g awkw
k ard and
n an
a xio
i u
o s.
s
. He did
i not
o wan
a t to
o of
o f
f e
f nd thi
h s
i
ol
o d
l wom
o an,
, or
o to
o dis
i p
s le
l ase
s he
h r,
, bu
b t he
h fe
f lt
l sc
s ared of
o
f the
h po
p w
o er he
h se
s nse
s d in her. She
remin
i ded
d hi
h m
i of
o
f the
h or
o acle
l s
s in
i the
h ol
o d
l myths
h — th
t o
h s
o e
s
e wi
w s
i e
s
e wo
w m
o e
m n
e
n of
o
f an
a c
n i
c e
i n
e t
n
t ti
t m
i e
m s
e
s
who
h
o li
l v
i ed hi
h d
i den aw
a ay
a in
i caves,
s
, and who
h
o fo
f r
o etol
o d
l the
h fu
f ture
e and
n warned
d men
e whe
h n
doo
o m
o wou
o ld
l com
o e u
po
p n
o the
h m.
It was
s st
s uff
f y
f in
i t
he
h li
l t
i tle
l ho
h u
o se
s ,
, and
n yet
e Bob
o
b fe
f lt
l cold.
Mrs.
s
. Denic
i ol
o a
l be
b nt to
t w
o ards
s hi
h m
i ,
, he
h r ha
h nds
s st
s il
i l
l
l fo
f l
o d
l ed again
i st
s he
h r bl
b a
l ck dress
s .
s
Her fa
f ce
e wa
w s
s an arrang
n ement
t of
o
f crags
s and
n sh
s a
h dow
o y ho
h l
o l
l o
l w
o s.
s
. She
h lo
l o
o k
o ed gaun
u t an
a d
weary.
“You
o sh
s o
h u
o ld
l not
o
t be
b he
h re,” sh
s e
h sa
s id
i again
i .
. “Yo
Y u
o
u ca
c m
a e
m
e fo
f r
o
r so
s m
o e
m
e pu
p r
u p
r o
p s
o e
s ,
e
, I
I th
t i
h n
i k
n .
k
.
Why
h did
i you
o com
o e?”
“W-why?” whi
h s
i p
s e
p red Bob
o .
b
. He was
s su
s rpr
p is
i e
s d to
o fi
f n
i d hi
h m
i se
s lf
l
f whis
i p
s e
p rin
i g,
, yet he
h
cou
o ld
l not
o sp
s e
p ak mor
o e lo
l u
o dly
l .
. “No
o reaso
s n
o .
. I
was
s on
o ly
l …
. on
o ly
l kil
i l
l i
l n
i g tim
i e.”
The
h n he
h lo
l o
o k
o ed away,
, su
s re tha
h t th
t e
h ol
o d
l
wom
o an cou
o ld
l se
s e in
i to
t
o hi
h s
i
s min
i d and know
o
w
tha
h t he
h
e li
l e
i d.
“You
o are in
i danger,” sh
s e
h sa
s id
i .
. “You
must
s go
o away.
. Go
o now
o and do
o not
o com
o e
ba
b ck.
. If
f you
o st
s ay,
, the
h re wil
i l
l
l be
b a great
t
trou
o bl
b e
l .
. A terrib
i l
b e
l thi
h n
i g wil
i l
l
l ha
h pp
p e
p n.
. In my
dream you
o
u were in
i a pl
p a
l ce tha
h t
a tw
t is
i t
s ed an
a d
sh
s o
h o
o k
o .
. The
h re was
s a lo
l u
o d noi
o s
i e
s and
n you
o were
e
fa
f ll
l i
l n
i g and the
h pl
p a
l ce wa
w s
s fa
f ll
l i
l n
i g,
, too
o ,
o
, and all
l
l
arou
o nd t
he
h e
arth
h was
s te
t arin