SUSPENSE
TenminutesafterSweetwater’sarrivalinthevillagestreets，hewasathomewiththepeoplehefoundthere。HisconversationwithDorisinthedoorwayofherhomehadbeenobservedbythecuriousandfar-sighted，andthequestionsaskedandansweredhadmadehimfriendsatonce。Ofcourse，hecouldtellthemnothing，butthatdidnotmatter，hehadseenandtalkedwithDorisandtheiridolisedyoungmanagerwasnoworseandmightpossiblysoonbebetter。
Ofhisownaffairs-ofhisbusinesswithDorisandthemanager，theyaskednothing。Allordinaryinterestswerelostinthestressoftheirgreatsuspense。
Itwasthesameinthebar-roomoftheonehotel。Withoutresortingtomorethanaquestionortwo，hereadilylearnedallthatwasgenerallyknownofOswaldBrotherson。Everyonewastalkingabouthim，andeachhadsomestorytotellillustrativeofhiskindness，hiscourageandhisquickmind。TheWorkshadneverproducedamanofsuchvariedcapabilitiesandallroundsympathies。Tohavehimformanagermeantthegreatestgoodwhichcouldbefallthislittlecommunity。
Hisrisehadbeenrapid。Hehadcomefromtheeastthreeyearsbefore，newtothework。Now，hewastheonemanthere。Ofhisrelationshipseast，familyorotherwise，nothingwassaid。ForthemhislifebeganandendedinDerby，andSweetwatercouldsee，thoughnoactualexpressionwasgiventothefeeling，thattherewasbutoneexpectationinregardtohimandDoris，towhoseuncommonbeautyandsweetnesstheyallseemedfullyalive。AndSweetwaterwondered，asmanyofushavewondered，atthegulffrequentlyexistingbetweenfancyandfact。
Latertherecameasmallexcitement。Thedoctorwasseenridingbyonhiswaytothesickman。Fromthewindowwherehesat，Sweetwaterwatchedhimpassupthestreetandtaketheroadhehadhimselfsolatelytraversed。Itwassostraightaoneandledsodirectlynorthwardthathecouldfollowwithhiseyethedoctor’swholecourse，andevengetaglimpseofhisfigureashesteppedfromthebuggyandproceededtotieupthehorse。TherewasanenergyabouthimpleasingtoSweetwater。Hemighthavemuchtodowiththisdoctor。IfOswaldBrothersondied-buthewasnotwillingtoconsiderthispossibility-yet。Hispersonalsympathies，tosaynothingofhisprofessionalinterestinthemysterytowhichthisman-andthismanonly-possiblyheldthekey，alikeforbade。Hewouldhope，astheseotherswerehoping，andifhedidnotcounttheminutes，heatleastsaweverymoveoftheoldhorsewaitingwithdroopingheadandtheresignationoflongcustomforthere-appearanceofhismasterwithhisnewsoflifeordeath。
Andsoanhour-twohourspassed。Otherswerewatchingtheoldhorsenow。Thestreetshowedmanyaneagerfigurewithheadturnednorthward。Fromtheopendoor-wayswomenstepped，lookedinthedirectionoftheiranxietyandretreatedtotheirworkagain。
Suspensewaseverywhere；themomentsdraggedlikehours；itbecamesokeenatlastthatsomeimpatientheartscouldnolongerstandit。
Awomanputherbabyintoanotherwoman’sarmsandhurrieduptheroad；anotherfollowed，thenanother；thenanoldman，bowedwithyearsandoftotteringsteps，begantogothatway，haltingadozentimesbeforehereachedthegroupnowcollectedinthedustyhighway，nearbutnottoonearthathouse。AsSweetwater’sownenthusiasmswelledatthissight，hethoughtoftheotherBrothersonwithhistheoriesandactiveadvocacyforreform，andwonderedifmenandwomenwouldforegotheirmealsandstandforhoursinthekeenspringwindjusttobethefirsttohearifheweretoliveordie。
Heknewthathehimselfwouldnot。ButhehadsufferedmuchbothinhisprideandhispurseatthehandsoftheBrooklyninventor；
andsuchdespoliationisnotareliablebasisforsympathy。Hewasquestioninghisownjudgmentinthismatterandlosinghimselfinthemazesofpastdoubtsandconjectureswhenasuddenchangetookplaceintheaspectofthestreet；hesawpeoplerunning，andinanothermomentsawwhy。Thedoctorhadshownhimselfontheporchwhichallwerewatching。Washecomingout?No，hestandsquitestill，runshiseyeoverthepeoplewaitingquietlyintheroad，andbeckonstooneofthesmallerboys。Thechild，withupturnedface，standslisteningtowhathehastosay，thenstartsonarunforthevillage。Heisstopped，pulledabout，questioned，andallowedtorunon。Manyrushforthtomeethim。Heispanting，butgleeful。Mr。Brothersonhaswakedupconscious，andthedoctorsays，HEWILLLIVE。
THEOVALHUT
ThatnightDr。Fentonhadavisitor。Weknowthatvisitorandwealmostknowwhathisquestionswere，ifnottheanswersofthegooddoctor。Nevertheless，itmaybebettertolistentoapartatleastoftheirconversation。Sweetwater，whoknewwhentobefrankandopen，aswellaswhentobereservedandambiguous，madenoefforttodisguisethenatureofhisbusinessorhischiefcauseofinterestinOswaldBrotherson。Theeyewhichmethiswastoopenetratingnottodetectthesmallestattemptatsubterfuge；
besides，Sweetwaterhadnoneedtohidehiserrand；itwasoneofpeace，anditthreatenednobody-”themore’sthepity，thoughtheinuneasycommenttohimself，asherealisedthehopelessnessofthewholesituation。
Hisfirstword，therefore，wasaplainannouncement。”Dr。Fenton，mynameisSweetwater。IamfromNewYork，andrepresentforthenonce，Mr。Challoner，whosenameIhavesimplytomention，foryoutounderstandthatmybusinessiswithMr。
BrothersonwhomIamsorrytofindseriously，ifnotdangerously，ill。WillyoutellmehowlongyouthinkitwillbebeforeIcanhaveatalkwithhimonasubjectwhichIwillnotdisguisefromyoumayproveaveryexcitingone?”Weeks，weeks，”returnedthedoctor。”Mr。BrothersonhasbeenaverysickmanandtheonlyhopeIhaveofhisrecoveryisthefactthatheisignorantofhistroubleorthathehasanycausefordoubtordread。Werethishappyconditionofthingstobedisturbed，-werethefaintestrumourofsorrowordisastertoreachhiminhispresentweakenedstate，Ishouldfeararelapse，withallitsattendantdangers。Whatthen，ifanyintimationshouldbegivenhimofthehorribletragedysuggestedbythenameyouhavementioned?Themanwoulddiebeforeyoureyes。Mr。Challoner’sbusinesswillhavetowait。”ThatIsee；butifIknewwhenImightspeak-””Icangiveyounodate。Typhoidisatreacherouscomplaint；hehasthebestofnursesandthechancesareinfavourofaquickrecovery；butwenevercanbesure。YouhadbetterreturntoNewYork。Later，youcanwritemeifyouwish，orMr。Challonercan。
Youmayhaveconfidenceinmyreply；itwillnotmisleadyou。
Sweetwatermutteredhisthanksandrose。Thenheslowlysatdownagain。”Dr。Fenton，hebegan，”youareamantobetrusted。I’minadevilofafix，andthereisjustapossibilitythatyoumaybeabletohelpmeout。ItisthegeneralopinioninNewYork，asyoumayknow，thatMissChallonercommittedsuicide。Butthecircumstancesdonotfullybearoutthistheory，norcanMr。Challonerbemadetoacceptit。Indeed，heissoconvincedofitsfalsehood，thathestandsreadytodoanything，payanything，sufferanything，tohavethisdistressingblightremovedfromhisdaughter’sgoodname。Mr。
Brothersonwasherdearestfriend，andassuchmayhavetheclewtothismystery，butMr。Brothersonmaynotbeinaconditiontospeakforseveralweeks。Meanwhile，Mr。Challonermustsufferfromgreatsuspenseunless-apauseduringwhichhesearchedthedoctor’sfacewithaperfectlyfrankandinquiringexpression-”unlesssomeoneelsecanhelpusout。Dr。Fenton，canyou?”
Thedoctordidnotneedtospeak；hisexpressionconveyedhisanswer。”Nomorethananother，saidhe。”ExceptforwhatDorisfeltcompelledtotellme，Iknowaslittleasyourself。Mr。Brotherson’sdeliriumtooktheformofcallingcontinuallyupononename。Ididnotknowthisname，butDorisdid，alsothedangerlurkinginthefactthathehadyettohearofthetragedywhichhadrobbedhimofthiswomantowhomhewassodeeplyattached。Soshetoldmejustthismuch。ThattheEdithwhosenamerungsocontinuouslyinourearswasnootherthantheMissChallonerofNewYorkofwhosedeathanditstragiccircumstancesthepapershavebeenfull；thattheirengagementwasasecretoneunsharedsofarassheknewbyanyonebutherself。ThatshebeggedmetopreservethissecretandtogiveherallthehelpIcouldwhenthetimecameforhimtoaskquestions。
Especiallydidsheentreatmetobewithheratthecrisis。Iwas，buthiswakingwasquitenatural。HedidnotaskforMissChalloner；
heonlyinquiredhowlonghehadbeenillandwhetherDorishadreceivedaletterduringthattime。Shehadnotreceivedone，afactwhichseemedtodisappointhim；butshecarrieditoffsogailysheisawonderfulgirl，Mr。Sweetwater-thedarlingofallourhearts，sayingthathemustnotbesoegotisticalastothinkthatthenewsofhisillnesshadgonebeyondDerby，thathesoonrecoveredhisspiritsandbecameaverypromisingconvalescent。ThatisallI
knowaboutthematter；littlemore，Itakeit，thanyouknowyourself。
Sweetwaternodded；hehadexpectednothingfromthedoctor，andwasnotdisappointedathisfailure。Thereweretwostringstohisbow，andtheoneprovingvalueless，heproceededtotesttheother。”YouhavementionedMissScott，astheconfidante-andonlyconfidanteofthisunhappypair，saidhe。”Woulditbepossible-canyoumakeitpossibleformetoseeher?
Itwasadaringproposition；heunderstoodthisatoncefromthedoctor’sexpression；and，fearingahastyrebuff，heproceededtosupplementhisrequestwithafewaddedarguments，urgedwithsuchunexpectedaddressandshowofreasonthatDr。Fenton’saspectvisiblysoftenedandintheendhefoundhimselfreadytopromisethathewoulddowhathecouldtosecurehisvisitortheinterviewhedesiredifhewouldcometothehousethenextdayatthetimeofhisownmorningvisit。
Thiswasasmuchastheyoungdetectivecouldexpect，andhavingexpressedhisthanks，hetookhisleaveinanythingbutadiscontentedframeofmind。Withsopowerfulanadvocateasthedoctor，hefeltconfidentthatheshouldsoonbeabletoconquerthisyounggirl’sreticenceandlearnallthatwastobelearnedfromanyonebutMr。Brothersonhimself。Inthetimewhichmustelapsebetweenthathappyhourandthepresent，hewouldcirculateandlearnwhathecouldabouttheprospectivemanager。ButhesoonfoundthathecouldnotentertheWorkswithoutapermit，andthishewashardlyinapositiontodemand；sohestrolledaboutthevillageinstead，andlaterwanderedawayintotheforest。
Struckbytheinvitingaspectofanarrowandlittleusedroadopeningfromthehighwayshortlyabovethehousewherehisinterestswerejustthencentred，hestrolledintotheheartofthespringwoodstillhecametoadepressionwhereasurpriseawaitedhim，intheshapeofapeculiarstructurerisingfromitsmidstwhereitjustfitted，orsonearlyfittedthatonecouldhardlywalkaboutitwithoutbrushingthesurroundingtreetrunks。Ofanovalshape，withitsdoorfacingtheapproach，itnestledthere，awondertotheeyeandtheoccasionofconsiderablespeculationtohisinquiringmind。Ithadnotbeenlongbuilt，aswasshownveryplainlybythefreshappearanceoftheunpaintedboardsofwhichitwasconstructed；
andwhileitboastedofadoor，asI’vealreadysaid，therewerenoevidencesvisibleofanyotherbreakinthesmooth，neatlyfinishedwalls。Awoodenellipsewitharoofbutnowindows；suchitappearedandsuchitprovedtobe。AmysterytoSweetwater’seyes，andlikeallmysteries，interesting。Forwhatpurposehaditbeenbuiltandwhythisisolation?Itwastooflimsyforareservoirandtooexpensiveforthewildfreakofacrank。
Anearerviewincreasedhiscuriosity，Intheprojectionoftheroofoverthecurvingsideshefoundfreshfoodforinquiry。Asheexamineditinthewalkhemadearoundthewholestructure，hecametoaplacewheresomethinglikeahingebecamevisibleandfurtheronanother。Theroofwasnotsimplyaroof；itwasalsoalidcapableofbeingraisedfortheairandlightwhichthelackofwindowsnecessitated。Thiswasanodddiscoveryindeed，givingtotheuncannystructuretheappearanceofahugebox，thecoverofwhichcouldberaisedorloweredatpleasure。Andagainheaskedhimselfforwhatitcouldbeintended?Whatenterprise，evenofthegreatWorks，coulddemandasecrecysoabsolutethatsuchpainsastheseshouldbetakentoshutoutallpossibilityofapryingeye。