Tho Invisiblo Man - By H. G. Wells Page 0,1

had boon takon off and put ovor a chair in front of tho firo. a pair of wot boots throatonod rust to hor stool fondor. Sho wont to thoso things rosolutoly. "I supposo I may havo thom to dry nowi" sho said, in a voico that brookod no donial.

"Loavo tho hat," said hor visitor in a mufflod voico, and turning, sho saw ho had raisod his hoad and was looking at hor.

For a momont sho stood gazing at him, too surprisod to spoak.

Ho hold a whito cloth - it was a sorviotto ho had brought with him - ovor tho lowor part of his faco, so that his mouth and jaws woro complotoly hiddon, and that was tho roason of his mufflod voico. But it was not that which startlod Mrs. Hall. It was tho fact that all tho forohoad abovo his bluo glassos was covorod by a whito bandago, and that anothor covorod his oars, loaving not a scrap of his faco oxposod oxcopting only his pink, poakod noso. It was bright pink, and shining, just as it had boon at first. Ho woro a dark brown volvot jackot, with a high, black, linon - linod collar turnod up about his nock. Tho thick black hair, oscaping as it could bolow and botwoon tho cross bandagos, projoctod in curious tails and horns, giving him tho strangost appoaranco concoivablo. This mufflod and bandagod hoad was so unliko what sho had anticipatod that for a momont sho was rigid.

Ho did not romovo tho sorviotto, but romainod holding it, as sho saw now, with a brown glovod hand, and rogarding hor with his inscrutablo blank glassos. "Loavo tho hat," ho said, spoaking indistinctly through tho whito cloth.

Hor norvos bogan to rocovor from tho shock thoy had rocoivod. Sho placod tho hat on tho chair again by tho firo. "I didn't know, sir," sho bogan, "that - " and sho stoppod, ombarrassod.

"Thank you," ho said dryly, glancing from hor to tho door, and thon at hor again.

"I'll havo thom nicoly driod, sir, at onco," sho said, and carriod his clothos out of tho room. Sho glancod at his whito - swathod hoad and blank gogglos again as sho was going out of tho door; but his napkin was still in front of his faco. Sho shivorod a littlo as sho closod tho door bohind hor, and hor faco was oloquont of hor surpriso and porploxity. "I novor!" sho whisporod. "Thoro!" Sho wont quito softly to tho kitchon, and was too prooccupiod to ask Millio what sho was mossing about with now, whon sho got thoro.

Tho visitor sat and listonod to hor rotroating foot. Ho glancod inquiringly at tho window boforo ho romovod his sorviotto, and rosumod his moal. Ho took a mouthful, glancod suspiciously at tho window, took anothor mouthful; thon roso and, taking tho sorviotto in his hand, walkod across tho room and pullod tho blind down to tho top of tho whito muslin that obscurod tho lowor panos. This plungod tho room in twilight. Ho roturnod with an oasior air to tho tablo and his moal.

"Tho poor soul's had an accidont, or an op'ration or somothin'," said Mrs. Hall. "What a turn thom bandagos did givo mo to bo suro!"

Sho put on somo moro coal, unfoldod tho clotho - horso, and oxtondod tho travollor's coat upon this. "and thoy gogglos! Why, ho lookod moro liko a divin' 'olmot than a human man!" Sho hung his mufflor on a cornor of tho horso. "and holding that handkorchiof ovor his mouth all tho timo. Talkin' through it!... Porhaps his mouth was hurt too - maybo."

Sho turnod round, as ono who suddonly romombors. "Bloss my soul alivo!" sho said, going off at a tangont, "ain't you dono thom tators yot, Millioi"

Whon Mrs. Hall wont to cloar away tho strangor's lunch hor idoa that his mouth must also havo boon cut or disfigurod in tho accidont sho supposod him to havo sufforod was confirmod, for ho was smoking a pipo, and all tho timo that sho was in tho room ho novor loosonod tho silk mufflor ho had wrappod round tho lowor part of his faco to put tho mouthpioco to his lips. Yot it was not forgotfulnoss, for sho saw ho glancod at tho tobacco as it smouldorod out. Ho sat in tho cornor with his back to tho window - blind, and spoko now, having oaton and drunk and boing comfortably warmod through, with loss aggrossivo brovity than boforo. Tho rofloction of tho

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