d to me that his
upbringing must have been a very bad one.

"Well," she replied, after this eloquent pause, "he's up in his room
certainly, but he doesn't like to see visitors, I know."

"He will be perfectly willing to see _me_," I said, confidently. "I
have news of importance for him"--and as she continued to look at me
in that troubled way: "I know of his present disfigurement," I
explained. "You need not be afraid of any unpleasant scenes."

"If I were sure of that," she said hesitatingly, and looked me over
with a critical eye. "Does he know you, sir?"

"Oh, yes," I answered; "we have met before. I assure you it will be
quite all right if you will just let me walk up and announce myself to
him, Mrs. Hines."

If I had had any doubt upon the point I was soon to learn that she was
indeed the mother of the notorious Mr. Edwards; for, ere she had time
to reply, a high-pitched, querulous voice which I had heard before
cried out from somewhere above:

"If that's any one for me, mother, tell him to go away! You know
perfectly well I won't see any one."

"There you are, sir," said Mrs. Hines, unable to hide her
embarrassment; "I told you he wouldn't see you."

"Please give me permission to go up," I said; "he will change his mind
when he hears what I have to say."

"You hear, mother!" came the irritable voice; "I'll break his neck if
he comes up here!"

Judging from the sound of the voice, I concluded that the excited
young man was located in a room immediately above that at the door of
which I stood.

"Don't be alarmed, madam," I said, and, stepping into the room, I
placed my hand reassuringly upon the old lady's shoulder.

Without waiting for any further protest I advanced to an open
staircase which I had already marked as leading to the apartment above
and confidently mounted. The copy-hunting pressman is not readily
excluded, and a few moments later I found myself in an extremely
untidy bedroom, the walls of which were decorated with sporting
prints, Kirchner drawings and photographs of many damsels.

The scarred young man, his face still a mass of sticking-plaster,
stood with clenched fists facing me, and:

"Get out!" was his greeting--"before I throw you out."

"My dear sir," I said, "unless you particularly want to figure in a
very undignified light as a witness in a trial for murder, sit down
and listen to me."

Edward Hines hesitated, opening and closing his hands and glaring at
me in a prepos