The Fate of Felix Brand   By: Florence Finch Kelly (1858-1939)

BY

FLORENCE FINCH KELLY

AUTHOR OF "WITH HOOPS OF STEEL," "THE DELAFIELD AFFAIR," "RHODA OF THE UNDERGROUND," "EMERSON'S WIFE, AND OTHER WESTERN STORIES," ETC.

ILLUSTRATED BY EDWIN JOHN PRITTIE

PHILADELPHIA THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1913, by

THE JOHN C. WINSTON CO.

[Illustration: MILDRED ANNISTER MADE APPREHENSIVE INQUIRY ABOUT HIM]

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. FELIX BRAND HAS A MYSTERIOUS EXPERIENCE 9 II. "LIKE OTTAR OF ROSES OUT OF AN OTTER" 15 III. THE MASK OF HIS COUNTENANCE 27 IV. BILLIKINS IS FRIGHTENED 40 V. MRS. BRAND'S DREAM SON 62 VI. WHO IS HUGH GORDON? 82 VII. FELIX BRAND READS A LETTER 96 VIII. DAYS OF STRESS 113 IX. BATTLING WITH THE INVISIBLE 128 X. HUGH GORDON WINS HENRIETTA'S CONFIDENCE 140 XI. PENELOPE HAS A VISITOR 158 XII. DR. ANNISTER HAS DOUBTS 179 XIII. MILDRED IS MILITANT 190 XIV. "THERE IS NOT ROOM FOR US BOTH" 199 XV. FELIX BRAND HAS A BAD QUARTER OF AN HOUR 215 XVI. MRS. FENLOW IS ANGRY 230 XVII. "WHICH SHOULD HAVE THE GIFT OF LIFE?" 249 XVIII. ISABELLA TAKES ONE MORE RIDE 272 XIX. "AND YOU COULD DO THIS, FELIX BRAND!" 285 XX. "SAVE ME, DR. ANNISTER!" 295 XXI. HUGH GORDON TELLS HIS STORY 317 XXII. "A MOST INTERESTING CASE!" 335 XXIII. WHITHER? 341

ILLUSTRATIONS

MILDRED ANNISTER MADE APPREHENSIVE INQUIRY CONCERNING HIM Frontispiece

PAGE

"HARRY, DEAR, HAVE YOU HEARD FROM HIM?" 84

HE SANK FACE DOWNWARD ON THE BED 139

"MILDRED!" HIS WHITE LIPS WHISPERED, THEN STIFFENED AND WERE STILL 340

THE FATE OF FELIX BRAND

CHAPTER I

FELIX BRAND HAS A MYSTERIOUS EXPERIENCE

Felix Brand awoke with a start and looked about him with a puzzled stare. And yet there was nothing unfamiliar in what met his gaze. The bed wherein he lay and its luxurious appointments were of his own recent buying. He had himself designed the decorations of the room and selected its furnishings. As his eyes leaped from one object to another his bewildered glance seemed to slide unnotingly over the furniture, and the draperies, walls and pictures, indicative of a fastidious taste, that made up the interior of his bedroom.

But it was no more than a few seconds until his consciousness came again into accord with his surroundings. His look of perplexity quickly changed into one of satisfaction and amusement, and he exclaimed aloud:

"Good Lord, how vivid that was! Never before has it been so strong!" He rubbed his eyes, slapped his arms and moved about in the bed as if to be assured of his bodily intactness and smiled again as he thought:

"No, I'm here, all right, and I'm I, as usual! But it seems as if I'd only have to close my eyes to swing back into it again!"

His eyelids dropped as if in response to his thought, but quickly opened again, with a little frown, as he murmured, "No, I guess not. This is better!"