The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-10-18 00:00:00

CHAPTER XXI/.

A TICKET-OF-LEAVE.
0, life 1 thou art a galling load;
Along a rough, a weary road,
To wretches such as
M. PbtrNCEßY's intention to return to London that
night was not put into force, for he arrived at the
station—thanks to the slight incident which had
delayed his movements at the "Albion "—just in
tine to see moving away from the platform the train
Which he had purposed travelling, and as there
was no other to succeed it he had no choice but to
rezinailt where he was till the following morning.
'lt's a confounded nuisance," he muttered,
frumblingly to himself. "However, there's no
uelp for it. I must find a place to put up at for the
In Pursuance of which design he retraced his
r.
ke..
..„17, for it was growing late, and he began to feel
'dreg tter the day's fatirue.
, _

But chance had yet another surprise in store for
Mr. Pounceby, who, in turning the corner of a dark
street, came with such N iolence against a. figure
travelling in the opposite direction that eachtecoiled
with the force of the encounter.

"Now then can't you look where you are going
to F" 6urlily demanded a rough voice. "Who are
you shoving on, I'd like to know?"
"Keep your temper, my friend," quietly replied
the officer. ," There's no harm done, is there F'
As he spoke the other started visibly and peered
with a cunning gaze into his face.
"Well, what's the matter ?" asked Mr. Pounceby.
Without answering, the man clutched him by the
arm and dragged him under the ',nearest lamp, by
the light of which a simultaneous recognition
occurred.

"Joe Bradley!"
" Pounceby 1";
The inspector, much as he prided himself upon his
self-command, was absolutely staggered now.
" You i" he exclaimed.

For he had supposed the man he thus encoun-
tered, to be safe under lock and key at Dartmoor.
How, then, was he at liberty?
"What are you doing here?" he asked, quickly
and authoritatively. " Your time is not out."
"Oh ! you don't fancy I'd have been such a fool
as to let on if I'd any call to be afraid," sullenly
responded Joe Bradley. "I've got my ticket square
enough, and you can't interfere with me."
"I'm not quite so'sure of that, my fine fellow,"
calmly observed the officer. "Anyhow, I'd like to
see your pass. Not that I can't take your word, of
course, but just to make sure."
"You needn't make , no 'palaver 7about it," said
Joe Bradley, with a chuckle. "I'm all right, I am,
and there's my ticket if you won't believe me."
Pounceby glancedi: his eye quickly over tho
document which gave the convict liberty to be at
large, and,handed ikback to him.
"That's all very well as far as it goes," he re-
marked. "But what are you doing for a living ?"
"Nothing."

"Oh!" -
"Nothing as yet, that is. u But I'm on the le.ok
out for work—in a honest way, of course—and I
thought may be, I could find it about the docks.
Or-1 shouldn't mind going to sea, if I saw my
way. I've served as a youngster, andpight manage
even now, if I could only get a ship."'

"Where for ?",

"Well, the colonies—or China—or Amerikey—l
don't much care where; a berth at the bottom of
the sea, perhaps, would be the beat place for me," be
added, with a reckless laugh. But not yet—not
till I've had what I long for."

" Ah! what is that, tray
"Can't you think, Mr. Pounceby r
"Not quite."
"Revenge !—that's all I want to live tor—revenge
on that cur that sold me to the slavery I've gone
through all these years. I don't:mind your share in
it—that was all fair—you're paid to do your duty,
and it's only what I looked for. Not as I want to
butter you up or try to make you believe as I
feel friendly towards you—you ain't fool enough to
believe me if 1 did."

"No, that would be rather a stretch of imagina-
tion," anquilly remarked Pounceby.
"But it's different with him, the whelp as split
upon his pals, and he shall- pay for it yet," con-
tinued Joe Bradley, excitedly. "I tell you, Mr.
Pounceby, there isn't a day passed over my head
since that time as I haven't took a fresh, oath to
serve him out first time I get the chance. All the
long years I've worked in the gang with irons on
my legs, I've only thought of this : that some day
I'd be free and near him—him what sent me to the
hulks and robbed me of my Carrie. I've held my
tongue, though, Mr. Pounceby, and I've worked
without grumbling and be'aved myself, I have, and
now I got the first wish of my heart; the next will
be—"
"Yes 1"
"When I meet that—that Judas I am n looking for.
And woe betide him when I do, that's all!"
The words were vague, but there was an intensity
of voice and manner in the way they were spoken
that gave Pounceby an uncomfortable sensation.
"This is a queer go," he thought. "I rather
&lie.) that a certain eminent tragedian' wouldn t
feel altogether so easy in his mind if he knew who
was walking at large about Southampton streets
to-night. I must be careful not to give the old
rascal any hint that he's so warm upon the scent.
It wouldn't be a bad dodge to send him on the
wild-gooso chase he's so eager after. He might
chance never to come back again. So much the
better for Mr. Clarence Woodville esquire I
beg his pardon. And so," he continued, aloud
"you've got a fancy that if you 'could only get to
Australia you might happen to :drop across Alick
there. Eli?"
"Never mind what I fancy,' sulkily replied Joe.
"I mean to find him somehow,_ and will, if he's
upon the face of the earth."
Humph! That's easier said than done, my
friend. 1 don't fancy you'll succeed."
"I'll try, anyhow," responded the ruffian, with a
quiet vindictiveness of tone that carried conviction
to his hearer of no ordinary obstacles being able to
turn him from his purpose. "You could help
me, if you would, but I suppose it's no use asking
you."
"None in the world. I don't say that I could,
mind you, but whether or no I wouldn't tell you."
"Never mind," said Joe, "I don't want no he'p.
The hate I feel is strong enough to lead me to him
some time or other, and I can wait patiently till
then. Oh, yea, I can wait, and when the time
comes—"

"Threatened men live long, I've heard say,"
Pounceby broke in. "1 rather think that it's true
in this case. But you had better keep your senti-
ments to yourself, for I don't want to know 'era
and as it is getting late I'll say good night, with
this little bit of advice: Don't let your temper get
the better of you if you should chance to drop
across anybody you've got a grudge against.
Revenge is all very well in its way, but you might
have to pay a heavier price for it than would be
altogether pleasant."
And nodding briefly to the old man Mr. Pounceby
went his way.
"Means mischief, he does,* mused the officer,
"and would do some, too—if he got the chance.
But there ain't much fear of that; I don't suppose
as he'd recognise Master Alick in his new get-
up, not if they were brought into the same room
together."
There, however, Inspector Pounceby was wrong.
Joe Bradley's memory was a retentive one, and
sharpened by one of the strongest incentives in
nature—hatred, and an almost insane desire to
gratify it. His enemy's features were always
before him, his one purpose in life was to , confront
him, and then—
He was older now, and feebler too, while- Alick
Wood must have gained the strength he had lost;
but that consideration went for nothing. Let him
but cnd his foe; it would then be time enough to
_ _
consider how to deal with him. _

Mr. Pounceby returned to London nest morning,
and after reporting himself and accounting for the
delay, lost no time in calling upon Doctor Sampson,
who heard the story brought to him with no small
surprise and vexation.
"You surely must be mistaken,' he said.
"Not at all, sir. Our young friend whom, Mr.
Grant hopes to find at the other side of the world, is
at this moment in England."
"And he calls himself Clarence Woodville, you
say r"
"
"Then you are right, after all. I saw him my-
self. I thought at the time that the features were
familiar to me, but dismissed it as mere fancy.
There was a woman with him. The girl—what
was her name ?"

"Carrie Bradley. Yes, I suppose it must have
been her. A queer thing, isn't it, sir, that he should
take it into his head to come back just now. And
what a swell he's turned into; quiet a tiptopper sir,
I assure you. You ought to see him."
"Thank you," drily returned the ElG:tor. "I
have no desire to know anything more of the fel-
low than is absolutely necessary. What is best to
be done, do you think? Is it worth while hunting
him up? I suppose that would be easy enough ?"
c. Well, yes. Bat it strikes me that you could
do no good with him in the absence of the principal
person concerned. No; 11l tell you what I should
advise, sir. Write to your young friend and tell him
to return as soon as may be, for he can do no good
out there, that's certain. In the meantime I'll keep
my eyes open, and I find out as much at I can lot
you on the quiet."
And Doctor Sampson, who could see no better
course for the present, allowed himself to be guided
by the inspector's advice, giving him carte blanche to
manage the matter in his own way.
Mr. Pounceby's first step was to go back to
Southampton, where,. aided by his old flame, he
soon found out a great deal concerning Clarence
Woods ille and the lady who was travelling with
him.

Their object in visiting Europe, Mrs. Rowley
had gathered in the course of sundry conversations
with the lady's maid, was not professional, but for
the purpose of establishing Mrs. Despard.'s claith to
her deceased husband's property in France.
She was Mr. Woodville's sister, English by birth,
as he was, but had gone to Melbourne when quite a
child, and taken to the stage; which, however, she
loft on becoming the wife of Jules Despard, a
Frenchman who had amassed a considerable fortune
by trade. The greater part of this, it turned out on
investigating his affairs after:his death, was invested
in the purchase of an estate in his native land, and
the widow, armed with the necessary proofs of her
identity, and accompanied by her brother, started at
once to take possession, stopping only a few days at
Southampton to rest after the fatigue of the voyai; e,
and departing for France only a few hours before In-
spector Pounceby arrived at the "Albion" with the
view already stated.
He was completely puzzled, and got back to
town wondering whether he had in very deed blun-
dered.

" ir.'t make head or tail of it, and that's the
trig ;r.' he said to Doctor Sampson, whom he
90iigh, I. Ilt t once. "But the more I think of it
the wore I'm convinced that the man I saw, call-
irt himseli Carence Woodville, is really Alick
t` col"
von might he misled by a resemblance. von

'know," suggested the doctor; "though rm very
much inclined to the same belief myself."
"Did you notice the woman who was with him P
Should you think she was the girl you remember ? "
"I can't be sure," replied Dr. Sampson. "It is
so long ago that I have only the vaguest recollection
of what she was like."
"I tell you what sir," resumed Pounceby, after
a short pause of consideration, "it's my firm opinion
the whole thing is a plant."
"In what manner ?"

" Ah, that's what I should like to find out. None
the less I'd lay my life it's a piece of rascality
from beginning to end. Have you written to Mr.
Grant i "

"Yes; and posted the letter by the mail that left
yesterday, 9) that he will get it on arrivaL"
"So much
,the better. I hope he won't lose any
time in coming back. It strikes me that there's a
big stroke of rascality being carried out, and I'll try
if I can't manage to spoil Mr. Clarence Woodville 's
little game, whatever it may be."
Which was easier to determine than do, as In-
spector Powaceby soon discovered; for communi-
cative as the lady's maid had been to Mrs. Rowley
with regard to her mistress's affairs, and faithfully
as the proprietress of the " Albion " hotel had
transmitted her knowledge, an important point was
left untold. Ignorant of what part of France
they were to be found in, Mr. Pounceby was soon
forced to the conclusion that for the present, at
least, he must abandon all hope of tracing Clarence
Woodville and his companion, since it was impossible
for him to absent himself from duty at home to
embark in an enterprise which might, after all,
turn out a wildgoose chase; and—even should his
half-formed suspicions really have any foundation
—in any case, was no affair that he could interfere
with.

Clb be continued.