Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-05-19
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That night, some twenty minutes past
eight of the clock, my hanson, trning
the Burton street corner at fast trOt,
was nearly cut over by a hanson charg
ing furiously down bond street.
The two drivers exchanged a broad
side of double-shotted blaspemies, fog
ged their horses clear of each other, and
started again, the offending Jehu lead
ing.
was bound to Charing Cross, enrout
to Dover, Paris and Lindenbad, in the
track of Lady Oswestry and Helen
Wybrowe; and, in consequence of this
delay, only saved the 81 mail by about
two seconds. Another man, however
ran it closer still. A man in a four lined
travelling robe, and peaked cap pulled
over his eyes, took through ticket to
Lindenbad after me ,and followed me on
to the platform, halfa dozen yards be-
hind.
heard him hurrying on after me;
just as the guard had opened the door of
the empty carriage he caught me up and
got in too. The door was slammed, the
whistle shricked, and the Dover mail
started.
had drop ped into one corner; my
companion rolled himself in the op-
posite one. lit cigar; so did he; and
we cleared London, and had run dozeE
miles down the line before 1 looked
again at him. i was thinking what
Helen's sudden departure boded me;
whether L was sure of winning her,
after all; and, deep in speculations of
this sort, L had no eyes or thought for
anything else.
Besides, that shapeless travelling robe,
and that peaked cap that kept his face
in an impenetrable shadwo, would
have puzz ed me, even if had suspi
cion as to who the the man in the Op-
posite corner was. And in the prepara-
tioAs for my sudden departure 1 had
forgotten all about him.
So that it was not till he tore off his
cap and flung aside his wrapper that l
knew that Alvarez Smith and 1 were
alone together in that carriage of the
Dover mail train; and that he was
glaring at me with all the furious hate
he felt for me in his evil eyes.
l looked at him TRANQUILITY enough, l
think, but couldn't help feeling that
the recontre was by no means an agree
able one; that the express stopped no.
where between London and Dover, and
that Alvarez Smith was probably as
mad as any inmate of Hanwell.s
However, I am not easily put off
head, and as 1 say, returned his glare
with tranquil stare, and went on
smoking.
Whether he had expected his melo-
drama to produce more effect, and was
disappointed; whether my ealmness ir-
ritated him afresh, don't know. Ger
tain it is that he rose and came to-
ward me with an oath.
1t struck me forcibly that he was dan
gerous. and I gradually slipped my
hand into theIinner breast pocket of my
travelling jacket, and unfastened the
loop which kept useful little revolver
de poche steady there.
There seemed likely to be a necessity,
disagreeable but imperative, for shoot
ing this man before we got to Dover.
humor to run any risk by the exercise
of an unwise forbearance toward a mad
brute like this, if it came to fight.
1t appeared, though, that he had some
thing to say before he Begin, for he
seated himself exactly opposite to me,
and muttered hoarsely:
$50 we are alone at last; you and l."
$50 it seems" returned. saw that,
if he meant to have row, he didn't
feel quite up to the mark yet, and want
ed to talk himself into the necessary
fury; so l thought l might venture to
light another cigar, which I did, loosing
my grip on the pistol but for a moment,
but keeping my eye on my man the
while.
He actually gnashed his yellow teeth
at me. He looked so unutterly hideous,
and at the same time so intensely ludic-
rous while he was doing it that 1
laughed.
''Take care! ~ he screamed, shivering
with wrath. "You laugh now; let him
laugh that winsI Caramba, you have
not won yet"
"No?" I inquired, insolently.
"NOl curse youl you never shall"
"Bah! you say so, my good MANI"
'Il l have sworn it,"
"You?" I sneered, rather enjoying
his fury, and with no mind to spare him
any stab 1 could give him. You! You
az madder than thought you were.n
"Yeu shall never have her! lddre
de DjOs! never"
YOU'RE wrong. l ShdU.n
He smiled in a CHASTITY fashion with
his white, dry lips.
"Non lie said, and if his tone was
calmer, it was twice as dangerous" "
and threatening now. mol l shall
keep my oath-besure of that. Litten!"
he went on, aftera pause, and.with that
same forced calmness; "from the day l
saw her first, and each day more and
more, have loved her-this woman
who"
"Who, from that same day, and each
day more and more, has loathed and
hated YOU" struck in. "Well?"
By the light of the lamp above US l
could see his yellow face turn the ashen
hue of dead mans, as that cruel taunt
of mine hit home.
He covered his face with his hands,
and muttered faint dull moan, as
though he had in very deed got his
death-hurt.
The crisis was evidently approaching;
the madman could hardly contain him.
self much longer. In another minute
he might be at my throat; and then,
disagreeable as it might be, l should
inevitably have to shoot him. Alvarez
Smith was by no means the sort of per-
son to stand on much ceremony with
when the instincts he inherited from
the Spanish creole of a mother of his
were is the ascendant; and 1t was his
life or mine, began to think. drew
the revolver quietly out of my pocket,
and covered him from my knee in an
ticipation of his rush.
Nov" he Missed, twill you promise
never to marry this woman?"
"I'll see you in Gehenna first!"
"You will not?"
'Confound you, no! But I'll promise
you this" / added, as saw him crouch
ing like a jaguar for a spring at my
throat, "that, madman or no madman,
if you lay finger on me, L will shoot
you in your tracks without further warm
ing"
Raising my right hand quickly, l
covered him fairly now. My amiable
companion dropped back into his seat
with hideous Spanish blasphemy;