The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-02-25
Tomorrow, then, at 7:15. we meet Good.

Tomorrow, then, at 7:15, we meet Good.
night. e
So I wished the vicar goodnight and we
parted. was out Hearly all day, making
calls and transaeting business. got back
to the hotel about halI-psst six, ordered
down my luggage, and asked at the bar il
the Rev. Mr.. Atkins was gone. The porter
said he was on the platform waiting for me.
I He had just paid his bill and taken his lug
gage forward.
1 took my ticket, but did not see him. /
got my luggage labeled for Exeter; still he
did not appear; but when the guard open
ed the door of a first-elass carriage for me,
/ found plaid and some books on the op.
| posite seat. ---..
''There's gentleman, sir, a clergyman,
taken that seat. He's been looking for q
friend. 1 suppose that's you, sir. If he
don't look sharp, he'll miss the train"
The guard had already come for the tick
cts. The sharp cry, ''Take your seats r
had Just gone forth when the Vicar came
running up, and said, ''Open this door,
guard" The guard opened the door, and
the Vicar took his place, laughing, opposite
me. / hardly knew him at first. for he
wore a large dark greatcoat, and had on a
travelling cap drawn down over his eyes and
/ VIII udDb ONSE hlh 6dIS.- he nau a IOll OF
papers and two magazines In his hand.
'How l hate this fuss end hurry he
said, as he folded his plaid over his legs;
Il hate the destruction of all individuali-
ty! When I was young, the coach, journey
was deliberate. 1uiet affair the traveller
was recognized individuality. The coach
man and guard knew you, and chatted; the
ostler chatted; the insides and outsides
knew you, and chatted. There was inter-
est in every village; the people came out to
see you pass; the inn dinner was amusing
Now you are mere parcel sent bv train.
The pointsman, the signalman, are mere
machines not cared for by you, and not
caring for you. Whiz, rattle, battle, scream,
Mss away you are flashed, and the only
thing to break the journey is the name of a
station so pronounced as to be unintelligI-
ble."
laughed, and hinted at the annoyances,
delays and dangers of the old system-the
! overladen coaches, the .exorbltant landlords
the endless fees.
swell, he said, I'perhaps in a future
age of balloons or electric expresses, people
viii talk of the delight of railway travelling
| The past is always praised in order to spite
the present.
1hen we fell to reading. We had
scarcely begun before-whirr 1.-The dark
ness of a tunnel fell upon US.
'1t is always So" said my amusing COM
pauion. 81 never began to read in rail-
way in my life that we did not pass through
a tunnel before had got well through the
first page" 81.
My travelling companion was an extra
ordinary person. He had been everywhere
and sesn everything. No capital of Europe
but he knew intimately.
''You seem surprised" " he said, ''at my
having travelled so much; but when was
at Oxford spent all my long vacations in
travelling; and during the little time was
in the army, before more serious convic-
tions induced me to enter the church, 1 saw
something of the colonies"
The wears information seemed bound
less. He discussed the geology of Devon
shire and the mineralogy of Cornwall. He
bad views on military tactics and artillery.
He was interested in engineering and chem
istry, and seemed quietly conversant with
all the latest discoveries In the latter sci
ence.
Il went, the other day." he said to me-
! as 1t began TO grow dark t'to lecture on
alchemy. The professor expressed his be-
lief IN great discoveries shortly to be made
in something that would supersede coal
and steam in aerial navigation, and In the
transmuIation OF metals. But tire you"
"Not at all"
"He expressed his own and Liebig's be-
| lief that the manufacture of diamonds and
! gold would soon be possible b. the merest
| tyro. He showed us small rubies that had
been produced by chemical action There
| seemed no bound TO the discoveries this
thoughtful man did not suggest-the prin-
I air,la Of haaf nd
earth. gold and jewels from the very road
side fints; gold would soon, he said, be of
no value; poverty would disappear from
the earth; new manures would turn the
deserts into prairies, and double the re-
! sources of the world. He ridiculed steam;
he"
All this was profoundly interesting; but,
somehow or other, wearied by long days
tagging about London, 1 felt drowsy and
the words of my companion seemed sud-
denly to change into buz, buz that kept in
cadence with the sound of the train as it
tore through part of Devonshlre.
fell asleep, and dream arose before
me. was alone at night in railway car
riage with man who thought me asleep.
He stole toward the door, unlocked it quiet
ly with railway key he drew from his
pocket and opened IT. Then rifing my
pockets (some strange numbness prevented
my crying out), he dragged me to the door,
and shut me out into darkness. The hor-
ror of that moment and some rustline
movement awoke me. scarcely knew
why, but strange, instantaneous caution
prevented me moving or at once opening
nv eyes, At that moment 1 felt light
hand, with practiced care, touch my breast
pocket, where my money was, and felt hot
breath upon my cheek, as if some one was
listening to my breathing.
Presently felt the breath no longer, nor
the motion of the hand, and heard nv com
panion- for the breath and hand were his
return to his seat. A moment or two
after, without moving, 1 opened one eye
for an instant only, and to my horror and
surprise saw the vicar sitting at the further
window perfectly bald, and with his wig in
his hand; pair of black moustaches and
beard were on his gnees, and he was slip
ping a pair of large green spectacles in
sbsgreen case; a little bottle and a small
sponge were on the cushion by his side.
What did this mean? Was it possible
this intellectual, thoughtful clergyman
was, after all. only a common swindler
flying from justice What should do !
Should 1 at once arouse and denounce him
No; he might be armed, and might shoot or
stab me before could summon the guard
or arrive at the next station No. 1 re-
solved to lie still and wait till could either
change carriages or inform the police. The
train ratified on, as if bound to rush for
ever through illimitable space-on, on
through the yielding darkness.
All at once strange medicated smell
spread around me, and before 1 could open
my eyes, sponge stepped in chloroform
was pressed chokingly tight over my nose
and mouth. / tried to resist, but 1 felt an
irresistible faintness creeping swiftly over
me; at the same moment my watch and
purse few from my pockets, was dashed
back contemptuously upon the seaT-a liv-
ing corpse.
When awoke, was lying on a bed in
the Exter Hospital, faint, exhausted, and
scarcely able TO move. The doctor sal /
had had SO heavy dose of chloroform,
that my recovery for long time seemed
| doubtful. need hardly say that had
been stripped of everything by my friend
the vicar, who was professional thief OF
the highest class.
About two years after that event, the
following paragraph met my eye in a Leeds
paper:
STRANGE DEATH OF THIEF. On Thurs
day, frst-class passenger by the night