Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1871-04-19
STRANDED.
II

The rain began to patter Oh the stones
us he turned into fremont street, but he
rather welcomed that; it would cool the
fever of his blood. He went Oh down
the street, down past the houses of his
friends-Of the men and women aud lit
tie children who had given him true
love. There was not a single regret OF
tiHge of bitterness in the thought that
tomorrow they would all BE- closed
against him-hOmes and hearts alike
He had weighed all his losses, and that
was among them.
Presently he rang the bell Of a house
facing the Common, in Boylston place.
Tell Mr.. Lawrence I wish To see him,
he said, when his summon was answer
ed.
MIR. Lawrence has gone out VIII
yOu come in and waltz
He heSitated for a moment, brushed
past the servant as he had often done
before, sprang up the stairs two at q
time, and was in LaWrence's chambers.
No signs of hurried fight there; the
rooms were undistuTbed and orderly. A
pipe, still warm, lay on the table, an Op-
en- book beside ii; his easy-chair stand
ing near. He took it all in at glance
was at the door again, where the seTv-
ant still lingred, looking out at the
rain.
It's rough night, Mr.. Comnor,' hc
said. Won't you wait bit for Mr.
. George q"
No; will find him. he said, and re-
traced his steps along BOylstOn street,
dropping in here and there at cIub-hous-
es and George Lawrence's other we'll
known haunts; but he was at none of
them.
At each place, almost, the same ques-
ton was asked, 'Will you come in and
wait?' and the same invariable answer
given. No, Twill find him.
FOiled in his search, he remembered
that Lawrence fTeqUented some of the
newspaper offices, and that he should
probably find him in one of them. He
had begun his pursuit cool and unhurTi-
ed, but his failures excited and madden
ed him at last; the fever in his blood
had stolen up to his head, and he was
aware that his manner was strange and
attracting attention. He tried to sober
himself as he entered one newspaper
office after the other; but he noticed
that his husky voice, or something in
his face, startled for moment the man
he questioned. He had at length eN-
hausted all the likely places of finding
the man; then he thought of the unlike
Jy ones. He began, to, think that Law
renee had heard, in some way, of the
girls death, and was avoiding him; but
that did not matter, he said, under his
breath, he would find him all the same.
Aware now that he had lost all clue to
his intended victim, he walked Oh,
quite aimlesSly, from one street to an
other, until, after an hour of such search.
ing as had been, after all, only an eag-
er scrutiny of the faces of the few pc
destTians he met, he found himself stand
ing under the black shadow of the Old
South Church, thinking of its grim le-
gend; from there he was in Hanover St.,
again, under Faneuil Hall looking uu
with Il new interest at its ugly historic
front; then on again, his brain whiTliug
cUiOusly, his step unsteady, and scarce
ly knowing how he had got there, he
stood on Dunlethe's Wharf, gazing out
at the black, silent bay gliding along tc
the sea, strangely fascinated by its rip
pling tide and the lights dangling from
the yard-arms Of ships. a California
steamer, going to sail that night, waiting
for the turn of tide, lay half Il mile OIL
shore, with steam up and hundred
lights blazing aboard of her Below him
there was a shipping office, the windows
of which Il boy was huTriedly closing
for the night. As the last shutter was
fastened, the door was thrown open,
and, in the flood of light streaming out,
George Lawrence stood revealed for q
moment, but as if undecided whether he
should return to the shelter of the office
OF fulfil his first intention of going out,
The boy came out after him and closed
the door, deciding the matter for him.
Drawing the collar of his coat about his
ears, he walkOd Oh down the wharf
shading his eyes with his hand, and
looking over the bay to the steam.
er. Luke COnnor saw him there--hao
seen him before, when the Oflice-light'
were full upon him; but he failed to re,
cognize his enemy in the Oddly-disguiseC
figure now coming rapidly toward him
A single lamp glimmered dimly at the
end of the wharf, and the rain, coming
down in torrents, had driven every ont
to seek shelter, so that the two mel
were quickly closing in upon each other
. in spot seemingly set apart for this fou
deed.
A boat, lowered from the steamer
was being rowed slowly against tn