The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-07-23
to have kept you.up 50 long. Good

to have kept yousup 50. long. Good
night" I ~,
"Good night, and remember that l
am more than ready to go with you
to Clayborough, Or Blackwater, or
London, or anywhere, if can be of
any service"
Thanks! I know you mean it, old
friend, and it may be that I shall put
you to the test. Once more, good
night"
So we parted for the night, and met
again in the breakfast-room at half
past eight next morning. It was a
hurried, silent, uncomfortable meal.
None of us had slept we'll, and all
were thinking Of the same subject.
Mrs. jeff had evidently been crying ;
jeff was impatient to be off; and both
Captain Prendergast and myself felt
ourselves to be in the painful position
OF outsiders WHO are involuntarily
brought into a domestic trouble.
Within twenty minutes after we had
left the breakfast table, the dog-cart
was brought round, and my friend
and I were on the road TO- Gaybor-
ough.
Tell you what it is, Langford," he
said, as we sped along between the
wintry hedges, II do not much fancy
to bring up Dwerrihouse's name at
Clayborough. All the officials know
that he is my wife's relation, and the
subject just now is hardly a pleasant
one. If you dan't much mind, we
will take the lilo to Blackwater.
It's an important station, and we
shall stand a far better chance of
picking up information there than at
Clayborough."
So we took the lilo, which hap
pened to.be an express, and, arriving
at Blackwater about a quarter before
twelve, proceeded at once to prosecute
our inquiry.
We began by asking for the station
master,-a big, blunt, business-like
person, who at once averred that he
knew Mr.. John Dwerrihouse perfectly
we'll, and that there was no director
on the line whom he had seen and
spoken to so frequently.
"He used to be down here two or
three times a week, about three
months ago." said he, "when the new
line was first set afoot, but since then,
you know, gentlemen"
He paused significantly.
jeff flushed scarlet.
eyes, yes," he said hurriedly, eve
know all about that. The point now
to be ascertained is whether anything
has been seen or heard of him lately" :"
"Not to my knowledge" replied the
station-master.
"He is not known to have been
down the line any time yesterday, for
instance?"
The station-master shook his head.
"The East Anglian, sir" said he,
<'is about the last place where he
would dare show himself: Why,
there isn't a station-master, there isn't
guard, there isn't a porter, who
doesn't know MIR. Dwerrihouse by
sight as we'll as he knows his own
face in the looking-glass; or who
wouldn't telegraph for the police as
soon as he had set eyes on him at any
point along the line. Bless you, sir
there's been a standing order out
against him ever since the twenty.
fifth Of September last
"And yet," pursued my friend, "a
gentleman who travelled down yester
day from London to Clayborough by
| the afternoon express testifes thai
he saw Mr.Dwerrihouse in the train
and that Mr.. Dwerrihouse alighted al
Blackwater Station"
"Quite impossible, sir" replied thu
station-master, promptly.
"Why impossible?" ::
because there is no station alon@
the line where he is so we'll known o.
where he would run so great a risk
It would just be running his heae
into q lions mouth. He would hav,
been mad to come nigh Blackwate1
station; and if he had come, he woult
have been arrested before he left tn
platform"
"Can you tell me who took tn,
Blackwater tickets of that train?''
Il can, sir. 1t was the guard
Benjamin Somers."
"And where can I find him?''
"You can find him, sir, by stayinI
here, if you please, till one o'clock
He will be coming through with tn
up express from Champion, whic]
stays at Blackwater for ten minuter.
We waited for the up express, be
quilting the time as best we could b,
strolling along the Blackwater roa'
till he came almost to the outskirt
of the town, from which the station
was distant nearly couple of miles
By one o'clock we were back agai1
upon the platform, and waiting: 70
the train. 1t came punctually, and
at once recognized the ruddy-face'
:, guard who had gone down with m
train the evening before.
"The gentlemen want to ask yo
something about Mr.. Dwerrihoust
somers," said the station-master, b
way of introduction.