The Morning herald., 1877-03-08
yzArTT Ixxix!|
TIN CAB.

That evening Beatricss performance
had been greeted with louder applause than
usual and, what was more gratifying to
one like her, the effective passages had
been listened to with q stiffness which
spoke more loudly than the loudest ap-
plause Of the deep interest of the audience.
Langhetti had almost always driven
home with her, but on this occasion he had
excused himself on account of some busi-
ness in the theatre which required his at
tention.
cabman whom she had employed. After
looking around for him a long time she
found that he had gone. She was sur
prised and vsxed. At the same time she
could not account for this, but thought
that perhaps he had been drinking and
had forgotten all about her. On making
this discovery she was on the point of 60
ing back and telling Langhetti, but a cab
man followed her persistantly, promising
to take her wherever she wished, and she
thought that it would be foolish to trouble
Langhetti about so small matter; so that
al length she decided to employ the per.
severing cabman, thinking that he could
take her to her lodgings al we'll as any
body else.
The cabman started off at rapid pace,
and went on through street after street,
while Beatrice sat thinking Of the evenings
performance.
At last it seemed to l.er that she had
been much longer time than usual, and
she began to fear that the cabman had lost
his way. She looked out. They were
going along the uppec part Of Oxford Street
a great distance from where she lived. She
instantly tried to draw down the window
SO as to attract the cabman's atten ion, but
could not move it. She tried the other
but all were fast and would not stir. She
raped at the glass to make him hear, but
he took no notice. Then she tried to open
the door, but could not do so from the in
side
She sat down and thought. What could
be the meaning of this? They were now
going at much faster rate than is common
in the streets Of London, but where she
was going she could not conjecture.
She was not afraid. Her chief feeling
was one of indignation. Either the cab
man was drunk-or what? Gould he
have been hired to carry her off to her
enemies? Was she betrayed?
This thought flashed like lightning
through her mind.
She was not one who would sink down
into inaction at the sudden onset of terror.
Her chief feeling now was one of indigna"
tion at the audacity Of such an attempt
Obeying the first impulse that seized her.
she took the solid roll of music which she
carried with her and dashed it against the
front window so violently that she broke il
in pieces. Then she caught the driver by
the sleeve and ordered him to stop.
"AIl right" said the driver, and, turning
corner, he whipped up his horses, and
they galloped on faster than ever.
IF you don't stop I'll call for helpv
cried Beatrice.
The drivers only answer was fresh ap'
plication Of the whip.
The street up which they turned was
narrow, and as it had only dwelling house.
it was not so brightly lighted as Oxforc
Street. There were but few foot.passengerl
on the sidewalk. As it was now about
midnight, most of the lights were out
and the gas-lamps were the chief mean;
of illumination.
Yet there was chance that the police
might save her. With this hope she dashed
her music scroll against the windows on
each side of the cab and shivered them tc
atoms, calling at the top of her voice fol
help. The swift rush of the cab and the
sound of woman's voice shouting for aid
aroused the police.
TO BE CONTINUED.