The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-06-20

TO us, We took no sensible mental impress
sion. So il was with me in this case.
began realizing his face; although at tn
same time we stood opposite to one an
other. | had no image Of which | wa
conscious in my own mind. Now tn
face was beginning to float up out of the
gloom, and to trouble me.
AT first | could make out in thu
chambers of my perplexed mind no more
of that face than a general expression O
strange excitement wrestling with some
thing else Whence came that excite
ment? and what was that something
else. l have always taken a great de
light in trying TO read the heart through
the face.
g This mans manner puzzled me con
siderably, and when | first felt the recol
lection of his face dawning upon me,
said to myself, Now I shall know all
But it never came before me distinctly
| was distracted by it, without being able
to seize a firm hold of it, or of any lead
| ing idea in connection with it, beyond
the general expression of excitement con
strained or influenced by some contending
force.
Sc was very much interested in my
vague speculation, and l must have
walked over mile before | became aware
of the fact that had been taking turns
without recording them. So that when
awoke to a sense Of my situation,
had lost myAyay. 1 received an unpleas-
ant shock for, although | had no fear,
the place where / found myself was gloomy
and forbidding in the extreme.
Overhead hung huge warehouses,
whose upper stories were lost in the fog
and night. The lane was narrow, and
practicable only to foot passengers.
Strain my ears as l might, l could hear
no hum of voices, no sound of wheels,
no bells, no noise OF life. A chill fell
upon me my Imagination took fire, and
it seemed to me that | had wandered be
yond the confines of life into some city
which stood up with houses and towers,
but knew no informing football of the
quick, no gentle whispering of the dead.
I" l pushed on hurriedly. Suddenly
I heard sound. Click-click-click
"BiIliards !" thought joyously, and fol
lowing the direction given by the sound,
[ found door, pushed it open, walked
through long, narrow passage, and en-
tered the room where the game was going
on.
"There were FIVE persons in the room,
namely, the marker, two players, and one
man sitting on side seat. l should have
called him a spectator, but that he seemed
to be fast asleep.
90 l sat down directly opposite him.
His head was bent low upon his chest
his hat was crushed down over his eyes
his arms hung Imply beside him; his
appearance was that of one utterly over
come, and immediate came to the con
clusion that he had sat too long after din
ner.
finding had not drifted very far from my
anchorage, made up my mind to sit and
watch game or two.
" think | must have been upwards OF
an hour in the billiard room, when one of
the players accidentally touched the sleep
er with the but end of his cue and aroused
him. 1t is impossible 20 express my as
constituent when once more | saw the
face | but dimly remembered the face
I of him VINO had fallen in the narrow street
some hours before.
{" 1 was more than Surprised was
shocked. How did it come we two should
meet again that night? How did it come
that this man whose very appearance had
troubled me, should turn up once more
in this unaccountable manner? Was fate
busy between him and me? [ felt uncom
Portable. When his eyes fell upon me
there was no CLEAN of recognition. He
did not remember that we had met be
| fore.
{" He did not materially alter his posi-
ton He sat limp and sprtless, as one
completely crushed. Now L saw plain
| ly that there was no artificial lethargiC
influence at work in him. Now | dis
covered the second element in the con
tention; it was extreme physical fatigue
| could still see the hunger for action il
his eye; he watched the swiftly tr yelling
balls as though he envied them; but his
! heavy limbs lay abroad as though there
were no power left to rally them. How
was this condition to be accounted for:
Poverty could have nothing to do with it
He wore one ring which must have cos
more than many families have to spend
in a year. His dress was little tossed
and soiled, but of the most fashionable
| cut ana materials.
&c Something far deeper than my Gu
riosity was aroused, and for the life of me
| could not keep my eye off him.
GO At length the balls ceased to play
the players took their leave; the marker
approached the weary man and asked hin
| if he wished to play. No. in tremul
GUS voice, out of which all the volum,
and spirit had departed. AS he uttered
the word, he rose heavily, came with {
slow pace round the table, and entered
the passage. | followed. As he reached
the outer door | entered the passage
| He stood a moment looking out into the
fog, and then l heard him mutter:
g The day will never come. I'll 90 t.
the river"
:. To the river To the river, Will
those weary limbs and that passion o
restlessness eating his reason away! l
can mean only one thing. To the river, i
you like, but not alone. / will follow.
'With these thoughts, [ fastened afte
/ him.
/ There was no great necessity for eau
ton. The fog and his intense preoccu-
| patton made it unnecessary for me II
take unusual care. kept close to him
and followed him through an intricate
network lanes. At length we came in
to broader street, and / assumed, from
the dip in the ground, and certain sen
sation OF the GOODNESS and vaguenes:
ahead, that we had entered the approach
to bridge. He walked rapidly, and /
about ten PAGES behind. Presently the
ground ceased to fall 1t became level
| missed the houses, and, looking NOR
!, closely, made out low parapet-
''Still / hurried on. | drew near t
him. There was no knowing the momen
he would place his hands On that Low
parapet and vault into the obscured wa
tiers beneath. The perspiration stoo
out on my forehead. was on the psin