The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-10-19

and in other places more or less respec-
table. Now, he was changing check
for some petty amount, and was evil
IDENTIFY astonished by the immensely of
the order | had presented. / left the
bank with my pocketbook full of notes,
aud found ] had lost the train. The
next would be the night express, so /
strolled into billiardroom. There was
some clever play going ON, and / stood
watching the players till some one chal-
lenged me TO have a game. II / have
one special vanity it is MY science with
the cue. | accepted, and as did so a
strange feeling, which bad been growing
upon me, took sudden turn, which
startled me.
"The challenge wasfrom the man whom
l had noticed at the bankers. There
was nothing strange in the fact of his
being in the room, one of his favorite
resorts, but ] was possessed by the vague
shadow of a single idea. | had read
somewhere of a man being followed and
plundered in a train, and somehow as
ISOLATED the story with the man before
me. 1t was the first time | had we're
paid him any particular attention, but
gave him full observation now. The
more looked at him the less liked him.
He was handsome, gentlemanly, with a
fair form and elegant figure full of sup
pleness and strength. His manner was
singularly unassuming, his face frank
and genial, but looking closely at him
you could see something sinister-looking
in the depth and softness of his eyes.
| never like stranger to be affable
and prepossessiDg, and my friend was
the very pink of affability and grace.
We played for an hour with alter
mating success. He was an amusing
companion, well informed, and had
travelled; but | was shy of conversation.
I left him, and still having some time to
spare, went TO the Temple
when, at the expiration of some
thirty or forty minutes, | emerged into
Fleetstreet, almost the first person upon
whom my gaze fell was my late antago-
mist at billiards
d" ] thought there was something more
than mere coincidence in this second
meeting, since we stood together at the
bankers. He was III a cigar-shop oppo-
site, but with companion.
: " Not hundred yards from the Tenn
pie gate stood man whom / recognized
with very welcome feeling It was
George Vixen. the detective.
!" He was fashionably dressed, and
looked an aristocrat of the first water.
| went up and greeted him as | should
an old familiar friend, held out my hand
and said, Come with me; have some.
thing to say
"He shook hands in the most natural
way possible. | took his arm, and we
entered an adjacent hotel
al told him of my suspicion, told
him of the sum in my possession, and
of the journey had to perform by rail.
" ! saw that, watching through the
glass of the door, he was taking men
tai photograph of the two men.
They mean business said Vixen,
quietly, but / shall be with you. We
must part at the door, or they will see
that we have scented the game
&C. And you,' I said how will you
aetg
&c will travel to Liverpool by the
night express
"He left me. | had no fear now,
knowing him to be clever and deter
mined fellow.
Taking casual glance across the
road, | saw my man with his companion.
1t was quiet evident that they were
were tracking me, though l lost sight of
them before reaching St. Paul.
81 srrolled along the churchyard
wandering nearly to Islington, then
went through the city again before |
made for the station, My acquaintance
of the billiard-room did not come in
sight, though | kept on the alert.
:" took my ticket, lingering almost
to the moment of starting before / en-
tered the carriage, but my man did not
appear. Two men were in the COM
partment with me. could not see the
face of one, and the other was stranger.
''The bell rang. The guard had Just
time to put a bewildered old gentleman
in by my side, and we were off
"The man whose face / had not seen
turned towards me.
" | could hardly repress an exclama-
ton. There was no mistaking that
frank, genial countenance, nor the
lurking devil in those eyes, whose soft
ness was so sinister.
He had me, then, at last. Vixen
had broken his promise, and was left to
travel that perilous journey alone with
the man who had followed me SO skill
fully, another who might be his con-
federate, and an old gentleman who,
after grum bling out his indignation
against all railway servants and locomo-
tive-traveling in general, was fast asleep
in the corner.
That the intentions of my billiard
player were bad was manifested by the
fact of his having assumed false
mustaches ard beard. They added to
the beauty of his face, but lent to his
eyes that sleepy, cruel glitter that is
characteristic of the Asiatic.
I" He spoke to me, remarking the
oddity of our being travelling compan-
ions, and grew unpleasantly familiar.
/ answered him, not wishing to appear
churlish or afraid, knowing that could
trust something to my own strength
should the worst come.
owe had made the last stoppage, and
were rolling through the gloom, when
among other topics our conversation
touched on jewelry. He drew snowy
ring from his finger, telling me it was a
curious piece of workmanship, having
a secret spring, which he said l could
not discover.
II took it, searched in vain for a
spring, and then, returning it to him, it
dropped and rolled under my feet.
" Istooped to pick it up, and SO did
he; but at that moment, when my head
was down, he had me tightly by the