Smyrna times., 1881-12-21

mingham that the girl had fallen ont o
the carriage. AS the express neared Bir
ningham the tension on Jude Gl0am',
nerves was such as. few Iaen ever exDer
lence. Within five minutes he endured
an amount Of terrOr and anguish enough
TO spread over a lifetime: vet he had The
craft to sec that all his chances of cScapins
unsuspected might depend upon his be
haVior when the train stopped. lie must
alight quite coo!ly; he must not run nol
appear anxious to get away; he must con.
irol his tcrrors, though his heart throbbed
to bursting.
AT THE STATION.
The train giided into the station: the
porters ran along the platform opening
doors; one Of them opened Mr. Gloam's
carriage.
Any luggage, sir?"
Yes, have some luggage" said Mr.
Gi9am, and he stepped out, shaking in
every limb, but apparently sedate and
calm, as 1t behoOves Il clergyman to be
Next moment he was mixed up with the
thfonS OF people who were foraging for
their trunks and portmanteaus.
Nobody paid any attention to him. He
heard no one talk about shricks having
been heard during the journey. The pas.
sengers all attended to their own business
and left him to his. Mr.. Gloams busi-
ness was to collect a portmateau. box
and hamper; having done this he turned
to ask porter to call d cab for him. but
as he was about to speak his words froze
Oh his tongue, for he saw standing beside
nm a girl who was the very image OF
Miss Aviss
1t the girl had looked ut him she must
have noticed his confusion, but she was
gIancinS toward an elderly gentleman ard
lady who were walking toward her.
Heres her box. papa. but Eve no;
couple.
We nave looked into every carriage. :;
said the gentleman addressed as papa.
hat she hasn't come. / suppose She
missed the train"
but how comes her box to be here?'
u asn'L there change OF carriages
somewhere between this and London p
suggested the elderly lady. 81 think
there's q change at Didcot Perhapg she
got out there and afterward entered the
wrong train"
:, How very provcking" exclaimed the
girl.
:" daresay We shall find u TELEGRAM
when we get home," said the elderly
gentleman; but we must ask the station
master to take care of Marv's box until
she comes to claim it,"
NOT SUSPECTED.
Dir. Gloam had glazed at the box beside
which the girl stood and lie saw OH II a
card with the name "NIias Mary Ayi,s !"
The miserable man shranls as the father.
mother and sister Of the Door girl with
whom he travelled passed him, Then he
helped the porter TO lift his portmanteau
and walked with him to a cab He had a
six-inIie drive before he could reach his
parish of Rorieigh, which was on the OUT
skirts OF birmingham. However. the
drive was accomplished in safety and that
night was spent by Mr. Gloam, sleepless.
III his new parsonage.
The body of Miss Ayiss was found dead
on the line carly on the following dav.
ana afterWard her travelling bag was dis-
covered twenty miles further down the
line. But for this discovery of the bao
the poor girls death would haze been al
trlbuted to accident; as it was, when it
became demonstrated that somebody must
nave had share in her death, nobody
accused the Rev. Jude Gloam. Nor was
anybody else accused. The porter who
had put Mr.. Gloam into the carriage at
Oxford had not noticed that there was ?
young lady in the compartment. and
simply owing to this slight fact Of non
observance, the story Of Mary Aviss' death
was lated to remain mystery.
IL became known in time, however, to
one nan whom Mr., GlOam communicated
tho facts in writing some five years after
they had happened. He, the rector of
RorleiiSh, ended his letter by SAYING: 81
have lived in a purgatory of remorSe and
sorrow ever since that awful night and am
thankful to think | shall soon be rid of
my load, :" lie was dying whom he wrote
this Of decline, brought on by overwork
i'll his parish and he left bevond him the
reputation of being the most earnest zeal
Gus, kindest and also the saddest rector
whom the people OF Rorleigh had ever
seen.