The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1882-01-18
A RAILWAY MURDER.

UloaIl.
"No, thanks, your wineis very good
but"
"oh, another glass won't hurt you;
it's cold day, and you have q rail
way journey before you"
So the Rev. Jude Gloam accepted
another glass of sherry. Some of his
old college friends had been enter
tanning him on the occasion of his
coming down to Oxford to take his
NJ. A. degree; and, after dinner, Mr..
Gloam was going off to Warwickshire,
to enter into possession of the living
Of Rorleigh, towhich he had just been
appointed. 1t was his first living,
and constituted a lucky piece Of pre-
ferment, for the income vas substan,
tial, and Mr.. Gloam was but twenty.
eight years old, The world seemed
very fair to him as he drank that
glass of sherry. lie was provided for
for life; his friends were all wishing
him JOY; ;and the reveretd gentleman
was really in capital spirits as he
drove down to the stati pn in han
som, towards eight O'Clock, TO catch
stheesprcssfpr Riirps agham.
"Be quick, sir" said a porter as he
alighted; @express starts in a min.
ute" and Mr.. Gloam had but just
time to buy his ticket and dart across
the platform. A porter opened the
door of frst,class carriage for him;
he jumped in; the train started; and
the Rector of Rorleigh found himself
seated opposite nice,looking girl,
who had a novel on her lap.
"Quick work, that" said Mr.. Gloam,
smiling at his companion.
eyes; you were almost, late" an
swered the young lady, with a laugh.
ga minute one way or the other
often makes great difference" said
Mr.. Gloam; and from that moment
the pair went on talking about one
thing and another"
Now, in his ordinary moods, Mr..
Gloam would not have ventured to
talk with strange lady in railway
carriage. He was not only discreet
by profession, but shy by nature-sc
shy that, as a curate, be had often
felt miserable from his constitutional
infrmity which prevented him from
getting on SO well with the fair sex ol
his parish as other livelier curates
did. 1t had needed that last glass ol
wine which Mr.. Gloam had drank
and the subsequent excitement about
hurrying TO catch the train TO embol,
den him to break the ice Of reserve al
one stroke, as he had just done. But
having broken it, he rather relished
his plunge into conversational wa
ters. His companion was pretty and
vivacious, and seemed much disposed
to chat-at least Mr.. Gloam though
SO, for he was no physiognomist.-
The truth, was, however, that tht
pretty young lady was as shy as him
self, and had never before taken 6
journey alone. She talked because
Mr. Gloam addressed her; but she fel
inwardly uneasy at finding hersel
solitary in the company of a familiar
clergyman, whom she had never seer
before. What is more, she perceived
that her companion was very mucl
excited. The auency of his talk, tn
complacent feeling he experienced a
having surmounted his timidity 70
once, were completely the ihtoxica
tion which the wine had commenced
and'so it befell that after gabbini
about railway trains he touched OIL
the weather, which led him to tn
cold, and thence on to Christmas an'
mistletoe. 81 suppose you will b
very merry,at Christmas time, Mis-
Miss; but you have not told me ye
what your name is?" said the toe
}, forward ecclesinstic.