The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-10-22

instantly Inc fatulty That had brought
him on some casual errand to Fembury
and to Messrs. Kenworths bank must
be translated, by immediate enterprise,
into O manifestation OF that Nemesis
which, by the logic OF the story.books,
treads inevitably on the heels OF wrong.
A decision was reached in far less time
than II takes to recount the fact. Ber-
nard seized his hat, and with a muttered
incoherent apology, pushed his way past
his scandalized superior, and literally
ran down the stone steps into the
street.
"What is the meaning-p Is the
fellow mad p gasped Mr.. Hollis, por-
tentous frown gathering upon his brow.
II was certainly mysterious behavior,
and the fellow clerk to whom this query
was presumably addressed, was taken
nearly as much aback as his chief. He
had no explanation to offer.
Careless Of the CONSERVATION which
his abrupt proceedings had occasioned,
Demands steps we're toward the railway
station. This was clearly the aim of the
pursued.
To be thirty seconds too late is, under
all circumstances, abundantly annoying.
This was Bernard Hooker's lot on the
present occasion. He reached the plat.
form Of the Fembury station Just in
time to see the up train steam into the
yawning gulf Of the north tunnel, and
to know that in one Of that trains com
partments sat, in regained security, his
fathers foe and his own. There was
nothing to do but to confess failure, and
10 return, after dining. to the drudgery
Of the bank desk. He did not even
know the alias Of the rogue, and, after
all, his evidence Of identity, might fail
TO convince another. II would be use.
less to appeal to the local police force
! for these reasons.
'An impudent and inadcap freak,
, Mr.. Hooker, whatever may be your ex.
cuse,' growled Mr. Hollis. 'lf you
want 70 leave the Office in hurry again
to overtake anybody-anybody, Sir =
b. good enough 10 ask leave"
Bernard was compelled to promise that
he would. For the rest OF the afternoon
lie went on his way with the tedious col.
umns OF figures i'll Il state Of mental agi-
tation and chagrin unparalleled since the
days on which he had learned that his
parents bankruptcy was unavoidable.
'Those scraps OF paper, Mr.. Styles,
had better ornament the waste. basket
than the floor"
The managers accents were harsh and
querulous; his temper seemed to have
been soured for the day, by Bernard
Hooker's escapade
81 have not dropped them, sir" re-
piled the incuIpated junior, rcscnting as
much as he dared the implied charge Of
untidiness. zone fell from your own
desk, and the other was left behind by
the gentleman whom Mr. Hooker tried
to catch.
Bernards ears tingled anew What
II the last mentioned fragment should
bear upon its surface some clew to the
villains assumed name or whereabouts
by easy strategy he gained possession of
the slip, and found it to he half an en-
velope, with the letters "Joyn--" on
one side, and the postmark "Ickford" on
the other. This might or might not
lead 10 discovery.
In the solitude Of his own apartments
that evening Bernard Hooker searched
ont the name Of Ickford on Brad
shaws map. He found il to he that OF
n small town in tho north of England.
"Whatever The consequence, I'll run
down there and make inquiries. II
win, the game will be worth the can
die he soliloquized.
And the next day motto in the bank
letter box accounted-though hardly
satisfactory TO the critical judgment Of
Mr.. Ilollls--for the second clerks abb
scncc.
At Ickford the trail was unmistaka.
bly, struck Sk,llnl investigation
showed that Mr.. JOHNSON whose out.
ward man appeared to tally precisely
with Bernard's sketch description-had
been staying at the chief hotel for sew.
eral weeks, and had posed as an indi.
vidual of position and wealth. Alas il
showed also that he Ind decamped with
both bag and baggage few hours be.
fore Demands arrival.
"Foilcd second time |" moaned that
young man in bitterness Of spirit. 1.-The
scamp has smelt danger, and probably
will make for South America or some
other safe hiding place in earnest now. "
With hopes sinking rapidly below
zero again, Bernard took ticket for Lon.
don. He would put professional de-
tective on the track and then return to
Fembury. II Mr.. Hollis dismissed him
for his pains, he must Just rec0mmenco
his weary fight with fortune in some
other arena.
"Why, Bernard This Is an agree.
able surprise indeed Twas wondering
not above day or two ago what had
become Of my ancient ally. So many
pranks as we've been guilty Of together
Ha, In u
The speaker was Frank Allerton, Der
nard's dearest college chum, and a
young Northern squire, whose sister
Amy--but this was romantic dream
which had faded into an absurdity in
the thick gloom of environing disaster.
Why recall it2
The new conner had joined the trail
at Cotchley Junction, and, like Ber-
nard, was bound for the metropolis. As
the friends were alone In the compart-
ment, Demands story was soon told.
"And you are hunting the rascal
DOWN.
81 have attempted it, and he has
beaten me-"
"What sort OF fellow is he--in per-
sonal appearance, I mean"
For the fourth or filth time Bernard
ran gibly over the salient characteris-
tics of that figure which fate, rather than
any conscious mental effort. had photo.
grapncu 30 mlhNjely upon his memory.
at is he exactly T. cried Frank Aller.
ton, with an almos, ludicrous combina-
ton Of amazement, disgust and wrath
mirrored upon his countenance. "Why,
the fellow has been living at Beckham,
within astono's throw of our own manor
house, for eight or ten months. Mr..
Joynson--"
"Yes. that is the name he il using"