Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-10-03
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CHAPTER I.


habits of six monks on their customary
way into Rome for the night, a couple OF
peasants, and two foreigners, the one an
English gentleman about &c. the other an
American somewhat younger. A thunder
storm was without, large drops of raj
were already falling thickly upon the wiz
dows which the light within turned to
slate color. A light cloud of tobacco
smoke was curling about the heads of sew
eral of the passengers, the Americans big
cigar outdoing the cigarettes of the others.
He had soon found out that the English
man had been visiting the English GENE
terry at the request of a friend he had left
In Naples, and not to see Keats tomb,
which had been his own object, This led
him to ask as many questions about Ma
pies as he could think of, and to express
his curiosity concerning the object of an
Independent traveller having chosen that
time for visiting Naples, then heavily
stricken with cholera.
''They quarantined you, sir, guess?" he
remarked.
81 was fearfully fumigated," answered
the Englishman. Then he went on to ex-
tol the wonderful exertions of his friend
the Swedish doctor there, and to say that
he himself had fallen i'll, and had been
sent away as no longer of any use The
subject was interesting, and they discussed
it until an interruption occurred.
The bell sounded, the car stopped, and a
man entered quickly, with the rain run
ming in rills from his hat and shoulders,
and seated himself opposite the two, who,
like himself, were foreigners.
There is always something that strikes
one as weird in a lighted vehicle moving
along through dark night. The contrast
of the rain, darkness, and storm-mutter-
fngs without, and the glitter within, in
which the silent living figures showed up
in vivid light and shade, struck the Eng
lishman with fresh force, as the newcomer
arrested his special attention by some
thing he could scarcely define, that at
once attracted and repulsed him. More
than once he caught his somber, brilliant
ewes fixed upon him from under the shade
of a felt hat. An absurd fancy struck him
that he was travelling with being from
another world, who was somehow bound
up with his own fate. He watched him
furtively, and saw him lean forward with
an Indifferent air to read the initials on
small valise he himself had between his
feet. The American, who had done the
same, observed this too, and said to his
neighbOr: NOW, sir, [ never remember
seeing such queer letters as yours for the
initials of an Englishman, as | take you
to be.
The young man laughed slightly at this
frank curiosity. so. @. @. Well, perhaps
it is an unusual combination. L never
heard of another family called by my
name, Questin, though for all that we do
not boast any special blueness in our
blood"
The car stopped again and the conductor
looked in, gesticulating to the latest COM
er. He, however, shook his head, and
signed to him to go on, and no one got
out until the car reached its resting place.
''Sir," said the American, as he stepped
off the car, ''there is my card. If you ever
come to the States, there is one man there
who will give you a welcome, or any 9th
er man who has been risking his life by
his own free will among cholera victims,
as / guess you have, and that man is Sep
timus S. Perkins," Wherewith he nod
ded, and slipping his card into the other
mans hand, disappeared under his UNI
brella
The Englishmen did the like, and thought
no more of S. S. Perkins, until three days
later he met him again.
"Say," began Mr.. Perkins, "do you ever
carry such thing as q Double about with
your"
Mr.. Questin, surprised and amused, de
manded an explanation.
'Only," rejoined Septimus Perkins,
shat gentleman who got into the tramcaI
with us Tuesday evening was, l take it,
cut out of the same bit of cloth as your
self without any alterations. You must
be good sort that a couple of you are
needed in the world. You look at your
self in the glass next time you feel at log
gerheads with mankind, and there you'll
see him.
81 fancied the face was familiar to me,
but didn't think of my own" said Mr..
Questin
But | guess that don't matter if you
were not out too late that same evening""
went on Mr.. Perkins; you look like want
ing quinine and brandy pretty stiff"
Questin acknowledged that he had not
felt very well since, that he had been i'm
prudent coming back so late, and that he
was not sufficiently recovered from his
Illness in Naples to take such liberties
with Roman shutdown.
This was the extent of his acquaintance
it certain consequences, to be hereafter
developed
A fortnight later on the night mail for
Paris was stopping at the long, dark plat
form of Belfort, on the frontier. All pass
engers were called out by the guard, who
ran, lantern in hand along the train, and
porters were tumbling out the luggage in
in manner pyacl1prat IN tho Ownnrc
The chill air smote them as they descend
ed, bags in hand, unwillingly aroused from
wraps and slumbers.
Osmund Questin was one of the passen-
gers; he had taken a fauteuil-lit, and, as
it happened that the train was somewhat
empty, had been able by judicious bride
or two to secure his carriage to himself.
1t was dark night; the moon raced the
heavy clouds, and was oftener than not
blotted out by them. He could not sleep
and had been watching her. sunk in her
pale-blue halo, the brown and silver edges
of the clouds sweeping along to all APP
pearances with or over her Then, light
ing small traveling-lamp, he wrote a
postcard, which he handed to the inspec-
tor when he gave up his keys, with dou-
ceur for the trouble of posting it.
He was well-made, good-looking fell
low, with strongly marked features, but
dark about the eyes.
He shivered, and buttoned his coat tight
ly round him.
When the cabalistic check marks had
been made, and he had eaten some soup,
he fastened back to his carriage, which
stood beyond the rays of light from the
INF nd al into