The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-05-26


the door Of tho saloon. He had Just
taken cigar from his waistcoat pocAe',
and was in the act OF cutting OH tne emu
of it with his pcnknife, when tall per-
sonago with bony features and thih
necl. came in through tho door and con-
fronted him. He was about to pass on
but, at a second glance, stoppedafid sa'a'
rs II 10 himself:
"Henry Clifton"
The red haired man turned sharply.
Bob Staplcton, by jingo!" he exclaimed.
They shook hands, evidently pleased
at the encounter, cycling each other all
over, as if to mako sure that no part OF
either was missing.
"Wcll, and what have you been doing
with Yourself these three years pastF'
inquired he Of tho red hair, who an"
sS..rca to tho name Of Clifton. Lets
sec: it was in Liverpool l saw you last,
wasn't its You were after that forging
gang"
"Ycs, and I got en-" responded the
other, who had been addressed as Bob
Staplcton. at was good job; I've had
nothing better since. But what brings
you over hcre?'
ooh q private affair-something par
ticularly choice. replied Clifton, sticking
his cigar in his mouth. "All expenses
paid and twenty pound a month"
"HuIlo. That's not bad. A hundred
dollars and expenses. What is it, Is
Scotland Yard after the Fenians againr
"No, no. don't belong to tho Yard
any more; doing business now on my
own feet. I'm engaged on a case inyoly-
INK q hundred and fifty thousand pounds
seven hundred and fifty thousand OF
your money"
Great Scott A robbery
mo; no such common business. \ lost
hcirl"
"A lost heir? That sounds good! Come,
we've got the evening before us; suppose
you spin the yarn"
"Humphl I'm not 50 sure about that"
returned Clifton. scratching his whiskers
thoughtfully. This isn't tho sort OF
story that one tells to everybody. How
ever" he added, you're not everybody,
though suppose you consider yourself
somebody; at all events, il you promise
to keep it dark, fancy can trust you.
But let's go into some quiet corner-as
it's warm evening, suppose we sit out
side. where we can smoke. have cigars
enough, and this yarn will probably last
out more than one of them"
As they passed out OF the door, q
gentleman who had been sitting in q
chair not far Off, with his hat drawn
+ down over his nose, and who had SEEM
il-ly been asleep, rose quietly from his
scat and proceeded to the door Of state
room little way forward Of the paddle
box. He entered the room and locked
the door after him; then lie breathed q
sigl, Of relief. He took off his hat and
looked at his reflection in the mirror.
' II showed tho countenancc Of O man be-
/ tween 20 and 30 years Of agc-perhaps
nearer the latter age than the former
the lower part Of which was thickly
/ cove,sd with brown beard, cropped
short at the sides and round the throat,
but allowed to grow to a point on the
chin. Tho forehead, checks and nose
were deeply bronzed by the sun, giving
q peculiar appearance TO pair OF hand
tome blue eyes. The hair was cut snort
.ny one would have taken the head for
That Of n Frenchman. This idea would
have boou confirmed when the gentle
man put across his nose pair OF tinted
eyeglasses, mounted in gold. He re-
garlcd himself critically.
Yes" he muttered, in the undertone
which people use when conversing with
themselves, its a good get up, consider
ng the simplicity Of the materials. No
one can say am Disgusting myself; and
vet | doubt if my own MOTHERHOOD
bless her,-would recognize me at the
first glance, though my sister might.
must have been intended by nature foi
an actor; 10y features lend themselves SC
readily to a disguise. At one time | am
an American; then an Englishman; now
a Frenchman; tomorrow | may attempt
Turk or a Russian. But what an ex
traordinary piece Of bad luck that thai
fellow Clifton should be on this steamer
Does he know that am on board
Hardly. And yet, what is he here for
Il must be on that same business; and
I'm that business | am concerned, how
ever unwilingly. Perhaps he has come
to look up my record. Confound him
why can't ne let rue alonel | shall have
a hard enough time Of it without him.
OF course he will go straight to Inspector
Byrnes, and when the inspector finds ou'
that am not-whats that.'
In order to answer this question, Il
must be observed that the state room
occupied by the bearded gentleman wa:
am "outsidc" one; its window opened on
the water, or rather on a narrow striE
Of deck which interviewed between tho
rail and the wall of the state room itself
This strip of deck was just wide enough
to admit of person sitting there, will
his shoulders against the wall and hl'
feet OH the rail-an attitude said 10 be
fayorite one with Americans, and which
any person who has studied the circula
ton Of the blood and its action on the
brain will gladly put himself into. The
window, it should be added, was pro
tected by a wooden blind with fine Stats
not noticeable from without.
The noise which had caused The
bearded gentleman to break off so alb
ruptly in his monologuc had been cause'
by the advent of two persons with CAM
stools to the apparently secure retrea
which the narrow strip Of deck airead,
alluded to afforded. Having established
themselves there TO their satisfaction
and lit their cigars, they began to talk II
low tone. But although the blind o
the bearded gentleman's stateroom wa
shut, the window itself was open; and a
tie had reason to suppose that the con
versation was going 10 be of particula
, importance to himself he took care I
leave the window as it was, and even I
sit down beside it. AS the reader wi
already have surmised, the speakers wer
the two gentlemen to whom we have al
ready been introduced-Henry Cifto
and Bob Stapleton.