The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1889-09-15

4 I-a0ae' y
BLAKE LOOKS RATHER DIsGUsTED.
MT Pinkerton's men do it better than any
of us2 Idon't fancy acting detective"
''But, my good sir, 1t is not in that ca
pacity that desire you to act You go
to Mr.. Vanvoorst's house as the guest of
his son, and we trust merely to that dis
cernment of which have seen indica-
tons, sir, in you. to decide whether mat
ters must be allowed to take their course,
or whether an investigation by detectives
would be an advisable measure"
So the strife goes on, the judge deliver
ing succession of brief orations, Blake
growing his objections, and Vanvoorst
! grinning encouragement, and occasion
ally putting in his little oar to more or
less purpose--generally less At length,
the judge having become very pink and
emphatic, and Vanvoorst having invited
his new acquaintance to visit him with an
earnestness which is almost pathetic our
young friend swallows his scruples and
consents to go on what he asserts to be
wild goose chase.
| "Well, anyhow, Mr.. Blake, we'll try to
make 1t pleasant for you over Sunday.
You can meet me on the o'clock train at
Forty-second street," says Vanvoorst,
who certainly does not procrastinate.
The Q o'clock train up the river carries
the two young men swiftly along until,
ia the late twilight, they descend at a
lonely little station, far enough from
New York to be ont of the way of com"
muters and the consequent elig villa
Besides the station house nothing Is Wis.,
ible in the dusk of the starless, overcast
evening, except an exceedingly steep lane
striking almost directly up the hill from
the river. With the roar of the train in
their ears, the place seems strangely
quiet, not to say dismal; but both the
young men recover their spirits to some
extent at the exhilnrating spectacle of
very high T cart coming up to the plat
form with q big and un dbtedly
evil dispositioned brown horse in the
shafts. the whole under the guidance
of groom whose cravat alone is sufficient
to stamp the equipage as aristocratic.
Mounting this, Vanvoorst Junior dis
covers new excellences, and bursts. as it
were, into full bloom. He is not much to
look at; he does not strike one as intel
lectual; and he Is certainly not athlete;
but he can drive He has an opportunity
for display of his talents as they go up
the hill. A freight train comes roaring
along below them, and the horse. only too
glad of an excuse, attempts to get over
the fence, regardless of the cart and it's
occupants. The calm manner in which
his master gets him back into the road,
and the pace at which he works him along
when they have climbed to the level, unite
to raise Vanvoorst In the opinion of his
companion, who is beginning to quake at
the near approach of his troubles. Still,
his philosophy comes to the rescue, and
looking only OF the present, no thinks it
is certainly better to be thus bowling
along good road through the summer
night than to be In New York--better
even than hearing Thomas men scraping
away at "Amaryllis," in an atmosphere
blue with smoke.
Through u little village-tavern, black
smith shop, store and dozen houses
along. O road lined with trees, through
which one gets glimpses of the river down
below, past long line Of stone wall; then
with sudden whirl that makes the
groom on the back seat seize the rail,
through wide gate with lodge, neither
ornamental nor commodious, guarding it;
then up long avenue, which is very dark
with thick trees, till the trees grow larger
and Tower, and the turf more closely
shorn, and the house comes in sight
just a great dark bulk looming up against
q background of trees and sky. They
trot briskly around a great graveled
sweep to the front, and pull up, with
much scattering of small stones, and
great reluctance on the part of the
horse.
The house presents row Of brilliantly
lighted windows, opening on wide
piazza, and sending their light stream
ing over lawn and Hover beds, till 1t is
lost in the night Sounds of Strauss are
heard, dancing forms go sliding past the
windows--evidently the Vanvoorsts en-
terrain. The scion of that noble race,
called on to explain by bis companion. re-
spends, Hang It'll forgot They've got
q lot of people to dinner-some people who
live around here and lot more up from
the Point"
Visions of military heroes fit through
Blake's head as he follows his host up the
steps across the vacant piazza, and
through y rather dark entrance into big
square hall in the middle or the house,
which runs up to the roof apparently, and
has gallery around it at the floor above.
It Is dimly lighted, and has slippery,
hard wood floor, upon which, further to
catch the unwarY, are disposed occasional
rugs, of size and fabric well adapted for
tripping up and overturning. This Is
about all Blake makes out, before small
brunette, decidedly pretty, comes out of
the lighted drawing room and siezes Van
worst with an air of proprietorship. Tom
has been made aware that the reason
Vanvoorst junior is unmoleeted by the
destructive widow is because he is already
married; so no Is quite prepared to be
presented to Mrs. Yanvoorst. He is not,
however, prepared to SEQ two acquaint-
ances coming upon him simultaneously
One Of these, small and eninently lady
like young woman. comes across the hall
on mans arm. with little hand out
stretched. and an astonished "Why, Mr..
Blaler The other bursts upon him oil
At once. through near door. bewilder-
ing vision. which he knows only too well
"a vision Of dark eyes and dead gold hair
over a low brow, and white. full arms
and shoulders, the whole swimming In a