Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-04-17

beginning and something definite to
work upon. How grateful Annie Tenn
pleton would belt we were to be success
full! What a pretty sight her face would
present-an incentive for any man to
work"
Thus musing he strobe along at a rapid
gait, feeling positive pleasure in the ex-
ercise. By and by he became conscious
that some n was following him. He
crossed the street to determine this; the
person he suspected crossed also. He
slackened his pace; a tall, slim figure
passed him, and he thought he was
darkness.
So he forged ahead. Shortly he found
the person was behind him again.
He was now approaching a fashionable
drinking saloon, and he determined to
stop there and see what his follower
would do.
He did so, and met an acquaintance
with whom he went to the bar.
Immediately the door opened and a
tall, slim man entered. 1t was the per-
son who had followed him.
Holbrook Observed him closely through
the glass behind the bar, while chatting
with his acquaintance.
The tall, slim man was by no means
young-evidently 90 or IS years of age;
his hair was white, his face well scanned
with wrinkles. He was clad in respect
able black, and was upright in carriage.
Holbrook thought he might have been
the man Fountain disguised to follow
him, and then dismissed the idea as an
absurdity and attributed it to his heated
imagination.
A glance at the hand the person laid
on the bar, which Holbrook could regard
at short range without turning, such was
his position, confirmed his idea of its alb
surdity. 1t was Enthusiastically the hand
of an aged person; there could be no
snake up in that.
Presently the old man dropped a piece
Of money on the floor. As he stopped to
pick it up he struck Holbrook in the
back.
Convinced as he was that he had been
touched purposely, from an impulse he
could not restrain he turned.
The old man apologized in most cour-
teous terms. His voice was pleasant, but
Holbrook felt that the dark eyes of the
old man most keenly and rapidly scru-
tinted his features.
However, he co%urteously responded to
his apologies and the old man passed out
into the street.
'That was done on purpose" said the
acquaintance.
81 thought so too" replied Holbrook.
the barkeeper, who had overheard this
exchange, said:
"He asked me who you were, SIR"
"What did you tell him?"
"That I didn't know, which was the
truth"
HoIbrook went out. The old man
stood in the shadow of an adjoining door.
Holbrook leaped into a cab and told
the man to drive to the Hoffman house,
and then watched from the window to
see If he was followed.
The old man remained where Holbrook
had last seen him.
1--WE spent a dollar and a half for
nothing" he said. 1.-The probability is
that he mistook me for some one else,
and discovered his error in the drinking
place." so he went on to his own hotel.
When he arrived there he went to the
desk for letters and cards that might
have been left him; he was told by the
clerk that a gentleman had called upon
him during the evening, but had refused
to tell either his name or leave a card,
laying that he was unknown to Nh. Hol-
brook, and would visit him at his ofics
some time during the following day.
Inquiring what the man looked like,
he was given a description which tailed
with that Of the old man whom he had
encountered IN Broadway but an hour
previously.
To say he was alarmed would be to
say what was not true, but there is no
question but that it made him uneasy.
He began to doubt the advisability of
the campaign upon which he had enter
ed, and into which he had been irresist-
IDLY drawn.
Now that he had taken a decisive step
In the direction of endeavoring to fasten
the responsibility of the murder upon
one 70 near to Flora Ashgrove as the man
Fountain evidently was. he began to
wish he hadn't gone SO far as to excite
Toms suspicious in that direction. 1t
seemed a horrible thing to do.
And SO, disguised with himself and
more disturbed than he was willing to
admit, he sought his chamber,