New-York tribune., 1890-07-13
THE EMPTY COMPARTMENT.

on my Journey hOmcWdIu ny ut ~ va"
dav Of nv return was the great day at =
! fortnight Of my summer holiday, had been been
devoted TO tyhshinS on certain WcPIcs % P tGe tT.
streams in North Wales. l had shed from tie
bank | had waded through mountain torrents
and every evening had come back tired and HAPPY;
and laden with silver-Rrown treasures Je"o"''
with spccks of amber and VeTmllloh. ,,os
And now the nets were mp at sea, aud "as
waiting, waiting for the great salmon thal WcIe
surely hurryne toward nc, lighting Iheld h VIZ Wy
against poat-brown swiTling water cllmphs the
samon-ladders, jumping the grant" n9ulueFS 10, 10.
ward the flies that lay III ambush for them lh lily
old well-wOrm ily-boOk 1.1
For DAYS had pictured their comlnE' Hau stooI si
bv a pool through which they must pass nu
studied the iy. gaudy but not too S29uN, WIN
CLINT of peacock amidst ITS pheaSahl Goioii iAi
and one touch of crimson in the Sllk Whlch pouu"
it, which no salmon of any curiosity con!u Its.'o
for days | had hazardcd guess AT thc WelSHt VI
my first take beginning modcStN AZ IDS' or 80 49,
and growing holder as the .i dHys pa's'o u"''' w.
20 even 80 lbs. seemed posspe. c, -;
And lust then Just when had heard OF lsh SIN
miles below me, when weather was perleC'' @ anu
long patience about TO be rewarded, , ,nnI,
summoned me home, and blackness se'tieu "Poi
THc landlord svmpathized with me at the lltte
Anglers Inn, where | was staying pn1 wiz" IL,
did not like TO refer to the pleasures that 3""ic"
me if remained, bat only pointc- out me 1ic%dfii %',i
gers on my path If | left: Those dreauI"i
F races
frivolous excuse TO my mind for a man who
had not dared 10 urge the coming salmon as
reason for remaining. No, | was the junior
partner Of my bachelor uncle, vino had money
this last assertion refers t. the uncle ana ho' 10
the junior partner he summoned ana WuS'
One train only would get me to London that
night; bv starting at once could run IL an IN
portant junction. a couple OF hours away c"'"4'
there and be in town by or 9 o'clock. .
Now this Junction was on the direct Inc 10
I reached the station trihc late, for it had
-. ft MO
get my flies that were on the casts tcnderN mi"
my book However. | was in time, and found a
rather noisy set Of half n dozen men on thG pat
form whom took To he bookmalers, why can
NOT say as | do not know any signs 10 distinguish
q bookmaker when l see him. and may be ms
taken. , .,-,,
TOO full for them To get seats. and heard one say
TO the staton-maSter: Look here ! gave Nou
n good tip. and it's hard lines if You don't PIT
u carriage on for self and friends II the next
as full as the last
The next" was full, if about six above the
usual number in each compartment constitutes
replction, and the statlon-maSiers grall'1nr ",
to the running out Of an old carrage from
shed. into one compartment of which jumped
self and friends.
Profitng by their Importantly, but not anxious
for their company. | got into the next compart,
ncnt and was glad 10 find myself alone.
settled my rods in the rack above my heaG; as
turhing dust and cobwcbS as | dld so, pulled a
newspaper from one pocket, ana trdNelln9 cap
from another. and read myself 10 sleep. W" had
had a Ions sitting in the smolling-room the night
before over the momentous question OF the sal
mon and slept soon and heavily.
How long | slept | cannot say, but aWokc
in the roar and rattle of a tunncl-aWoke IN thlck
darkness 10 hear the slow painting OF inc engine
and feel the lahOred strain which told me we
were going uphill: also 10 a more dSagrceahle
consciousness namely. that ] was not alone that
there were other persons In the compartments an"
that therefore must have passed station
What fool must llaVe looked. Sleeping heavily
in broad daylight. So heavily that TWO persons al
least had passed me in getting IN Wlttont Ils-
1urbing my boOrish sUnbcrS. Two at leAst-ior
they were talking and listened for moment 10
their conversation, wishing 20 gather who my
companions might be, before daylight showed them
They were very near me, IT seemed, on the
uppostc seat 10y the door, and the first words
| heard were these spoken in gentle slrlNh
voice, but with sad tirmncSS III It:
The answer startled me, 1t was so roughly
given and the voice was mans.
You mean You won't, Kate, ana tLcres an
Then The girl Whispered something that did
not catch. but | could hear the man nail push
ler from him as ne exclaimed
= am a ruined man without II, and You Won
lift finger 10 save ne.
This would never do; they evidently ianclc,
me still asleep, and would be taking over al
sorts OF private affairs so ! coughcd. moved un.
easily, rIstlC0 my newspaper. ana, as the HiS'
distant CLEAN showed that the train was nearing
Gaviirbt planted myself firmly IN ms corner pre-
6ut Of the daIkncs,-found myself absolutely
alone. ,. ;..,l., ,,,,,
Vet as looked around, and TUNED 10 the window
10 sec trees and hcld, gliding past, | knc" was
widc awake now, and began 10 di>uGc the situation
For | still heard the tWO taking, though not So
clearly ana could only conclude that they we're
- the compartment occupied bN Onc racing SCI,
that thesc last had got ont at the sidtIoH we h2"
evidently passed while ! slept, and that their
places were filed by the two whose voices reached
me with such unnatural dis'incinc>s. And yet
how improbable that The men who were -
evidently going 90 the races had got out before
the junction. Horror ] thought the blood rush
Ing 10 my face at the bare idea | cannot havt
Sept pest The Junction TOO. NO, my watch
showed that had not been forty minutes IL the
train.
pulled myself together, and looked around
Tie carriage in which ! sat VAS old ana dirty,
eS ! have said opposite to me, Just where, VIII!
NY eyes shut could swear that a man and a girl
sat taking the dingy brown cloth was somewhat
stained and there was long jagged slit, appa-
Iently cut with knife, out OF which the Stuiling
Of the cushion hung mlscTabIT.
Of the voices heard, ] argued with sophlstry
] would have scorncd in another. No. IL would
not account for IT, urged common sens; but il
must, or my eyes we're playing me false.
just | decided this, holf-hoartedly, loud
suhaw from the racing men assured me mat
lhey of least were still IN the other compartment
Then whc,c were my two cOmpaAlohs? Talk
Ing IN Whispers pleading, d!spulng, with tour
or i've rough. noisy men side by side with them,
sI'NAi 'OCcS coming 10 nv 'IsDHEu Llc IbiII'I'
Jagged cut in the faded cloth opposite. Or-Or
WheIe? Here with me, not 10 he seen, though
rubbed my eyes and looked ont Of the window,
ana forced myself 70 look back at the spot where
!He voices sounded, just above that horrible slit
II The cloth For il vas horrible. | confessed
'nS 10 myself at last, and drew my feet Up
On the seat Of the carriage and felt the cold
uSnPness Of fear creep down my face, as ! heard
gHiS voice, hOarse and eager, as II seemed 10
~e. Invmg for calmncsS against growing terror
. Listen, Harry, She sad. This money Is not
nlhe l0n do not understand, 50 ! must tell
you, though it is my fathers secret. He has
SS"ed this sum for ter years, and for ten years
idS worked and saved and starved for II. Little
q A'te he has gathered II all and have watched
~ ;;im Growing Older, and paler and seen The Stoop
~. ~ ms shoulders, and the dmncsS in his eyes,
,i,i "i,.i Harry my heart LAS nearly broken for
G! Bui a week ago the last pound was pat
=" ue bank, and he was iIec
IA week ago, the mans voice muttelcd
jlslshy and why not pay ii week ago, ana
1age saved tempting me ?'
Ihe last words were said 50 low that scarcely
as asSfd them, and the girl took no notice Of them,