The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-11
BY FLORENCE WARDEN,
CHAPTER II.
THE MADNESS OF DESPAIR.

The hADNESS OF despair
Clifford Semple did not hear the door of
the chiIdren's room shut a moment before he
left the house; he did not hear hurried
step down the stairs. He gave one glance
around him, indeed, before closing the front
door behind him; but the gas had not yet
been lit, and into the deep shadows on the
staircase his sight did not penetrate.
Without another glance behind he hur-
ried along the streets. between rows of lit
tie mean houses, until he reached the sta
ton. The day had been dull and foggy, and
darkness had closed i'll early. A fine driz-
cling rain had just begun to fall when
Clifford took up his stand close to the bar
rier which divided the road from the railo
wav line, a little way out of the station. He
knew where to place himself SO that nobody
should notice him.
There was an "island platform" in the
middle Of the station, on the farther side of
which that portion of the Continental ex-
press which came from Victoria would draw
up, while the city portion of
the same train would drrw up on
the hither side. The Victoria portion
arrived first. AS it slackened speed. Clifford
drew nearer to the station, watching for the
arrival Of the train from Holborn Viaduct.
Putting his hand in his pocket he drew out
a railway key; then, as the city portion OF
the express approached, he got over the
barrier and on to the down line alongside
the train just before it stopped. He had
seen an Engaged" label on the window of
a first-class compartment, and without hest
ton he went straight to that carriage.
Jumped on to the foot-bosrd, and looked in
at the window.
He knew he should see there, snugly
wrapped up and safe, as he thought, from
intruders, the man who had that afternoon
turned contemptuous ear to his last ap-
peal for work for himself, bread for his
children.
Clifford looked in at the window. The
fog outside the carriage, the steaming
warmth Of the foot-warmers within, made
it difficult to see clearly. But there, indeed,
was Samuel Pogson, in the middle seat fac
ing the engine, bis chin buried in his
muffier, his traveling-cap drawn oyer his
the the picture Of selfish. self. absorbed
comfort. The guard opened the carriage |
door, but old Pogson did not condescend TO |
turn his head. He left such paltry cares as
the showing Of tickets to the assiduous |
page, who jumped out OF the next carriage |
at this moment, tickets in hand. much |
shocked at the intrusion upon his illustrious
and autocratic master.
Clifford saw the guard withdraw, closing |
the door with the respectful noiselessness |
expected by the occupants Of engaged COM
partments.
No sooner had the guard disappeared than |
Clifford put his key in the door, unlocked |
it, opened it and entered the carriage. He |
took no precautions; indeed what precau- |
tions could he take to make such a daring |
proceeding unremarked! But chance ia
vored him.
On the platform he had crossed there
were no passengers, as the up train had not
long passed through. There was enough
fog about tor a person climbing up from the
line to be mistaken by any one but near
observer for one of the officials of the rail-
way.
The mad intention of the desperate man,
as he got into the compartment, was to !
meet his late employer face to face, to pour
out reproaches for the ruin be had brought
upon him, and then-even in thought he
dared go no further; but in Imagination he
kept seeing the big diamond Mr.. Pogson
wore oh his little finger, the money be car
ried In his purse; ana his hand still held the |
loaded revolver.
Now the way seemed to be miraculously
cleared for him; he had got into the car
rage unseen by any of the officials he was
alone with the man he hated; the train was
moving off, leaving old Pcgson, in his rugs
and his wraps, completely at his mercy. |
Yet he sat like q statue in the corner of the !
opposite seat to that occupied by his en-
eny, and his tongue clave to the roof of his |
mouth.
For Samuel Pogson had not noticed his
fsuwa haA
head. Aud the sight of the old man, with
his head buried in his mufflers, helpless, un-
conscious of danger, brought Chfford's
reason back Immediately with a great |
shock. What had he done? What was it |
he had had IN his mind to 90? In an in- |
slant 1t seemed monstrouS incredible, that |
he, Clifford Semple, should have been on |
the point Of spoiliug the record of an hon |
est life by an outrage on a defenseless old |
mani Even an outrage Of the tongue, he |
suddenly remembered, might, in the case of |
a man OF 90, with weak heart, cause him |
either death or serious illness.
Sobered and frightened, Clifford staggered
TO his feet, and would have left the carriage,
risking seizure by the officials and the neces-
sity fer al awkward explanation: but his
limbs shook, he seemed to have lost his &C.
tivity; before he could pass the old man,
which he was careful to do without noise. SO
as not TO disturb the dozs into which he
seemed to have fallen, the train had at
tanned speed which made escape impossi.
BILE.
He was prisoner with his intended VIC
tim.
The next stop was at Canterbury at 9:27.
More than an hour and quarter, then, he
must remain 10 this situation; only to find
himself, at the end of that time, fifty miles
from home, and without the means to re-
turn thither. And il the meantime he was
exp sed, every moment, to the danger of
old Pogson's awakening. Not for an in
slant did Clifford entertain the idea of try
ing to soften his late employers heart bv
another appeal. He had shot his last bolt
that afternoon. He had said, not in so
many words, yet clearly enough, that bis
children were in want of bread; IL that
would not move the man, what more was
there that mortal could say which would
have a better chance? Even if there had
been thousand arguments for him to use,
indeed, he would still have been unable to
utter them; shame at the mad ideas he had
herbored now held him spell-bou so that
he could only sit still in his corner, CHANGING
from time to time at old Pogson in mute APP
prehension.
Half an hour passed; Clifford, to whom
the minutes we're months-full of remorse,
fear and suffering, thought they must
surely be close TO Canterbury. They
seemed 20 have sat like that, still, silent for
years. How could the old man sleep SO
soundly In a trains
A question flashed through Cliford's
mind, and his heart leaped up. Was Mr.
Pogson really asleep at ali, Or had he
woke up. taken in the situation at one IN
seen glance Of his Ehrewd eyes, aud feigned