The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-09-18
HE GOT IN AT BRIGGS

NJ Fortrsn Sr>ra una rrssper,Sl,,
elderly gentleman. 81 aune, WAYS Ard
HNei habits 4 small circlc ~ tsuaiEs,
'r,ends supplied all his seeis, nred., be
corocrre-i himself h,,r with the res, a
humanity, belonging 10 the elss who
can i've SIDE ~ side N me same street
With 4 fellow creature al their livee
without 50 much a. Knowing them NJ
sight
Among Mr. Ro~ns f1cd hahi. va.
yearly tom
Rut he i.d m. take u, like most REQ.
rls 'n the .un,u,r months, hut IN the
early spiinG. Regularly. as the srst
week in March came round~ he wen
abroad. A common .sa~.se N hsA,sE
tracks, following the usual routine OF
travel IN steamers and trains, and lodg.
ing AT pa!atial ho,els No adventure
had ever broken the uneventful record
o' these tours for over quarter Of o
century, no mole exciting incident than
an UNUSUAL overchsrge at some hotel had
come within Fortmsn Browns personsl
experience.
In Is, when March came round. he
msd: the usual preparations for mis- yearly
tour IN his usual way
On the evening before bis departure,
m I'D city friend. Mr.. Goldsmith,
1ined with him az bis house in Harley
street. When about to leave, Gold
smith drew small case from his pocket.
~ brought this with me on th2 chance
that you were going TO Cannes You
will do me great favor by giving il
into my brothers hands thcre It con
tains brilliant of such ra:c value that
could intrust il to few. II will give YOU
no trouble, being so small. there will be
no risk, as no one will know you have
such thing with you."
"Anything TO oblige . friend" said
Brown, lightly. ~ would take the
Kohl moor as a travelling companion
under the same circumstances.
The two men were standing n the study
window, the blind of which happened
TO be up. While in the act Of placing
the case in his pocket, Browns eyes
wandered 10 the street. At the moment
the light from lamp in fro,. Of the
door struck on the face Of man who
was passing-or had been standing there?
n peculiar dark face, with straight
black whiskers.
The man moved on.
Brown drew back hastily.
None Of your people knew tha, you
were giving me this commission" he
incurred of'Goldsmjlb. --... ....~
matter is entirely between you and me.
My head clerk alone knows Of the exist
ence OF the brilliant.
What is he like;'
Like you, like me. Resrn liability
itself What are you thinking OFF,"
Has he white whiskers,"
Grey as badgers-white ever I,
But, bless nv soul. what is the matter?
What do you mean: Have you seen any
one'"
A man was standing there by the
lamr post as you handed me the Jewel
case He was apparently looking at us,
ana might have heard what we said"
Then he must be in the street still"
said Goldsmith, throwing up rhe win.
Cow and putting his head out; Brown
did 'he same. The night was bright.
Nor soul was 10 be seen anywhere
tee street was quite deserted.
). ne!ghbor o. relghbor'a butler
f. sss gone into some house" Gold
smith ~r,har-~ from The window 'In
~! ase nc one cou'6 have overheard,
:. should tb!r., have seen u As
~ =! r.srk, T-svers, bosst mvself an
i,c"'' -sr, bu' don: hesitate 20 &C
s-.W .e0Fs 'bs: be ,s The hones,er Of ,hs
'Uo fout Imagination is playing you
':lcks. didn'' know you were giver
'ss' way Perhaps you would rather 70,
's.e 's-g@ r 'hc Brilliant"
sH' Brown would not hear Of this.
A':ca3v shanefsced owe. his has.y and
soma hat ridic Ilous suspicious, he dis.
missed Them abruptly.
'Eot for worlds would | give up the
charge, he said elm net such fool
as lseem The man probably is one of
'he new neiRhbors; there are a good
many newcomers in the street.
Portman Brown set out next morning
tol Lucerne via Brussels and the Rhine,
staying few days at Ostend on the way.
lie took his place in the undeniable com
iort OF first class carriage in the express
I" BRUSSELS with n mind as free from
care and uueasiuess as nm elderly gentle.
man ever possessed A life Of plain, un
diluted prose had, up to this. kept hi.
imaginative tauulties in complete abey.
ance; lunatics, hypnotis,s, murderers,
etc, as possible fellow travellers, had
r"re, entered his mimi Ae rule. in.
deed, his fellow traveller, N more excited
his interest or notice than his near
neighbors at home. On This occasion no
was Just conscious, in leaving the station
at Ostend. that an elderly couple were
the other occupants Of the carriage. he
merely gave passing glance from his
newspaper at the man. a stranger who
got in at Bruges and sat down on the
opposite seat.
Nearly an hour had passed before
Brown laid down his newspaper, and
when he did he was horrified to see in
the traveller who got in at Bruqcs the
dark faced man who had excited his
suspicions when he started from London
\ At 'Brussels Brown aodeed the dark
! fuced man.
Never within the whole course of his
experience in foreign ports had Brown
passed more wretChed night; the