The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-07
THE NAME, HUGHSON.
tcoprloAt. 1s9a, by the Unftes Press,

and neither OF US had spoken since the
start. He was intent on his books and
papers, on the ever changing panorama
without. When ! first entered the car he
impressed me most pleasantly, and antici-
pated a sociable ris-d-uis for my journey,
and yet the stranger took no notice Of my
entrance or presence, paid no heed to a re.
mark OF mine about tho weather. and
seemed so thoroughly taken up with him
self and bis own affairs that | determined
he should remain undisturbed.
He was nothing to me; obviously I was
still less to him, and so we rode on in
silence, Ionly noticing him as. now and then,
he would throw down a book or a paper
and, selecting another from his hand sechel.
continue his reading. His nervous, uneasy
manner finally communicated a restiveuess
to me, however. and was Just considering
a stroll through the train when my COM
panion broke the silence and changed my
plans.
He had at length picked up a newspaper
which myself had thrown upon the floor.
and hurriedly scanned q page or two, when
l saw the color suddenly leave his cheeks.
his eyes stare blindly and his hands clutch
the sheet nervously. Fascinated by the
strange action, / watched him closely while
he seemed TO be reading again and again a
paragraph OF uncommon interest. Then
with a curse, he leaped up, tore the paper
In twenty pieces, and. turning to me, gasped
out:
what are you doing with that paper.
STRIP
Nothing, Just at present." l returned
cody. You seem to have done all that is
necessary"
30. beg pardon. beg pardon for tear
ing your paper. SIR he apologized. 'If
you will permit me will gladly"
That's all right,"I said. II was quite
through with it. You were most well
come"
He made no answer for a moment, but
stopped and picked up one Of the fallen
pieces of an inside page. He regarded it for
an instant, and observed the same excite
ment overcame him as before, but said
nothing. had decided to let him do the
talking. At last he approached my chair
and, leaning over, handed me the paper,
indicating, as he did so, a certain small and
obscure paragraph.
Read it,n be whispered. Read itn
complied. and learned only that one
Henry Hughson. day laborer. had fallen
down, broken limb. and been removed to
hospital.
"Wellp asked
1.-THE name" he replied, "Hughson-do
you know it."
Never heard 1t before"
''Never heard It Good God I" he exclaimed.
slow wish could say thatw
whats the matterF' inquired. "Don't
you like itG Does it suggest unpleasant
memoriess"
''No. no." he returned. SITS worse than
that-worse than you can imagine I'd
give half my life to be rid of IL once for
all"
80, see," broke in. SITS your name
then"
"No; it is not"
your wife's maiden name, perhapsg"
II am unmarried"
"Well, now, my good man. how can you
consistently wish to be rid Of a Thing to
which you deny all CLAMP protested.
70, 1t is not that-not that" he said.
i will tell you.n He took the chair oppo-
site mine and leaning forward went on in
an eager, breathless manner: "For a
decade have been haunted by this accursed
name. Ten years ago was engaged to DO
married to beautiful girl named Flora
Hughson. She died mysteriously on the eve
OF our wedding. Ugly rumors went about
how had at the eleventh hour learned that
the wealth which gossip attributed to her
was mythical, and in desperation muir
| dered her to avoid marriage. But" and
he rudely seizsd my arm and bent to ward
me, "you don't believe that of me, do your
My dear SIR" replied, rather Ill at ease.
"Yo on will readily understand that / know
nothing whatever of the case, and therefore
1
'Of course not, Of course not" he inter-
rupted. But swear to You that it Is all a
LEA terrible lie. Why, sir" he went on,
"a man who would be guilty of such a
crime should have it branded upon his brow
in letters Of blood that all the world might
know his mlseryW Here be paused for an
instant as he had spoken very rapidly and
was out Of breath. l held my peace
and at length he resumed IL
fed from the rumors," said he, 'and,
out home or haven, vet seeking both.
went to Europe for time and soon after
my return to this country was startled
more THAI once by what then regarded as
| a most singular series OF condolences.
| Everywhere | went the name of HuRhson
| confronted me; it was in tho papers, on the
hotel registers, on the street signs-always
staring me in the eyes. Two
years and still the same thing:
three years and no change. What
had considered as mere coinci-
dences now doomed up as monstrous phan-
toms pursuing me, taunting me, curslng
me, everywhere. | grew afraid of the
Dame. live to-day in an abject horror OF
| those seven letters that nothing else under
heaven can equal. Here in this car have
partly read dozen papers and in each that
awful name appears and burns itself into
my sight like a brand from hell
l bought a book at random from a
train-boy and before had read
ten pages found the name of Hughson
printed there for my destruction. It is kill
ing me-this maddening terror; day by day
grow more nervous, less hopeful. 1t has
gone on so far all these wretched years but,
thank heaven, ii cannot last much longer.
have often wondered If, when relief at
length comes the undertaken will not go by
that cursed name Of Hughson."
He stopped then, as the train slackened
speed for a station. and gathered up his
luggage. l made few foolish comments
on his story, and ended by saying he had
neglected to tell me his own name.
ITO be sure" he replied, as we exchanged
cards. my name is Remsen-H Horace Rem
sen; but must leave you hers-ten to one
the first man meet is a Hughson."
And we parted.
That was two years ago. Yesterday read
this item in my newspaper:
tine body Of a well-dressed man was
found floating In the river last night. His
identity is uncertain, for, although the pa
pers IN his person are addressed to Horace
Remsen, there is branded on his forehead
and in no less than Six other places on his
body the name Hughson."
GEORGE PERCY TAGGART.