Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-03-10
THE MlSADVENTURES
OF JOHN NICHOLSON.
BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
CHAPTER VI-CoNTINUED.


awakened by the stoppage of the cab;
and, getting down, he found himself
in quite a country road, the last lamp
of the suburb shining some way be-
low, and the high walls of garden
rising before him in the dark The
Lodge(a the place was named stood,
indeed, very solitary. To the south
it adjoined another house, but stand
ing in so large garden as to be we'll
out OF cry; on all other sides, open
fields stretched upward to the woods
of Corstorphine Hill, or backward to
the dells of Ravelston, or downward
toward the valley of the Leith. The
effect of seclusion was aided by the
great height of the garden walls,
which were indeed conventual and as
John had tested in former days defied
the climbing school boy. The lamp
of the cab threw CLEAN upon the
door and not brilliant handle of the
bell.
Shall I ring for YEP" said the cab
man, who had descended from his
perch and was slapping his chest, for
the night was bitter.
II wish you would" said John, put
ting his hand to his brow in one of
his excuses of giddiness.
The man pulled at the handle and
the clanking of the bell replied from
further in the garden; twice and
thrice he did it with sufficient inter-
walls; in the great, frosty silence Of
the night the sounds fell sharp and
small.
"Does he expect YEP" asked the
driver, with that manner of familiar
interest that well became his port
wine face; and when John had told
him no, "Well, then" said the cab
man, ''if ye'll taxi my advice of it,
we'll gang back. And that's disin-
terested, mind We, for my stables are
in the Glesgio road"
1.-The servants must hear" said
John.
"Hout," said the driver, she keeps
no servants here, man. They're in
the town house; / drive him often;
Its just kind of hermitage, this"
'Give me the bellr' said John; and
he plucked at it like a man desperate.
The clamor had not yet subsidized
before they heard steps upon the
gravel, and voice of singular nerv-
Gus irritability cried to them through
the door, "Who are you, and what do
you wantp"
ALAN" said John, "it's me-its
Fatty-John, you know. I'm just
come home, and I've come to stay
with you"
There was no reply for a moment,
and then the door was opened.
"Get the portmanteau down." said
John to the driver.
"Do nothing OF the kind said
Alan; and then to John. Come in here
a moment. want to speak to you. g"
John entered the garden and the
door was closed behind him. A can
die stood on the gravel walk, winking
a little in the draughts; it threw in
consistant sparkles on the dumped
holly, struck the light and darkness
to and fro like veil on Alan's fea-
lures, and sent his shadow lowering
behind him. All beyond was inscru-
table; and Johns dizzy brain rocked
with the shadow. Yet even so, it
struck him that Alan was pale, and
his voice, when he spoke, unnatural.
"What brings you here tonight"
he began. 81 don't want, God knows,
to seem unfriendly; but cannot take
you in, Nicholson; / can not do it."
ALAN" said John, ''you've got to!
You don't know the mess I'm in; the
4,,p
not show my face in an inn, because
they're down on me for murder or
something"
"For whatr' cried Alan, stSrting.
Murder, l believe" says John.
''Murder!" repeated Alan, and
passed his hand over his eyes, "what
was that you were sayingp" he asked
again.
THAT they are down on me-" said
John. i am accused of murder, by
what i can make out, and I've really
had dreadful day of it, Alan, and
can't sleep on the roadside on night
like this-at least, not with port
manteau," he pleaded.
"Hush!" said Alan, with his head
on one side; and then. Ibid you
hear nothingp" he asked.
mo-" said John, thrilling, he knew
not why, with communicated terror.
"No, heard nothing, whyP" And
then, as there was no answer, he re-
verted to his pleading. "But l say,
you've just got to take me in. I'll GO
right away to bed if you have any
thing to do. seem to have been
drinking; was that knocked over. j
wouldn't turn you away, Alan, if you
were down on your luck"
"NoP" returned Alan. Neither
will / you, then. Come and let's get
your portmanteau."
The cabman was paid and drove of
down the long, lamp-lighted hill, and
the two friends stood on the sidewalk
beside the portmanteau till The last
rumble Of the wheels had died In
silence. It seemed to John as though
Alan attached Importance to this de-
parture OF the cab. and Jokn, who