Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-12-21
CHAPTER XIX.


got out ofthe tram at my dressmnller's.
The car moved on, but CHANGING after it l
perceived the man hastily descending. He
must have waited TIL he saw me step out
on to the pavement and could only hope
as ] slipped into the house and hastily
closed the door, that he bad lost sight of
me in getting down from the car.
With the teIrors of going home alone be-
fore me found little pleasure in trying on
my dress and discussing the matter with
my drcssmakcr, but fingered till She had
nothing more to say and could invent no
prctcXt for staying longer
] looked around eagerly when we went to
the door, and to my great relief saw no one
who looked like Drigo concluded that
he had lost sight of me or gone of on
wrong scent.
1T rains little. May lend You an UNI
brella?' asked the dressmaller.
NO, | think will wait for tram, " said
], that will take me home to my door"
and when the car came in sight babe her
good night" and ran down to stop it, ASH
stepped in my heart quaked, for saw the
man dreaded come out from the shadow
of the wall, and before had found Il seat
heard his foot grating on the steps ont side
1t was Il Westminster car-not. as had
II.
TO avoid the terrible stretch Of deserted
street went on as far as Hercules build
ings That gave me a little start, for until
he saw me get out my pursucr could not
tell which turning should take. CHANGING
up, | saw Drigo's hideous face pccring over
the railing to discover who was alighting,
and the moment he recognized me he began
to scuttle down the steps,
ran without stopping till | reached the
tavern at the Lambeth road end of the
buildings, thinking in my weakness that
/ would seek protection if he was on my heels
/ rather than venture alone on that last strip
VI deserted road. had made up my mind
| now that the enemy of Taras had resolved
| 10 put me out of the way as preliminary to
/ attacking him and had given the lob to
/ this villain. But he was still at some dis
tance-just near enough to keep me in sight,
no more. 1t would be absurd to ask for pro-
! lection from "A man 50 far Off said to nv
| self, and ashamed of my coWardice again
took to my heels. lie might have overtaken
me in Il few minutes, and there was no one
to prevent him strangling me in the open
road had he chosen, but he came no nearer.
! Whether ran or whether | walked, when
ever ! turned he seemed to be precisely mt
the same distance from me-just near
! enough 10 keep IN Sighl-no nearer, and ms
| stood painting ut the door waiting for Mere
Lucas to let me in perceived him stand
Ing motionless by the lamppost at the cor
ner of Lambeth palace.
Concealng my trepidation from Mere
Lucas as well as | could, hurried up tony
room and there tried to find an eXplisation
OF this strange pursuit As grew calmer
and my thoughts more collected one fact
became more and more evident. DrigC
would not have suffered me to escape in
this way had his designs been directed
against me. His spirit Of revenge would
Lot have rested content with giving me a
scare. And as he had not taken advantage
of this opportunity to injure me it was
scarcely credible that he would make any
further attempt in that direction
"Probably," ! said, going to the window
to reassure myself, seeing that l have
come in and am not likely to go out again
tonight, he has gone away"
But looking out under the window blind
discovered him standing on the embank
} ment over against the bridge nearly oppo
, fite the house What did that mean? A
solution of the mystery began to dawr
, upon me as soon as | perceived that tn,
; man had been posted here to watch my