Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-10-24
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0I SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.
CHAPTER XIX.

CHATTER AIN
DRIGo.
got out of the tram ut my dressmaker's.
The car moved on, but glancing after it
perceived the man hastily descending. He
must have waited till he saw me step out
on to the pavement, and l could only hope,
as l slipped into the house and hastily
closed the door, that he had lost sight OF
me in getting down from the car.
With the terrors of going home alone be
fore me found little pleasure in trying on
my dress and discussing the matter with
my dres''maker, but fingered till she had
nothing more to say and l could invent no
preteNt for staying longer
! looked around eagerly when we went to
the door, and to my great relief saw 10 one
who looked like Drigo. l concluded that
he had lost sight of me or gone off on a
wrong scent.
1T rains little. May lend you an UNI
brella:" asked the drcssmaker
No, think l will wait for tram, =" said
|, that will take me home to my door, :"
and when the car came in sight l babe her
good night" and ran down to stop it. ASH
stepped in my heart quaked, for l saw the
man dreaded come out from the shadow
of the wall, and before had found a seat
heard his foot grating on the steps outside
1t was Westminster car-not, as l had
hoped, one that would take me to Lambeth
IL az plA lLG lGTElule SlFSICu OF deserted
street l went on rs far as Hercules build
ings That gave me little start, for until
he saw me get out my pursuer could not
tell which turning l should take. CHANGING
up, l saw Drigo's hideous face peering 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 l reached the
tavern ut the Lambeth road end of the
IL
would seek protection if he was on my heels
rather than venture alone on that last strip
of deserted road. 1 had made up my mind
now that the enemy of Taras had resolved
to put me out of theway rs preliminary to
attacking him and had given the Job 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 SO far off, said to my
self, and ashamed of my cowardice l again
took To my heels He might have ovcrtaken
me in few minutes, and there was no one
to prevent him stranClinG me in the open
road had he chosen, but he came no nearer
Whether l ran or whether l walked, when
ever l turned, he seemed to be precisely at
the same distance from me-juSt near
enough To Keep in sight-no nearer and as
| stood painting mt the door waiting for Mere
Lucas To let me in perceived him stand
ucr of Lambeth palace.
Concealing my trepidatinn from Mere
Lucas As we'll rs | could, hurried up tony
room and there tried to find an explanation
of this strange pursuit. AS grew calmer
and my thoughts more collected one fact
became more and more evident Drigo
would not have suffered me to escape in
this way had his designs been directed
against me. His spirit of revenge would
rt..F l,.,,- So
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" l said, going to the window
To reassurc myself, seeing that l have
come in and am not likely to go out again
tonight, he has gone away"
But looking ont under the window blind
discovered him standing on the embark
ment over against the bridge nearly oppo-
site the house. What did that meaus \
solution of the mystery began To dawn
upon me rs soon as l perceived that the
man had been posted here to watch NV
movements and quickly took the definite
form OF conviction. An attack was to be
made, not on me, As | had fOoliShlv imay-
ined in my fright, but upon Tarls. lie
was to be waylaid on his return 10y the
sang, who had detached Drigo to prevent
me communicating any suspicion of their
design to him. But a week brfor. had
watched outside Grandson chambers and
followed Taras home That fact might
very we'll be known to the secret enemy,
who seemed to be acquainted with every
movement of TaraS and clearly explained
the object in setting outpost to watch
me. As | recalled this incident the figure
of the man who drove Kavanaghs brough-
am came before my mind, and l saw
again the fdrtive glance of suspicion with
which he regarded me. Might he not I've a
spy obtaining information by some covert
means from kavanaSh'
Mere Lucas came to the door and babe
me good night. When she was gone, went
othe window and peepcd again behind the
blind. Drigo had not stirred from his place
at the foot of the bridge His presence
served to confirm my suspicious, and I saw
that Taras, to be saved, must be warned of
the danger. But how was to reach him.
SAW clearly enough that it would not do
to expose myself to n personal encounter
with DriGo. That would not save Taras
Yet how could get to Taras without that
risk:
IN seeking an answer to this question it
presently occurred to me that workmen
had been doing something TO the wall
which separated the yard from Gordon's
pottery, and l recollectcd hearing that an
opening WAS 10 De ln1uG 10 iaCllltate the
transport Of the group to the kiln, where il
was to be burned. If l could get into the
pottery, l might find an exit in the street
At the back, and SO get away unseen and
unsupported by Drigo
Leaving the light burning in my roore, !
ran down TO the kitchen, provided myself
with : candle and silently went out into the
yard y heap of bricks and rubbish showed
where the men had been working and on
lighting the candle 1 found to my mex
pressible joy that break had been made
in the wall and roughly closed for the night
with a couple of boards. pushed one aside
and found that l could easily get into the
cellar beyond, where | saw the square blocks
Of clay piled up from floor to ceiling.
With some little difficulty l made my
way through the cellar into the warehouse
and thence through an office into the shop,
and here / thought had nothing to do but
unbolt the door and walk out But when
/ came to examine the fastenings discov-
cred fact which l might have foreseen,
knowing that no one inhabited the pottery
the door WAS locked on the outside Nv
heart fell, and / stood looking at the solid
lock stupidity for some moments, quite over
come by the hOpeleSSneSS of my position
In the silence that followed my ear caught
the sound of distant foOtstep and then the
heavy scrape of nailed boot on a ladder
and the rustic of straw on the warehouse
floor. With unreasoning terror figured
Drigo pursuing me hither, and my heart
stood still with the consciousness that ]
was utterly at his mercy.
y glimmer of light appeared 1t grew
stronger, and then part of rough corduroys
appeared ut the head of the steps with a
lantern on one side and a crowbar on the
other. but the next minute breathed again
AS n man came into sight whom I recog-
nized as hand employed in the pottery.
He could say nothing for establishment on
finding me there, nor was his amazement
lessened when made him understand that