Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-03-24

lndb-Ons AllA oO INV 90 lAC
dwelt on what was probably awaiting
him at the end of his distressful
drive-John, who saw things little,
remembered them less, and could not
have described them at all, beheld in
his minds eye the garden of the
lodge, detailed as in a map; he went
to and fro in it, feeding his terrors;
he saw the hollies, the snowy borders
the paths where he had sought Alan,
the high, conventual walls, the shut
door-what! was the door shutP
Ay, truly, he had shut it-shut in his
money, his escape, his future life
shut it with these hands, and none
could now open it, He heard the snap of
the spring-lock like something burst
ing in his brain, and sat astonished.
And then he woke again, terror
jarring through his vitals. This was
no time to be idle; he must up and be
doing, he must think. Once at the
end Of this ridiculous cruise, once at
the Lodge door, there would be moth
ing for il but to turn the cab and
trundle back again. Why, then, go
so far? why add another feature of
suspicion to a case already so sug-
gestive? why not turn at once? 1t
was easy to say turn; but whitherp
He had nowhere now to go to; he
could never--he saw it in letters of
blood-he could never pay that cab;
he was saddIed with that cab forever.
Oh, that cas-! his soul yearned and
burned, and his bowels bounded to be
rid of it. He forgot all other cares.
He must first quit himself of this ILL
smelling vehicle and of the human
beast that guided it-frst do that; do
that, at least; do that at once.
And just then the cab suddenly
stopped, and there was his prosecutor
rapping on the front glass; John let
it down, and beheld the port wine
countenance inflamed with intellectual
triumph.
IL ken wha We arer" cried the
husky voice. Il mind we now. Ye're
nicholson. ] drove We to Hermis-
ton to q Christmas party, and ye came
back on the box, and let We drive. "
1t is fact. John knew the man;
they had been even friends. His en-
envy, he now remembered, was fellow
O. great good nature-endless good
nature-with boy; why not with a
aAan? Why not appeal to his better
side? He grasped at the new hope.
Great Scott! and so you did" he
cried, as if in transport of delight,
his voice sounding false in his own
ears. well, if that's so, I've some
thing TO say to you. I'll get out,
guess. Where are we, any way?"
The driver had futtered his ticket
in the eyes of the branch-toll keeper,
and they were now brought to on the
highest and most solitary part of the
by-road. On the left, a low of field
side trees beshaded it, on the right,
it was bordered by naked fallows, un-
dulating down hill to the Queensferry
road; in front, Corstorphine nj raised
its snow bedabbled, darkling woods
against the sky. John looked all about
him, drinking the clear air like wine
then his eyes returned to the cabman's
face as he sat, not ungleefully, await
ing Johns communication, with the
air of one looking to be tipped.
The features of the face were hard
to read. drink had so swollen them,
drink had so painted them in tints
that varied from brick red to null
berry. The small gray eyes blinked,
the lips moved, with greed; greed
was the ruling passion; and though
there was some good nature, some gen.
uine kindliness, true human touch,
in the old topper, his greed was now SO
set afire by hope, that all other traits
ofcharacter lay dormant. He sat there
a monument If glattonous desire.
Johns heart slowly fell. He had
opened his lips, but he stood there
and uttered nought. He sounded the
we'll of his courage, and it was dry.
He CROPPED in his treasury Of words,
and it was vacant. A devil of dumb
ness had him by the throat; the devil
of terror babbled in his ears; and sud.
denly, without word uttered, with
no conscious purpose formed in his
will. John whipped about, tumbled
over the roadside wall, and began
running for his life across the fallows.
He had not gone far; he was not
past the midst of the first field, when
his whole brain Numbered within him,
Fool! You have your watch" The
shock stopped him, and he faced once
more oward the cab. The driver
was leaning over the wall, brandish'
ing his whip, his face empurpled
roaring like bull. And John saw
| (or thought) that he had lost the
chance. No watch would pacify the
mans resentment now; he would Cry
for vengeance, also. John would be
had under the eye of the police; his
tale would De unfolded, his secret
plumbed, his destiny would close OF
him at last, and forever.
He uttered deep sigh; and jest az
the cabman, taking heart of grace
was beginning at last to scale the
wall, his defaulting customer fell
again to running. and disappeared
into the further fields.
CHAPTER VIII.
Singular Instance OF the Utility Of
Pass-Keys.
| Where he ran at first John never