Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-07-11


habits. A small circle OF familiar friends
suppliod all his social needs. lie concerned
himself little with the rest OF humanity,
belonging to the olass who can live side by
Sice In the saIue street with n follow orea-
ture all their lives without 80 much as
knowing him by sight.
! Among Mr.. Dibbs' fixed habits was q
yearly tour. But he did not take IL, like
most people, In tho summer months, but
In the early spring.
In l6-, when March came round, he
made the usual preparations for his yearly
tour I'm his customary way. On the even
.as before his departure an old city friend,
Mr.. Goldsmith, dined with him &C his
house In Ninth street. When about 70
leave Goldsmith drew . small case from
his pocket
II brought this with me on the chance
that you were going 20 Pittsburs. You
will do me a great favor by giving it into
my brothers hands there. It contains
brilliant Of such rare value that could
intrust it TO few. 10 will give you no
trouble, being SO small--there Is no risk,
~ no one will know You have such thing
with YOU"
J Anything 30 obligo a friend" said
Dibbs lightly. "I would take the Kohl
moor as travelling companion under the
same circumstances.
! The two mon were standing at the
study window, the blind OF which hap
psned to be up. While In the act OF plso-
Ing tho case In his pocket Dibbs' eyes
wandered to the street At that moment
the light from a lamp In front Of the
door STRUCK on the face of man who was
passing-or had he been standing theref
"a peculiar, dark face, with straight,
black whiskers.
The man moved on; Dibbs drew back
hastily.
"None Of your people knew that you
were giving me this oommissionr' he In.
quired Of Goldsmith.
! Mot soul, my dear fellow. The mat
ter Ia entirely between you and me- My
head clerk alone knows Of the existence Of
the brilliant.
! what 10 he liker
Like you-like me- Respeotabiiity It.
self What are you thinking Off"
Has he black whiskorsf'
Gray as o badger's-white even. But,
bless my soul, what IL the matterf What
do you meant Have you seen any onei"
"A man was standing there by tho
lamppost as you handed me the jewel case.
He was apparently looking at us and
might have heard what was said"
; "Then he must be In the street still, "
said Goldsmith, throwing up the window
and putting his head out. Dibbs did the
same. The night was bright Not soul
was to be seen anywhere. The street was
quite deserted.
"A neighbor or q neighbor's butler. He
has gone into some hoase." Goldsmith
withdrew from the window. I'm any
oase, no one could have heard, nor,
should think, have seen u.s."
Portman Dibbs set out next morning
for Pittsburg via Philadelphia, staying a
few days at Philadelphia on the way. He
took his place In the undenisble comfort
of Pullman coach In the express TO Phil
adelphia, with a mind as free from care
and uneasiness as elderly gentleman ever
possessed.
Nearly an hour had passed before Dibbs
laid down his paper and glanced round the
car Ho was thinking of the story he had
been reading. and not at all Of his fellow
travellers, when on sudden his eye caught
that of the man opposite ouriously fixed
on him. Each becoming aware Of the 9th
er's glance withdrew his at onoe, not how
ever, before Dibbs' attention had been en-
gagged Was the man o complete stranger
as he had supposed Had he not seon the
face beforef And wheni Wherei The
face was peculiar, with straight, black
whiskers. With the suddenness of a flash
Dibbs' memory was illumined. The man
opposite was the same who had stood In
the lamplight outside the window In
Ninth street. There was no doubt OF It,
no mistaking the unusual face and re-
IL L. talr nx.
Dibbs put up his hand to feel the jewel
case In his breast pocket. As he did so his
eyes met those OF the stranger fixed on
him with peculiar expression.
BY chain Of reasoning, of which he
felt half ashamed, Dibbs, before reaching
Philadelphia, decided on changing his
usual hotel, the Bingham, for the Cont
mental. Setting out for the latter, he lost
sight Of his fellow traveller on the crowded
platform Of the station.
I Fixity of habit as a creed cannot be
lightly renounced. Dibbs was miserable
at the Continental simply because It was
not the accustomed Bingham. Discomfort
with himself and everything else was the
result What an ass have made Of my
self about that man who oame I'm the cari'
was the burden Of his thoughts while
smoking his after dinner cigar. His be-
ing In the train was mere coincidence.
He probably has never cast thought
about me. I must walk this nonsense out
Of my brain"
! As Dibbs left the room he passed at the
door late guest being ushered into soli-
tary dinner. With a certain reyulsion Of
feeling, he recognised his fellow traveller
the object Of his thoughtsi
The earliest train for Pittsburg next
morning saw Dibbs' departure from Phil
adelphia-an alteration In his usual pro-
gramme, which always included day OF
two In the city. The closest scrutiny of
the train did not discover his bugbear
There was no sign Of him at Altoona.
A tranquil night In his accustomed
hotel there restored Dibbs' mental bal
ance.
! In the pleasant ooolness Of a moonlit
H.-IA L.