Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-04-06


scrape along somehow. The hardest
job was to learn my way about, for
reckon that of all the mazes that evel
were contrived this city is the most
confusing. / had a map beside me
though, and when once had spotted
the principal hotels and stations go,
on pretty we'll
sit was some time before I found out
where my two gentlemen We're living
but l inquired and inquired, until a
last dropped across them. They were
at a clearinghouse at Camberwell
over on the other side of the river
When once l found them out / knew
that had them at my mercy. had
grown my beard and there was nc
chance of their recognizing me.
would dog them and follow them until
/ saw my opportunity. l was deter
mined that they should not escape me
again.
"They were very near doing it, fol
all that. Go where they would about
London | was always at their heels
Sometimes / followed them on my cat
and sometimes on foot, but the former
was the best, for then they could not
get away from me. 1t was only early
in the morning or late at night that l
could learn anything, so that began
to get behindhand with my employer.
did not mind that, however, as long
as could lay my hand upon the men
/ wanted.
They were very cunning, though.
They must have thought that there was
some chance of their being followed,
for they would never go out alone,
and never after nightfall. During two
weeks drove behind them every day,
and never once saw them separate.
Drebber himself was drunk half the
time, but Stangerson was not to be
caught mapping. l watched them late
and early, but never saw the ghost of a
chance; but was not discouraged, for
something told me that the hour had
almost come. My only fear was that
this thing in my chest might burst a
little too soon and leave my work un-
done.
"At last, one evening l was driving
up and down Torquay terrace, as the
street was called in which they board
ed, when | saw a cab drive up to their
door. Presently some luggage was
brought out, and after time Drebber
and Stangerson followed it and drove
off. whipped up my horse and kept
within sight of them, feeling i'll at
ease, for feared that they were going
to shift their quarters. At Euston
station they got out, and | left q
boy to hold my horse and followed
them on to the platform. | heard them
ash for the Liverpool train, and the
guard answer that one had just gone
and that there would not be another
for some hours. Stangerson seemed to
be put out at that, but Drebber was
rather pleased than otherwise. / got
so close to them in the hustle that
could hear every word that passed be-
tween them. Drebber said that he had
little business of his own to do, and
that if the other would wait for him he
would soon rejoin him. His companion
demonstrated with him, and reminded
him that they had resolved to stick to-
gether. Drebber answered that the
matter was delicate one, and that he
must go alone. | could not catch what
Stangerson said to that, but the other
burst out swearing, and reminded him
that he was nothing more than his
paid servant, and that he must not pre-
sumo to dictate to him. On that the
secretary gave it up as bad job, and
simply bargained with him that if he
missed the last train he should rejoin
him at Halliday's private hotel; to
which Drebber answered that he would
be back on the platform before eleven,
and made his way out of the station.
1.-The moment for which had waited
so long had at last come. / had my
enemies within my power. Together
they could protect each other, but
singly they were at my mercy. l did
not act, however, with undue precip-
itation. My plans were already
formed. There is no satisfaction in
vengeance unless the offender has
time to realize who il is that strikes
him, and why retribution has come up
on him. had my plans arranged by
which / should have the opportunity
of making the man who had wronged
me understand that his old sin had
found him out. 1t CHANGED that some
days before a gentleman who had been
engaged in looking over some houses
In the Brixton road had dropped the
key of one of them in my carriage. It
was claimed that same evening and re-
turned; but in the interval had taken
a moulding of it, and had a duplicate
constructed. By means of this | had
access to At least one spot in this great
city where l could rely upon being
free from interruption. How to get
Drebber to that house was the diff
cult problem which had now TO solve.
"He walked down the road and went
into one or two liquor-shops, staying
for nearly half an hour in the last of
them. When he came out he staggered
in his walk, and was evidently pretty
well on. There was hanson just in
front of me, and he hailed it. fol-
lowed it so close that tire nose of my
horse was within yard of his driver
the whole way. We ratified across Wa
terloo bridge and through miles of
streets, until, to my astonishment, we
found ourselves back in the terrace in
which he had boarded. I could not
imagine what his intention was in re-
turning there; but | went on and
pulled up my cab hundred yards or
so from the house. He entered it and
his hanson drove away. Give me
glass of water, if you please. My
mouth gets dry with the TALKING"
handed him the glass and he drank
it down.
That's better" he said. "WeI, I
waited for quarter of an hour or
more, when suddenly there came a
noise like people struggling inside the
house. Next moment the door was
flung open and two men appeared, one
of whom was Drebber, and the other
was young chap whom had never
seen before. This fellow had Drebber
by the collar, and when they came to
the head of the steps he gave him a
shove and kick which sent him half
across the road. You hound!' he cried,
shaking his stick at him; IN teach you
to insult an honest girlr He was SO
hot that / think he would have
thrashed Drebber with his cudgel, only
that the eur staggered away down the
road as fast as his legs would carry
him. He ran as far as the corner. and
then, seeing my cab, he hailed me and
jumped in. Drive me to Halliday's
private hotel said he.
when had him fairly inside my
cab my heart jumped so with JOY that
feared lest at this last moment my
aneurism might go wrong. drove
along slowly, weighing in my own mind
what it was best to do. might take