The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-25

ers, her nervous sn1ietyto remain NJ the rancho
the innuendoos and significant elances Of friend'
which he put aside-os he had this w0rnan''
Susy had told him nothing new Of his wife,
but the truth Of himself. Aud the revelation
came from people whom he was conscious were
the II Interiors Of himself and hts wife. To an in.
dependent. proud. and self-made man II was the
eliminating stroke.
The return eeemed intcrmlnsble, though he
M nj his own door and looked at bis watch he
found he had been absent only half an hour.
Only half an hour As he entered the house he
ror in the hall as IL he had expected 10 see some
visible change in himself In that time.
his dressing room. completely changed his at
tire, put on a pair OF long riding boots. anu,
moment. took a pair Of small derringer pistols
from n box, put them in his pockets, and then
slipped cautiously down the staircase.
invaded him for me first time. The lights were
out. lie opened the door and was in the street.
stable, whose proprietor he knew. His first in-
quiry was for one Redsis in-a particular horse;
n The propriesoPp SssNsi no question of a Gus
toner of Clarence's condition.
The horse. half Spanish, powerful, and lrasci-
the man IN an impulse Of sociability said:
Saw you at the theatre tonight, sir"
All" returned Clarence, quietly gathering
E"Rather q smart trick Of that woman with
sible doubt Of his customers politics. he added.
with a forced smile. q reckon it's all party fuss,
though-thar Amt any real danger"
fingered in his ears. He saw through the. mans
hesitation-he. too. had probably heard that
wife's sentimentsesnd dared not speak fully.
And he understood the cowardly suggestion that
II had been Ciarenoe's one fallacy. He had
believed the public excitement was only a tenn
porary. outbreak of partisan feeling soon 70 sub
side. Even now he was conscious that he was
less doubtful of the integrity OF the Union than
OF his own household; II was not the devotion
OF the patriot, but the indignation of nm out
ragged husband that was squirting him on.
He knew that IL he reached Woodvile by. 0
embarcado and catch the down coach 70 Fair
Plains, whence he could ride TO the rancho. As
the coach did not connect directly with san
Francisco, the chance OF his surprising them
Once clear Of the, city outqklrts, he bullied
Redskin into irnscihle speed, and plunged into
the rainy darkness of the high road. The way
was fanliliar.
ING. caused by his rapid pace, of wind and rain
against his depressed head and shoulders. In a
sheer brutal sense of opposition and power; or
through overAowed gullies in the road. or
across the, quaggy. sodden, edges OF meadow
iious Extravaganza into q long. steady stride.
Then he raised his head and strengthened
himself on the saddle-to think. But to no pur;
pose. Heh had no plan; everything would depend
upon the situation; the thought Of forestalling
any action of the conspirntors, BY warning or
calling in the authorities. for an instant crossed
his mind, but was as instantly dismissed.
He had but an instinct; to see with his own
Day was breaking through drifting sc,id and
pewtcr-cOlorcd clouds rs he reached. Woodville
Ferry. checkcred with splashes OF the soil and
the spumc of his horse. from whose neck and
TANKS the sweat rolled like lather.
Yet he was not conscious how intent had been
shock on seeing that the. ferryboat was gone!
For an instant his wonderful sclf-possessiOn
ibS TsnsSn .a a,%; n sS eS" wIt GSHiy S 4 ,ho Ta16an or eat At
pedient, but in another moment he saw that the
boat, was returning from the distance. Had he
He glanced hurriedly at his watch: he had
come quicker than he imagined: there would
ferryman. The boat, a ships plnnace, with two
men in II, crept In with cxasperating slowness.
At sl9sss' m 1he STG nn Swe rom a"il Before 5 ic witS s sse other
trips on this ferry"
but Clarence was himself, again. Twenty
dollars for two more oars in that boat he said
quietly. land $50 II you get me over in time to
The man glanced at Clarence's eyes. Run
and rouse our Jake and SAM" he said to the
other boatmsn; then leisurely. gazing at his
There must have been a heapo' passengers
got left by last nights boat. You're the second
man that took this route in a hurry"
Vt any other time the coincidence might have
struck Clarence. But he only answered CURLY:
Unless VIC nfe unutT way IN Ten minutes YOU
will find | am not the second man, and that our
bargains off,"
beside the ferry house and tumbled sleepily into
Clarence seized an extra. pair OF sculls that
standing against the shed and threw them
the stern. :" don't mind taking Il hand
myself for the exercise" he said quietly.
The ferryman glanced again az Clarencc's
travel-worn figure and determined eyes with
approval. and surprise. He fingered
his oars lifted, looking at his PASSENGER;
- IL aint M hnainRaa \ NINA Nnnnfg man " hn
said deliberately, but l reckon you understand
me when ! say that I've Just taken another man
" do said Clarence impatiently.
And YOU still want to go ~
Certainly" said Clarence. with a cold stare.
The man shrugged his shoulders, bent himself
for the stroke. and the boat sprang forward.
The others rowcd strong and rapidly, the tough
blades sprinGlng like steel from the water,
The heavy boat seeming 10 leap in successive
bounds until they were fairly beyond the Curv-
inshore current and cleaving the placid.
misty surface or the bay.
Clarence did not speak. but bent abstractedly
% his oar. the ferryman and HIS crew rowcd in
soual painting silence, a few startled ducks
whirred before them, but dropped again TO rest.
In hnif an hour they We're at the Embarcado.
The time was fairly up; ClarenCe's eyes were
eagerly bent tor the tirst appearance Of the stage
zach around the little prOmontory, the ferry
nan was as eagerly scanning the bare. empty
street Of the still sleeping settlement.
:" don't sec him anywhere" said the ferry
nan with n glance, half of astonishment and
OF curiosity at his solitary passenger.
See whom p said Clarence. cDrelessly, as he
the man his promised fee.
THE other man ! fcrried over to catch the
tagr. He must nave gone on, without waiting.
iOu're in luck. voung fellow
81 don't understand YOU" said Clarence. i'm
" nat mas your previous passenger
o do with me r
Wen. 4 reckon you know hest. He's the
lind OF man. gtn'rally speaking. that other men
n a powerful hurry don't care 10 meeT, ana us u
ule | don't foller. It's gin'rally the other way"
What do YOU mean Z" said Clarence, sternly.
Who are YOU speaking OF Z"
TIL Chief Of Police OF San Francisco"
no De eOntinU6dJ
OF THF CITY