Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-05-16

rendezvous, before small, dark, brisk
man in the dress Of a goodman ac-
costed US.
''Are you the parties who come with
Miss Morstan?" he asked.
az am Miss Morstan, and these two
gentlemen are my friends" said she.
He bent pair of wonderfully pene-
trating and questioning eyes upon u.s.
''You will excuse me, miss he said,
with a certain logged manner, ''but
was to ask you to give me your word
that neither OF your companions Is a
police officer"
ST give you my word on that" she
answered.
He gave shril1 whistle, on which
street Arab led ACROSS a four-wheeler
and opened the door. The man who
had addressed US mounted to the box,
while we took our places inside. We
had hardly done so before the driver
whipped up his horse, and we plunged
away alta furious pace through the
foggy streets.
The situation was a curious one. We
were driving to an unknown place, on
an unknown errand. Yet our invita-
ton was either a complete hoax
which was an inconceivable hypothesis
or else we had good reason to think
that important issues might hang upon
our journey. Miss Morstan's demeanor
was as resolute and collected as ever.
endeavored to cheer and amuse her
by "reminiscences of my adventures in
Afghanistan; but, to tell the truth, I
was myself so excited at our situation
and so curious as to our destination
that my stories were slightly involved.
| To this day she declares that told her
one moving anecdote as to how mus
Eet looked into my tent at the dead of
night, and how I fred a double-bar-
relied tiger cub at it. At first I had
some idea as to the direction in which
we were driving; but soon, what with
our pace, the fog, and my own limited
knowledge of London, lost my bear
ings, and knew nothing, save that we
seemed to be going a very long way.
| Sherlock Holmes was never at fault.
however, and he muttered the names
as the cab ratified through squares and
| in and out by tortuous by-streets.
Rochester row." said he. ''Now
Vincent square. Now we come out on
the Vauxhan Bridge road. We are
making for the Surrey side apparently.
Yes, thought so. Now we are on the
bridge. You can catch glimpses of the
| river"
We did indeed get feeting view OF
stretch of the Thames with the lamps
shining upon the broad, silent water;
but our cab dashed on, and was soon
involved in a labyrinth of streets upon
the other side.
Wordsworth road" said my com
panion. ''Priory road. Lark Hall
lane. Stockweu place. Robert street.
Cold Harbor lane. Our quest does not
appear to take US to very fashionable
regions"
We had, indeed, reached a question
able and forbidding neighborhood.
Long lines of dull brick houses were
only relieved by the coarse glare and
tawdry brilliancy of public houses al
the corner. Then came two rows OF
two-storied villas, each with 4 fronting
of miniature garden, and then again in
termindble lines of new staring bricl
buildings-the monster tentacles which
the giant city was throwing out int
the country. At last the cab drew VI
at the third house in a new terrace
None of the other houses were inhab
tied, and that at which we stopped wa!
as dark as it's neighbors, save for a sin
gle glilnmer in the kitchen window
: On our knocking, however, the doc
was instantly thrown open by a Hindo'
servant clad in yellow turban, white
: loose-ftting clothes, and a yellow sash
There was something strangely incon
gruous in this oriental figure framed il
the commonplace doorway of a third
> rate suburban dwelling house.
| The sahib awaits you" said he, an,
: | I, I.cr1