The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-05-01

OLnCT.
cit was in his pocketbook that wa
found it."
Preserve it carefully, then, Miss
Morstan, for it may prove to be OF use
to us. l begin to suspect that this mat
ter may turn out to be much deeper
and more subtle than I at first sup
posed. I must reconsider my ideas"
he leaned back in the cab, and I could
see by his drawn brow and his vacant
eve that he was thinking intently.
Miss Morstan and I chatted in an IN
dertone about our present expedition
and it's possible outcome, but our CON-
panion maintained his impenetrable re-
serve until the end of our journey.
1t was a September evening, and not
yet seven o'clock, but the day had been
a dreary one, and a dense drilling fog
lay low upon the great city. Mud
colored clouds dropped sadly over the
muddy streets. Down the Strand the
lamps were but misty splotches OF diff
fused light which threw a feeble cir
cular glimmer- upon the Shiny pave
ment- The yellow glare from the shop
windows streamed out into the steamy,
vaporous air, and threw a murky.
shifting radiance across the crowded
thoroughfare. There was to my mind
something eerie and ghost-like in the
endless procession Of faces which fitted
across these narrow bars OF light-sad
faces and glad, haggard and merry.
Like all human kind, they fitted from
the gloom into the light, and so back
into the gloom orc more. am not
subject to impressi, :. but the dull,
heavy evening, with the strange bust
ness upon which we were engaged,
| combined to make me nervous and de-
pressed. I could see from Miss Nor
STAINS manner that she was suffering
from the same feeling. Holmes alone
could rise superior to petty influences
he held his open notebook upon his
knee, and from time to time he jotted
down figures and memoranda in the
light of his pocket lantern.
At the Lyceum theater the crowds
were already thick at the side en-
frances In front a continuous stream
OF hansoms and four-wheelers were
! rafting up, ~discharging their cargoes
of shirt-fronted men and beshawled,
bediamonded women. We had hardly
reached the third pillar, which ' a our
rendezvous, before a small, dark, brisk
man in the dress of a goodman ac-
costed us
Are you the parties who come with
| Miss Morstan?" he asked.
~ am Miss Morstan. and these two
gentlemen are my friends" said she.
He bent a pair wonderfully pene-
trating and cue .Ag eyes upon us.
You will excuse nle. 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"
II give you my word on that h
answered.
He rave a shrill whistle, on which a
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 ata furious pace through the
foggy streets
The situation was a curious one. We
were driving to In 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 M%orstan's demeanor
was as resolute and collected as ever.
I endeavored to cheer and anuse her
by "reminiscences of my adventures l
Afghanistan; but. to tell the truth,
was myself SO excited at our situation
and so curious as to ~ destination
hat my stories were slightly involved.
To this day she declares that told her
one moving anecdote as to how a mus
ket looked into my tent at the dead OF
night. and how I fired a double-bar-
relied tiger cub at it. At first had
some idea as to the direction in which
we were driving; but o what with
our pace, the fog. and my OWL limited
knowledge OF London. | lost my bear
ings. and knew nothing, a V that we
seemed to be going a very long way
:hcrlock Holmes was never at fault,
over. and he muttc-ed the names
as the cab ratified through squares and
in and ont by t%ortuous hv-strcets.
Dorchester row" said he. Now
Vincent square. Now we como out on
the Vauxhall Bridge road We are
making for the Surrey side apparently
Yes. | thought SC. Now we are, on the
bridge Yoa can catch glimpscs OF the
river.
We did indeed get q neeting view OF
a stretch of Il: Thames with the lamps
shining upon tie broad. silent water;
but our cab dashed on, and was soon