New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-21
I I


that dull Journey and arrived at the end m
the most prosaic safety.
During the next few wears my position as
hgh-sch0ol teacher gradually altered for the bet
ter So that by the time I was twenty-five years
OF age had become second mlstr' Is IN a houiiS"-
ing private school with a salary OF t'o per an
mum.
The school whore I was teaching when my
story recommenCes was in London supuTo'
where as the prospectus said. We had the al
vantages Of the town combined with the saul
brity of the country" The name Of the heau
mistress was Murray In a girls school or al!
places in the world. would suppose on" Se'l
safe from excitement. romance and mystery;
nevertheless II was while within Miss Murray s
sacred Enclosure that the second chap'er 81 ulr
story of nv lost bank note found Its way u me.
Miss Murray was an ambitious woman. ana
as the Importance OF her school really dtlntn ded
H. she was in the habit If paying university
man 10 come down once year IN the summer
To examine the pupils. This event had taken
place annually ever since my coming 10 'hr
school: the examination occupied three DAYS ana
il was my duty To superintend 1t had away
been a prosac and somewhat arduous unatr'ak
ing and its sole redeeming feature was that II
preceded the long vacation.
One year however. the monotony was broken
by an extraordinary event
on warm midsummers morning rose early
nv mind fun Of examination matters. IT was my
habit to take care that the oXaminauon-room
was fresh and cool. | helped the maid 10 set tn"
place In order before breakfast and as soon as
the meal over went TO make hnal arrange
ntLtS.
II was fifteen minutes past nine After fnal
glance round | about t. hurry from the
room t. call the pupils when the rustic ~ MIS-
Murray's silk and manly tread accompanying
hers warned me that ! was late stepped
toward the door in some veXation at being MS
covered behindhani. and there confronted Miss
Murray with tall man by her side.
She was N one Of her happiest moods; the
examiner had not neglected TO bring his cap and
gown and this wa a point in his favor t i2t
sighted II the honors Of the university were not
accorded At this moment, however. ] only saw
him as enc sees a shadow. my mind WAS taken
up with my seeming inattcntion L. duty. ana !
directed a somewhat anxious glance 20 my su-
perior
early Allow me t. introduce our examiner. II"
expressed desire to see the room. ms VII he
your table Mr.. Marston. Wonder Miss Kiln
will sit Cau the pupils. M cear' We will re-
tire T. the garden
vanished while Miss Murray SIN flowed on:
and soon | had my pupils in their places ana
was endeavorng 20 suppress IN" rising tumn't
Of INQUIRIES a. t. the appearance ana pr'bahI"
temperament of the eXaminer-irascIpie' oasl-''-
bc-cntreatcl. or otherwise.
In the midst of ripple Of whispers The door
orone6 and ne ertor-d The room. Every head
was instantly turned. and through IN" dead
silence certainly twenty-five pairs of eyes DE-
rccted inquisitvo gances toward him.
/ looked up with the rest. neither inquisltiV".y
nor with interest: i was an automatic movement
cccas.oned by the opening Of tn" door and some
ones entrance-that was all MY RaHe h''anl'.
however. gradually concentrated. MI MhrSt'n
had striking face refined. handsome; IN 1gur"
ne was tall and athletic and he appeared 10 be
about twenty-eight years OF age. But had not
seen him before? No. that was surely iinpoS-
sibie: 7 must be mistaken.
He applied himself at once - tn" duty Of un-
fastening the bundle 81 papers which he carried.
and then went down the room handing list OF
questions 10 each pupil in turn. Nhcn ne
reached my end 81 the room and had delivered
the last he paused for moment and called ors
Hole inG' hs
begin
Then he walked back again to his seat.
But that voice. most assurcdly had heard II
before This Second impression was one too dis
tinct TO De disregarded or set aside What ala
il mean? My eyes followed him mp n" room. ]
seemed 10 know beforehand how he would walk
| ! had scmc indc.blc recollection connected with
| that easy. swinging gait
| looked out Of the window, making mental
| effort t. compel something clearer from my Nom
Dry In this attitude remained some moments
! then turned my head sharply ana suddenly, and
| again directed my glance upon Mr.. Marston. He
wqs caning over his table looking steadfaStly at
| me. the Cazc encountered was a sinGuarly pen
rrating one from remarkably blue pair II
eyes; for brief second our thoughts were Ike
written sentences one to another. stay Was
| not all this delusion? Had really encountered
| his glance at all? apparently he had not moved
| q muscle yet now his eyes certainly were hXed
| abgently over my head on the open window; then
| they mOved-cold. official. vigilant. they passed
| over and scrutiniZed the rows Of Examines and
| then dropped 10 the papers lying before MIN on
z Il
| Not the faintcst ripple of emotion to make It
| clear 10 me that our thoughts had indeed met
| for the moment | continued 10 watch him mar
| rowy for a second or two; but he appeared
| ei, her unaware # n Indifferent to my scrutiny.
For all this" ! said t. myself "if my rccplec-
ton Is not playing falls. this refined and In
| posing Mr.. MarstOn Is a gigantic fraud TAX"
| away his academic dress and his official. gentle
| manly bearing. clOthc him shabby and plac"
| him in less prosperous circumstances. ana he Is
| nothing less than comnon THETA highway
| rObber-a burglar
| In my excitement ] did not consider the ao-
| propriateness OF these cpithctS. but heaped them
/ up in an endeaVOr TO express my sense Of dis
! proportion between the mans seeming appear
| ance and the truth as thought knew IT, For
| this accredited university don and that shabby.
| shameful young man of the past. We're they not
| one and the same? How account for the myS-
| terry? Naturally distrustod and even resented
| this seeming responsibility. But my Indignation
| being spent. | asked myself what course Of ac-
| ton ] ought to pursue. 1t was Impossible To de-
| nounce the man upon mere impressions; some
| proof mus, first be found. and ! was not without
J resources About ten minutes Of spare time re-
/ manned before the afternoon examination began:
| this interval | spent In writing to the bank
| AT Middleford 10 ask that my envelope contain
! ing the four ten pound Bank Of England notes
| should be sent 10 me unfailingly by return of
/ examination and 10 keep at the same time a
| watchful eye upon the examiner.
| $50 much the better" thought /. when not in
his presence: "he detects nothing in me to excite
| surmse"
| On the third mornng-the last day or the ex-
! amination-the letter containing the four bank
notes duly arrived; and as was up early and