Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-06-18
px WILLIAM r. NICHOLS.
p
Copyrieht, 1895, by J. B. uppincott Company:


lish--'
"But YOU speak it WE'LL" broke in.
81 lived in England several years"
he answered, but no sooner was the
explanation made than he appeared
to regret it,; for he added: But to our
subject. Permit me to lay before you
plan.'
Pray proceed" said l, somewhat
puzzled as to what was to come.
'rhis it is. That you, having this
afternoon to do with as you may, re-
turn to the city and there conclude
such affairs as are pressing. 1t is most
probable that another opportunity so
excellent may not present ITSELF
His meaning was sufficiently patent.
Once we should have reached our desti-
nation he would prefer to have me
without an excuse for revsiting my
old haunts. Nothing. though. would
suit me better than to fall in with his
desire. So | said:
"If you will allow me until nine
o'clock this evening, l promise to be
free in every way to accompany you
wherever you choose to go. My bust
ness can be closed in short order You
may rest satisfied that shall say moth
ing of the change of my plans. In fact,
] don't expect to excite any lively Curl
osity; il will be merely Il ease of an
other man dropping out of sight; the
city is too accustomed to suciI diSap-
pcarances to worry about another add
ed to the list. Believe me, don't regret
our arrangement"
Regret it, indeed. The salary offered
was ten times as large as my income
for the last year. 1t would mean at
least plenty to eat and plenty to wear,
n comfortable home and freedom from
the cares which had made life a bur
den. The wolf of poverty that had
haunted my door would he driven ON
to howl about the dwelling of the next
poor devil. At an earlier stage of my
career | might have hcSitatcd, have
paused before ConScnting to bury my
self in the country; but it is a rarely
vigorous ambition that thrvcS on
grinding monotony and grows strong
through years of scmi-Starvation; mine
was not made of such sturdy stuff. Had
Lamar sproutcd horns and displayed
clovcn hoof might have experienced
qualms, but scarcely wcll-detincd re-
grctS.
Three hours later | was again in the
city. and the few ties which had bound
me TO it were severed. The landlord
took my departure philoSophicallv
paymCn, of the arrears of rent seemed
to reconcile him to losing the tenant.
\ nearby practitioner gladly agreed
to give room to my books until they
should be sent for, and a unkman drove
an easy bargain for my furniture. \
valsc was capacious enough to receive
the few effects | cared to take away.
and even It's contcutS might have been
parted with without great sorrow.
There were no patients to worry about,
and few questions to answer To such
as were put | replied that | had secured
an appointment in the country; and
even my professional brother did not
think it worth while to push the in
qury further. In short, my ncighbors
manifested no more curiosity about me
than about the vanished builder of
last years birds nest still swinging
on Il bough of the half-dead tree at the
corner.
1t would have been easy to return
to Merton long before the appointed
time, but | tnrried in town to enjoy a
luxury which had charmed my fancy
on many a day when the cravings OF
hunger possessed me. There was res
taurant, famous far and near, Il gas
tronomic Mecca to which many pill
grms journeycd ioyously, under whose
roof was determined to dine. Often
had | surveyed its glorics from the
pavement without, proving about the
place in fascination at the picture OF
good cheer visible through its windows.
Now ! was privileged to enter, strong
in the consciousness that roll of bills,
still of goodly size in spite of the pay
mcnts made from it, nestled in my
pocket. Let it be confessed, how
ever, that as / stepped through the
doorway my hand was clutched about
the money, as if in fear that it might
vanish Not until | had dncd and the
account had been liquldated did the
dread of an awakening from so pleas
ant dream disappear. The remem-
brance of that solitary feast will be
always with me; for it brought the
first convincing proof that the old
period of strcss,was at an end.
A suburban train bore me to Merton
early in the evening. l went at once
to my employers room. Before leaving
the city ] had secured timetables of
the road on which we were to make our
journey, and had found that through
express stopped at the town at ten
o'clock. Lamar was well pleased with
this bit of information. lie had not
quilted his quarters in my absence, he
said, and none of the hotel servants,
except the somnolcnt porter who ad-
mtted us, had had a glimpse of his
face, for he had kept out of sight
when food and drink were brought to
his room. A little before ten o'clock
settled our reckoning, and we left the
hotel by a side door, reaching the sta.
ton just as the train rolled up to the
platform. My companion chose coach
in which there were few passengers
and, picking out n dark corner, buried
his face in his upturned coat collar
and pretended to sleep. One of his
hands was clasped about the strap of
his little valise, and not orce in the
course of the journey did he loosen his
grip upon it.
There was a weary ride of several
hours, and then an equally weary wait
at Il junction at which we were to take
a train over 4 branch line; but long
before the lazy folk-if there were