The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-08-28

answer my question"
1.-Two hours and 30 minutes, sir,
replied the porter in q huff.
Shorely thought of engaging a spe-
cial, but realized he hadn't money
enough. Perhaps he could telegraph
and warn the people Of Channor Chase,
but he did not know to whom to tele-
graph. Or, again, he thought he might
have Gibberts arrested or some charge
or other at Channor station. That, he
concluded, was the way out, dangerous,
but feasible.
By that time, however. the porter
had recovered his equanimity. Porters
cannot afford to cherish resentment, and
this particular porter saw half a crown
in the air.
Ibid you wish to reach Channor be-
fore the train that's just gone, sir?"
Eyes; can it be done?"
sit might be done, sir, said the por-
ter he~sitatingly, is if he were on the
verge of divulging a secret which would
cost him his situation. He wanted the
half crown to become visible before
committing himself further.
"Here's half a sovereign if you can
tell me how it can be done short of
hiring a special"
"Well, sir, you could take the ex-
press that leaves at the half hour. 1t
will take you 10 miles past Channor to
Buley Junction; then in II minutes
you can get a local back to Channor,
which is due there three minutes before
the down train reaches there-if the To-
cal is IN time" he added when the
goldpiece was safely in his pocket.
While waiting for the express Shore
ly bought a copy Of The Sponge and
once more read Gibberts' story on the
way down. The third reading appalled,
him. He was amazed that he had not
noticed before the deadly earnestness of
the tone. We are apt to underrate or
overrate the work of a man with whom
we are personally familiar. Now for
the first time Shorely seemed to get the
proper perspective. The reading left
him in a state of nervous collapse. He
tried to remember whether or not he
had burned Gibberts' letter. If he had
left it on his table, what might not
happen?
The local was five minutes late at the
junction, and it crawled over the 10
miles back to Channor in a most exas-
perating way, losing time with every
mile. At Channor he found the London
train had come and gone.
Ibid a man get off in a long ulster
and''-
"For Channor Chase, sir?"
eyes Has he gone?''
"Oh, yes, sir. The dogcart from the
Chase was here to meet him, sir"
"How fa1 is it?'
about five miles by road, if you
mean the Chase, SIR"
Can I get a conveyanoe?"
Il don't think SO, sir. They didn't
know you were coming, l suppose, sir.
Bat if you take the path down by the
church you can get there before the
cart, sir. 1t isn't mere than two miles
from the church. You'll find the path a
bit dirty, sir, but not worse than the
road. You can't miss the way, sir, and
you can send for your luggage"
1t had been raining. and was still
drizzling. A strange path is sometimes
difficult to follow, even in broad day
light, but a wet, dark evening adds
tremendously to the difficulty. Shorely
was a city man and quite unused to the
eccentricities of country lanes and paths.
He first mistook the cleaning surface Of
a ditch for a footpath and only founG
his mistake when he was up to hi,
waist in water. The rain came on heav.
lily again and added to his troubles
After wandering through muddy field'
for some time he came to a cottage
where he succeeded in engaging a guide
to Channor Chase.
The time he had lost in wandering
through the fields would, Shorel,
thought, allow the dogcart to arrive
! before him, and such he found to be TIL
, case. The man who answered Shorely'
. imperious to the door was sur
prised to find a wild eyed, unkempt, be
draggled individual, who looked like
D lunatic ON a tramp.
"Has Mr.. Bromley Gibberts arrived
YETI" he asked without %preliminar.
: talk.
Eyes, sir, answered the man.
SIS he in his room2"
mo; he has just come down afte
dressing and is in the drawing ROOM"
II must see him at once" gaspe'
Bhorely. sit is a matter of life ant
death. Take me to the drawing room.
The man in some bewilderment LEI
{ him to the door of the drawing room
and Shorely heard the sound of laugh
ter from within. Thus ever is coined,
and tragedy intermingled. The ma
Q threw the door open, and Shorely enter
Is ed. The sight he beheld at first dazzle
9 him, for the room was brilliantly light
It ed. He saw a number of people. ladie
and gentlemen, all in evening dress an
. all looking toward the door with aston
l. ishment in their eyes. Several of them
he noticed. had copies of The Sponge i
y their hands. Bromley Gibberts stoo
y before the fire and was very evidentl
y interrupted in the middle of a narration
n II assure you," he was saying, ''ths
" is the only way by which a story Of th
highest class can be sold to a Londo
20 editor"
h He stopped as he said this aud tarr
"a ed to look at the intruder. 1t was a mt
i. ment or two before he recognized th
a. dapper editor in the bedraggled ind
J, !vidual who stood abashed at the door.