Evening star., 1897-07-31

CHILLED THE Il
| This however could learn at the nearest
! coffee house, and, impulse rather than cal
culaton directing my steps, hurried not
| foot toward Ccvent Garden, Wnlch lay con-
veniently to my hand
1t was not until / was in the square and
| close to the piazza that l bethousht me
how imprudent l was to revisit the scene
! of my last nights adventure: a place
| where it was common knowledge that the
Jacobtes held their designations. 10 re-
| inforce this late-found discretion and blow
up the spark of alarm already kindled, l.
had not stood heSitating while man coul'i
count ten before my eye fell on the very
same solderly gentleman with the hand-
kerchief hanging out OF his pocket TO
| whom l had been sent the evening before.
He was alone, walking under the dimly
| lighted piazza, but as I caught sight of
| him two others came up and Joined him.
and In terror lest these should be the two
| l had met before. ! retreated hastily into
the shadow of st. Paufs Church, and so
back the way 1 had come.
However, I was not to get off so easily.
Though the hour was late the market be-
| ing closed, and the pavements in front of
! the tlverIis deserted. or only blocked here
and there by chair waiting for belated
gamester,r really ran a greater risk of be-
| irg recognized as passed than l thought.
and had not gone ten PAGES along King
| street before heard light foot following
me- and q hand caught my arm. Turning
| in fright. found it was only a girl, and
at first sight was for wrestling myself from
her. GLAD, that 1t was no worse. but she
muttered my name. and. looking down, 1
recognized to my astonishment Ferguson's
niece! d"
At%hatrI remember a dread of the man.
and his power seized me and chilled my
very heart. For was not this the third time
| this girl. whom / scarce ever saw at other
seasons had arisen, as 1t were, out of the
ground to confront me and pluck me back
when the point of betrlying him? /
stared at her. thinking of this with I know
| not what alright and shrinking. and could
scarcely command either voice limbs.
And yet, as sh. stood looking at me. with
| the dim Length of the street stretching to
| the market befind her. it must be confess
| ed that there was little i'll he appearance
| to cause terror. The night being cold and
a small rain beginning to fall, she had a
| shawl drawn tightly over her head. whence
her face small and pale as c:lilds s, peered
at me. 1 thought to read in it sly and
elfish triumph, such as became Ferguson's
minion. Instead 1 discerned only a weari-
| ness that went Ill with her years. and a
little flicker of contempt in eye and lip.
The eariness was in her voice, too, when
said. IT am in luck to light on you
shivered in my shoes but without SEEM
| ing to notice. Il want this note taken to
Mr.. Watkins she continued, rapidly.
pressing scrap of paper into my hand.
HE Is in the tavern there, the Seven
Stars. Ask for the Apollo room, and you
will find him.
But 1 protested. as in her eagerness
she pushed me that way with her hand,
did Mr.. Ferguson-is 1t from him?''
"Of course fool" she answered bluntly.
do you think that I have been standing
here for the last half hour. cold and wet,
for my own pleasure?"
But if he sent it." I demonstrated fee
bly,, PERHAPS he may not like me to
| mockng my tone. "Who said he would?
Cannot you understand that i. is VINO do
not like to? That l don't want to go into
that place at this time of night. and half
in the house drunken brutes. It is bad
enough to be here lettering UP and down.
as II were what am not, and free to be
spoken to by every impudent blood that
passes. Go. man, and do it. and will wait
SO long. What do you fear?"
The rope" said l. To be plain with
you" And looked with abhorrence at the
scrap Of paper she had given me. II have
taken too many of these said.
We'll you will take one more!' she an
swered. doggedly. "Or you are no man.
See. there Is the door. Ask for the Apollo
done" And she set both hands to me and
pushed me the way she would have me
moveL mean @ l., toward the tavern. Cor
Hate the thing as 1 might, and did,
could not resist persuasions addressed to
me in such tone. or fail to be moved by
the girls shrinking from the task, which
must be done 1t seemed, by one or other
of US.
After all. 1t was no more than had done
several times before: and my reluctance,
having its real origin in the resolution, to
which I had just come to break off from
that gang, yielded to the reflection that the
design lay as yet in my own breast, and
mighf he.carried out as well tomorrow as
today. In word. 1 compiled out of pity.
wenE to the tavern and went boldly in.
Ha~iagHbeen in the house before, and
knowing where should find waiter of
whop might inquire privately. 1 passed
nd ynr,l6 hox
to the place 1 mean. I had scarcely ad-
vaneed three PAGES beyond the threshold,
however. before a great noise of voices and
laughter and beating of feet overhead sa-
iuted my ears and surprised me, for it was
SO loud and boisterous as to be unusual
even4n places of that kind. had no more
than taken this in and set 1t down to an
orgy beyond the ordinary when came on
q paie-iaSed group standing at the foot of
the stairs, where. among Others were the
landlord, two or three drawers, and as
many women. 1t was easy to see that they
were IN q FEVER about the noise above, for
hands and crying that those devils would
ruin him. a woman who seemed to be his
wife was urging first one and then another
OF the drawers to ascend and caution the
party. Thaf something more than disor-
deriiness or visit from the constable was
In question. I gathered from their pale
faces. ana was confirmed in the impression
when. on seeing me. they dispersed little
ana anecteo to be unconcerned until
asked for the Apollo room. whereon they
all came together again and fell on me with
complaints and entreaties.
Fore GOD: sir. think your friends are
madF the most cried, in perfect fury
'Go up! go up! and tell them that IL they
want to be hanged and to hang me as well.
they are going the right way about itw
II n ~. wen 1t Is night" said the head
broken our windows before now
"And got US all In the compterr' walled