Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-18

of-but never mind his name" Smith said
rs he surgeon?"
The hostler or host, for he had the air OF
playing both parts, big, clumsy fellow
with immobile features and small eyes
looked at us thoughtfully and chewed q
straw. Well may be-. he said al last. u
never asked him. And without more he
took Smiths horse by the rein and lurched
through the door into the stable: the Ian
thorn swinging in his hand as he did so
and family disclosing long vista of empty
stalls and darkling roof. AS | followed
leading in my sorry mare, a horse in a
distant stall whinnied loudly.
THAT is his hack. 1 SUPPOSE" said
Smith, and coolly taking UP the lanthorn
which the other had that moment set down.
he moved through the stable in the direc-
ton whence the sound had come.
The man of the house uttered something
between oath and a grunt of surprise
ard letting fall the flap of the saddle which
he had just raised that he might slacken
the girths, ne went after him. softly,
MASTER he said; every man to his"
But Smith was already standing with
TIE lanthorn held high. gazing at d. hand
Somely shaped chestnut horse that, prick
iLg its ears. turned a gentle eye on Us and
whinnied again. "Umph, not SO ball. my
companion said. His horse, 1 suppose?"
The man with the straw looked the an
imal over rerectively. At length, with
something between grant and sigh,
He came on it, he said.
He won't go on it in hurry
wv Iy nOt! SAID the man, more quickly
than he had yet spoken; and he looked
from the horse to my companion with a
hint of hostility.
Have you no eyes?" Smith answered,
roughly. The off fore has filled; the
horse is as lame as a mumper!"
Cannon cried the other, evidently
stung. And then, You know a deal about
horses in London! And never saw one or
a blade of green grass, maybe, until you
LAS Won please" Smith said Indifferent
ly. But my business is not with the
horse. but the master. So take us in, my
&C cd friend, and give us supper, for am
famished. And afterward. if you please,
we will see him.
That is as he pleases," the fellow an
swered, sulkily. But he raised no second
objection; and when We had Uttered down
the horses he led the way into the house
by a back door and so along passage and
down step or two, which landed us in Il
room with a sanded floor, fire and
show of warmth and comfort, as welcome
as it was unexpected. Here he left TO
remove our cloaks, and we presently heard
him giving orders and bustling IN the
kitchen.
The floor of the room in which he had
left us was sunk little below the level
OF the road outside and the ceiling being
low and the window of greater width than
height, and the mantel shelf having for
ornament a row of clean delft and pewter,
1 thought that no place had ever looked
fort 1 looked to derive from surroundings
Sc much better than 1 had expected was
dashed by Smiths first words. who, as
soon as We were alone, came close to ME,
Under the pretenSe of unclaSping my cloak
and in a low, guarded tone, and with
look of the grimmest, warned me to play
my part.
We go upstairs after supper, and in five
minutes it will be DONE" he muttered.
Go through with it boldly, and in TWEEN
ty-four hours you may be back in London.
But fail. or play me false, Mr.. Price. and,
by heaven, l put a ball through your head
first and my own afterward. Do you mark
ME? DC you mark me, MANI
whispered in abject nervousness-see-
ing that he was indeed in earne5t-that
would do my best; and he handed me a
ring, which was doubtless the same that
the countess had given to her woman. 1t
had a great dog cut cameo-wise on the
stone, which / think was an opal; and it
fitted my finger not i'll. But / had no more
and his wife, pale. scared-looking wo-
man, came in with some bacon and eggs
and ale; and as one or the other stayed
with us while we ate and watched us
closely, nothing more passed, Smith talk
ing indifferently to them, sometimes about
the fruit harvest, and sometimes in cant
phrases about the late plot. the arrest of
Hunt at Dymchurch (who had been used
to harbor people until they crossedl, how
often ellis ship came over Mr.. Birken-
heads many escapes, and the like Prob
ably the man and woman were testing
Smith, but II so he satisfied them, for
when We had finished our meal and re
asked openly if Sir John would see Us they
raised no objection, but the man, taking
light from the woman's hand, led the wax
UP a low-browed staircase to room over
that in which We had supped. Here he
knocked, and. voice bidding enter,
Smith went in, and / after him. my hear,
beating furiously.
The room, which resembled the one be-
anf in fs.fn leu In ha oatlt In1l rnl
the lower for the gaunt height of its one
occupant. who had risen and stood in the
middle of the floor to receive us. Thin and
spare by nature, the meager and rather
poor-iooking dress which he wore added to
the Singularity of his aspect. With dry
as-dust complexion and three-days-old
beard, he had eyes light-colored, quick
glancing and sanguine. and, notwithstand-
ing the danger and uncertainty of his posi-
ton, a fugitive in this wayside house, with
a thousand guineas on his head, for I never
doubted L was looking on Sir John Fen
wick. his manner was at one moment ar
rogant and boas;ful and at another dreamy.
He had some thing of the air of visionary
nor could any one be long in his company
without discerning that here was the very
man for our purpose, one to whom all his
geese were swans. and a clasp of the hand,
IL it marched with his hopes and wishes,
OF as much value as pledge signed and
sealed.
All this taken for granted. 1t Is to be con-
fessed that at first sight of us his face fell.
and his chagrin was unmistakable. 1T Is
you, Smith. is it?'' he said with sigh.
well, well, and thought 1t was Birken-
head. Brown said 1t was not. but thought
that 1t must be. It is not every one knows
Birkenhead when he sees him."
mo. Sir John, that is true"
However. shall see him in the morn
ing. I go on board at New Romney at 4,
and doubtless he will be with gill. When
we come back"