The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-16
An Ample Revenge.

! say that George Bland had done me an
! injury such as few men,ever forgive and
many sell their souls 20 avenge. I have
never forgiven him, and never shall: but
were he in my power today I should not
! lift a hand against him. The experience
I am about to relate has perforce made
me one Of the most magnanimous Of
/ men
! Bland was holiday-making in Guernsey
when his wickeduess first came 10 my
! knowledge. and that same night I started
! for The Channel Islands. The water was
! calm as q forest lake. and ali night
! paced the deck. nursing my fury but far
J TOO excited 20 form a plan OF action.
merely determined 10 bring him 20 my
feet, and trusted blindly that when we
met the inspiration Of the moment would
stand me in good stead. When morning
broke q heavy mist rolled or the sea, and
We remained stationary in mid-channel
for nearly twelve hours.
So far from cooling, This delay augment
ed my excitement 70 such a degree that
I could scarcely keep my hand off the
captains throat; and when. at about
o'clock. we landed IN Guernsey. II was
we'll for both Bland and myself that We
did not come across each other. I took
a room in the chief hotel. and asked the
proprietor:
rs a gentleman called Bland staying
here?"
Yes. sir; George Bland But he won't be
here tonight; he's in the country. He'll be
back some time tomorrow, sir-Tll let you
know when he comes"
It was useless to search for him that
evening. so l took my seat at the dinner
table-the only individual. silent and
glum-and ate next to nothing; indeed,
had tasted close on twenty-four hours.
81 7 led 1,rrA
a strange faintness overcoming me, 1
turned in al about O'Clock, took a strong
glass of soda and whisky and got into
bed
I must have been asleep some hours,
when suddenly I started up wide awake,
and with every nerve ten-rIy. strung B.
side my bed the short candle burned un-
waveringly, and heavy silence rested on
all things. For a second or two listened
breathlessly for some human sound, and
hearing nothing, felt a wild incluatlon to
scream. Sitting it with difficulty, leap
ed out Of bed and dragged on my clothes
The silence and inaction tortured me; I
could not stay in my room; if sound were
denied me, movement l must haVe-moYe-
ment, and the shrewd night air.
In moment or two l had passed into |
thes street and was walking rapidly in |
the direction of st. Martins. Long breezes |
blew from the sea, and the night was full |
Of stars. The few people I saw in the |
town seemed to move away like silent |
shadows as l approached, and when 1 |
stood on St Martins high road with the |
dark, solitary fields around me, the sudden |
baying Of a dog startled me so that I |
as L have never screamed be-
fore.
After my voice had trailed away into
the distance great relief came over me-
and for the first time that night the re-
membrance of my wrongs returned, bring
ing with them the most terrible sernsa-
ton l have ever felt. I grew quite cold
and thought of my enemy with a hatred
void of excitement but more dangerous |
more intense than the widest delirium.
Then suddenly my viii seemed to for
sake me, and my limbs move to the die
ate of some extraneous power, while
selt strange certainty that every step |
was bringing me nearer to the man !
sought. l might have been entranced or |
only my senses were prefer
naturally exquisite, and my every fac
llty alive. After walking rapidly for
some time ] diverged from the high road
md turned down some lanes which me-
lndered toward the coast. Dark fields,
nterspersed with tall elms that seemed
notionless, but whispered as I passed
hem, stretched away on either hand. and
lfter while the long moan of breaking
waves caught my ear.