Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-06

| a name s,,ch as men wear over their eve
ming clothes. All his garments were ol
a fine cut and quality. but worn with I
noticeable negligence.
! II was exceedingly curious, out az -
terly approached this man he felt iei'
/ OF nm-nOt such a fear as one may y,
/ excused for feeling at meeting a strahse'
| I'm an unlikely place at late hour-Dut
fear of the nerves. IL seemed 10 MN
| that II by any chance, that man were 'O
touch him he would faint. lie moved n
| far away from him as the limits OF Va
footpath would permit. and passed nm
hastily. a codness stealing along ms
veins as he did so. The man merely
smiled i'm a sardonic fashion, lifting MS
eyebrow Of the blind eye and droppims
one corner Of his mouth. Ii was an lhui-
scribable smirk, and filed westerly Win
aversion. ,-
TO he newspaper mans unspeakable
ANNOYANCE the man followed him hlOnb
the streets 10 his home and after ne W.
I'm his room he peered out or the WlIuV"
and saw him standing on the sidewalk
looking up. Actually. II seemed TO MN
that he must shrek aloud for protection
from this silent man. But he controlled
himself and went 10 bed and slept-aitei
q time:
The next night be confessed to some APP
prehension a. ne approached the bfluB p
and he looked out 8nxiOusy for his dread
companion OF the night b-fore. He WAS
not 10 be seen anywhere. But at about
the center Of the bridge, there ne WAS
looking at Westerly with That ono haunt
ing eye. Again he erimaced. Again De
followed Westerly 90 his house, and AK On
he stood without and stared up az the
window.
This went on for nearly three months.
II by any chance the young editor went
home later or earlier than he mad the
privilege of going his way alone. but j.
the hour was three the man was theIe'
watchful and saTdOnic and a. silent as
a tomb. Al times Westerly thought o.
addressing him. but whenever me- stlONe
10 do 50 his tongue Glove 10 the ROOF OF
his mouth He eyaded him az times 10y
changing the hour Of his home-going OF
by riding ON the street car, but somehow
he was insistently drawn BAGS BACK 10
the bridge and the Three O'Clock Nan.
as he denOminaltd him. lie sometlm
wondered II he would see the man upon
the bridge if he were 10 pass IN a car,
but as no car went az that hour he was
not To know.
II Glanced that better times came to
Westerly and that they came quite sud-
denly. lie was given a more satisfac-
tory position. which would involve
pleasing change OF hours. and n also dis
covered that Elisa Sessions the girl VINO
did the book reviews and who had eyes
several degrees bluer than the Italian
heavens. was not averse TO his society.
But there is 10 need 70 30 into that. The
point Is he found out these two graft
tying matters in one day. and walking
home I'm state Of considerable exulta-
ton, noticed the Three O'Clock man with
less impatience than usual
"Our acquaintance is ended. my uncanny
friend" ne thought. Tomorrow you may
keep Your tryst. but 1 will not 1 will walk
abroad at Christian hours and leave YOU
TO your unhOly habits" Thinking these
things. he passed the creature, and il
seemed 10 him that the smrk on the face
was even more than usually offensive
So sure was he that the unWecOme
acquaintance with this man was over
that he did not even look from his win-
but, putting out his light. threw himself
IN his bed with more Of happiness I'm his
mood than he known for years. lie fell
into q light slumber, from which he WaI
aroused by the impression that some one
was looking az him He opened his eyei|
and stared into the gloOm-a gloom not
q little mitigated by street lamp across
the street, which owing 20 the lifted
shade shOne clearly into the room. The
feeling that some one was looking at him
grew TO a certainty. even before Wester-
ly's sleep-Weighted eyes beheld the tan
and careless figure Of the Three O'Clock
Man standing 10y his bed. III the mau
had been Iepugnant TO him before, he
seemed 10 convey some horrible threat
by his presence. What was 90? Madness
Westerly gave it no words. but he felt
the moment had come for liberation. lie
determined to make a supreme effort to
free himself Failing. he was convinced
that he would be fOrevermore IN the pres
ence of this fearful ghost. So, with an
effort that took the blood from his heart
and brought the drops ont upon the skin,
Westerly raised himself staring uuflnch-
ingly at the Three O'Clock Man. rose
from his bed, and slowly advanced. The
advance is slow Ga the face Of cruel
enemy. but it IS sometimes certain. IT.
was certain with Yves erly. Inch by inch
they went on. facing each other. the man
backing Westerly advancing. every mus
Gle set. every nerve strained. brain and
soul and mind fixed on the victory
Across the room they went. hating each
other more every passing second and
showing their hate on their distorted
faces. wrestling as men may not wrestle
with their muscles. till the creature went
out Of the side Of the rOOm-fadel from
Westerly's sight.
He was gone by some great. Comfor-
table knowledge Westerly knew him
gone forever. Hardly conscious, he sank
upon his bed, painting like one who had
been I'm a frantic race or fight.
"I must tell Elsa Sessions" he remem-
bcred thinking. as he sank off into a
blurred condition. half faintlng. half
sleeping. But. after ALL" he reflected
the next morning she Will never believe
me. Perhaps / would better keep the
strange matter Of the Three O'Clock
Man quite 20 himself"
Which he did. So # must have been
the Three O'Clock Man who told.