Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-04-01
AT FOUR O'CLOCK.

al EUU IL OJllUtk.
For more than a month there had
been growing among the men of Town.
send set suspicion that he was go-
ing TO the bad Once he had been seen
coming ont of house which seemed to
the eyes of Chadwick, who met him,
to conceal possibilities of faro To bs
sure, it was found afterward that
Townsend had been to visit his
.'goody's" husband. who was laid up
with a broken leg; but the impression
chung, nevertheless
Then Morton saw him one day on
the street in conversation with young
woman of somewhat flamboyant archi-
lecture, and although it was proved
beyond peradventure that she was
the very respectable person who did
his mending, yet there were many who
believed that Townsend was mashed. :"
Unexplained however. was his dis.
appearance from his usual haunts at
o'clock every afternoon. There were
rumors of his having been seen in din
gy streets in the port by men who were
walking out from Boston and were taxi
ing short cut through that region.
Such being the state of public opin-
ion, no one was surprised to have Town
send throw down his hand one day as
the clock struck 4. although the last
jack pot had been unusually exciting.
.'I'm not coming in" he said ''In
fact. I'm going out''--an attempt at
wit that was greeted with derision.
With the shutting of the door every
hand was tossed upon the table as if by
common consent.
Hes doing this every day TO my
personal knowledge. said Chadwick,
"and I'm going to see it out this after.
noon
"I'l 80 with you' cried Morton.
The rest had no theories but went
from curiosity all except Allen, who
was a senior and who knew Tcwnsend's
mother and was in love with his sister,
and hence felt it incumbent upon him
to take the interest Of an elder brother
in his welfare.
For 90 minutes he led them ut q smart
pace through the better part Of Cam
bridgeport. and then turned aside into
short bystreet that extended toward
the river.
There was no electric light in this
obscure alley and the early dusk of the
winter afternoon concealed the group
of spies in its fast deepening shadows.
Townsend passed the tenements and
went up the steps of a cottage. the on
ly detached house on the street. 1t was
at the end--beyond it tin can strewn
vacant lot, extending to the marsh.
Allen looked grave as he saw Town
send knock as if to warn the inmates
of his coming and then take latchkey
from his pocket and enter before the
door could be opened from within.
With one accord the eavesdroppers
moved toward the vacant lot. where a
shaft of light streamed from side
window Once around the corner they
did not see q woman who left the house
almost as soon as Townsend had enter
ed
What they did see as they pressed to
the window, whose partly raised cur
tain allowed them good view of the
room and its occupants, was of ma
ture to surprise every one Of them.
Before the fire sat an old woman
whom the novels Of so years ago would
have described as "beldam. Wild
eyes indicative of disordered mind
blazed in face crowned by mass of
unkempt white hair. Her thin figure
ever swayed to the promptings of an in
ner restlessness, and her nervous hands
clutched necessarily at her dress or at
the air.
The onlookers were in time to see
Townsend greet her. She responded to
his salutation by blow of her cane.
which the young man lodged with a
GOODNESS born of experience.
Seemingly unruffled by this reception.
Townsend went to closet in the room,
and taking from it chatting dish and
eggs and milk and butter he set about
the preparation of an omelet
"Well. I'il-be-hangedl !" said Chad
wick. slow in his amazement
"By Jovei" exclaimed Morton.
THAT'S the silver dish his mother sent
him on his birthday. | thought he'd
put it in hook. 3"
Allen said nothing, but he felt a
twinge of remorse. for he had thought
SO too
1t required some skill to serve the
meal once it was cooked Townsend
placed a small table before the old lady.
She promptly kicked it over
When at last she was induced to hold
the plate, sine first threw bit Of the
omelet TO the cat GA libation to Felis,
whispered Grimston. who had taken
honors in classics and antiqnities), and
then flung her fork into the fire Town
send rescued il and substituted a spoon
which seemed mere to his patients
fancy.
70 air the ovcrheated room Townsend