The Bemidji pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Beltrami County, Minn.) 1896-1917, 1900-10-04
CHAPTER Ix.---tCosTrSuED.,

3tsE5 N4&JhAfSIEfk lh.---lSSONIlAbED.j s#ifls95
ANY strong degree of passion lends,
even to the dullest, the forces OF mag
fnation. And now as he dwelt on what
was probably awaiting him lat the END
or his distressful drive John, who saw
/. things little, remembered them less,
and could not have described them az
all, beheld in his minds eye the gar
DEN of the Lodge, detailed as In a map;
he went to and fro in 1T feeding ms ms
terrors; he saw the hollisss the snowy
borders, the paths where he had sought
Alan, the high, conventual walls the
shut door-what! was the door shut?
.Ay. truly, he had shut it-F5shut in his
raoney, his escape, his fature lifeTshut
Il with these hands, and none could
mow open it! He heard the snap OF the
Spring-lock like something bursting In
his brain, and sat as stunned.
n And then he woke again, terror jar
ring through his vitals. This was no
tsnfeto be idle; he must be UP and doing,
HE must think. Once at the end OF this
ridiculous cruise; once at the Lodge
door, there should be nothing for 1t
but to turn the cab and trundle back
again. Why, then, go so far? why
add another feature OF suspicion to
case already so suggestive? Why not
turn at once? 1t was easy to say, turn,
bAt whittier? He had nowhere now to
lib to; he could never--he saw 1t In
letters of blood-T-he could never pay
chat cab; he was, saddled with that cab
forever. OH that cab! his soul
yearned and. buried, and his bowels
sonnded to be rid Of IL. He forgot all
other cares. He must first quit himself
OF this ill-smelling vehicle and Of the
human beast that guided it-frst do
taat: do that, at least; do that at once.
And just Their, the cab suddenly
stopped, and there was his prosecutor
rapplng on the front glass. John let
re down, and beheld the port-wine
ccnEtenance inf1amed with intellectual
triumph.
81 ken wha we arep cried the husky
gyoice. II mind We now. Ye're a Much
olson drove we to Hermiston to a
Christmas party. and We came back on
the box. and let We drive"
ItSis a fact John knew the man;
they had been even friends. His en-
envy, he now remembered, was fellow
of great good nature--endless good ma
ture with a boy; why not with man?
Why not appeal to his better side? He
grasEed at the new hope.
Great Scott! and so you did, he
cried, as II In a transport Of delight,
his voice sounding false in his own
ears. "Well, ii that's so. I've some
thing to say to you. I'll Just get out
guess. Where are we, anyway
The driver had futtered his ticket In
che eyes of the branch-toll keeper, and
they were now brought to on the high
est and most solitary part Of the by
road On the left, a row Of feldside
Srees beshaded It; on the right 1t was
bordered by naked fa1iows, undulating
down hill to the Queensferry road; In
front. Corstorphine Hill raised its
SNOW bedabled, darkling woods against
the sky. John looked all about him,
drinking the clear air like wine; then
his eyes returned to the cabman's face
CAS- he sat, not ungleefully, awaiting
Johns communication, with the air of
one looking to be tipped
The features Of that face were hard
to read, drink had SO swollen them,
drink had so painted them, in tints
that varied from brick red to mulberry.
The small gray eyes blinked, the lips
moved, with greed; greed was the rul-
ing passion; and though there was
some good nature, some genuine kind
Illness, true human touch, in the old
topper, his greed was now SO set afire by
hope, that all other traits of character
Fay dormant. He sat there a monu-
raent of gluttonous desire.
Johns heart slowly fell. He had
opened his lips, but he stood there and
uttered nought. He sounded the well
of his courage, and 1t was dry. He
CROPPED in his treasury OF words, and 1t
was vacant devil Of dumbness had
him by the throat; the devil OF terror
babbled in his ears; and suddenly,
without word uttered, with no con-
seious purpose formed in his will, John
whipped about, tumbled over the road
side wall, and began running for his
life across the falloWs.
he had not gone far, he was not past
/ the midst of the first field, when his
whole brain Numbered within him,
ssFool! You have your watch," The
6hock stopped him, and he faced once
more toward the cab. The driver was
leaning over the wall, brandishing his
whip, his face empurpled, roaring like
a bull. And John saw Tor thought)
that he had lost the chance. No watch
would pacify the mans resentment
now; he would cry for vengeance also.
John would be had under the eye Of
the police; his tale would be unfolded,
his secret plumbed, his destiny would
close ON him at last. and forever.
K CHAPTER x.
III Fl HERE he ran at