Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-01-02
CHAPTER vi.
WHICH CONCERNS SOME STRANGE BE

WHICH CONCERNS SOME STRANGE be-
HAvIoR.
I left the school with much regret
and vast amount of uneasiness. My
fathers manner, nervous, excitable
and suspicious, was one well calculat-
ed to arouse suspicion and excitability
In others. He gave me no reasons for
his hurried departure. He did not even
condescend to tell me why he was 60
Ing to Wales. We drove in a fly to the
station, and, though the afternoon was
beautifully fine, he made the man put
the hood up. This naturally produced
an atmosphere which was anything
but agreeable, and when limited at 1t
he replied that he always avoided an
unnecessary draft. To me, on the con-
trary, It seemed that draft was most
necessary, but what l thought mat
tered nothing. The silent man in the
corner had taken the helm.
At the station he discharged the fly
and hurried me into the waiting room,
In the remotest corner Of which we sat
with our belongings. He informed me
that his heavy stuff had gone on to
Denbigh, which "heavy stuff" dis
covered later on, consisted of nothing
but Gladstone bag. My father was q
man who did not believe in heavy bag
gage. To move and move quickly was
the principle upon which he worked.
he never went out on the platform to
see a train dash through or to watch
the passengers allght, but sat in his
corner of the waiting room reading,
reading necessarily. And yet MOTTO
ed that whenever any one entered the
room he seemed to know it as If by in.
tuition, and the top of the paper would
gradually drop to level with his eyes,
and he would subject the newcomer to
careful scrutiny. At first thought
that must be mistaken, that his
glance was such Us most people bestow
upon the advent of stranger, for
; who has not entered such place and
seen every eye Immediately turn his
way7 To me, however, there seemed
something more than mere idle curlosi-
ty in my fathers glance, and after q
brief interval was assured of it.
happened to be speaking to him at
the moment, when, without any appar-
ent cause, l saw his eyes, which were
turned toward the door, start nervous
ly, while a sudden spasm seemed to
sweep across his face. Hastily he
raised his paper and at once seemed to
be deeply engrossed in his reading.
The cause of this sudden transition
Immediately sought for, but could see
nothing to warrant 1t. The. few people
scattered about the room were yawn-
Ing as usual and lolling about on the
hard benches in the most ungraceful
attitudes, while in tie doorway, the d.
rection in which my father had looked,
there stood a little man of dark, for
eign appearance, but whether he was
Turk, Malay or Mongol could not tell.
He merely stood there for few mo-
ments while he surveyed the room, but
evidently not liking the appearance of
1t turned away and began slowly to
promenade up and down the platform.
AS soon as he had gone my father, as
though instinctlvely aware Of the
mans departure, stole a stealthy
glance over the top Of his paper. and
saw that his usually pale face was If
anything more CHASTITY than usual.
"You are Ill, sir" said. "What is
the matter?'
'sNothing," he answered sharply, irri-
tably, except the cursed cold of this
dreary ROOM" And he huddled up
closer into the corner as though he
gained warmth thereby.
Now, to me the room seemed un-
pleasantly warm, permeated as 1t was
by an odor which seems inseparable
from such places, and could not help
saying something to that effect.
"Aye," he answered, "but IL you had
the fever in you as have you'd wish
yourself well out of this cursed drafty
country"
Well, as far as the country was con
cerned, he had little to complain Of. He
had not troubled 1t much Of late years
Presently train Numbered into the
station, and went to the door tt
watch the people coming and going
When returned, my father eyincet
some curiosity us to the passengers
who had departed, and even went Sc
far as going to the door and looking
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