Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-01-23

Wtts q C7y spT1ng yOTtC0f0, Dtt Ghe
crolDd tmpcdcd mn progress.
had some Of my fathers horror of the
society, and l would not have been
i'll content to forget. But that was
not to be, as was presently to know.
That night my uncle and l dined at
his club in st. James street, and after.
ward we looked In at a SO called palace
of pleasure on the north side Of Leices.
ter square. Perhaps 1t was rather early
days for music halls, and ventured
to suggest as much, but Jim (for I had
already reached that stage Of intimacy
which permitted the use of the Chris
tian nance protested that we had sup
ped enough of horrors and that It was
sometimes advisable to forget. He
was like that, not much given to senti.
mentalisms, and have found that II
Is not your pulling, whining man who
feels the most, though he usually COM
mands the most sympathy. Jim made
but small bubble with his excite
ment, but /. who read his face like q
book. could tell by his mouth or the
lock Of his eyes how much he felt.
As usual the Empire was very full
that night. and as we moved about
among the crowd, the lights, the bus
tie, the well dressed men, the candy
women, all made such complete
change that congratulated myself
upon coming and my uncle in insisting
upon his wish. Indeed. wedged in the
gay throng, 1 forgot for a time the So
ciety of the Hidden Meaning and the
shadow that hung over me. Kung
was a bad dream which l had dis.
PEELED; Wooching yellow phantom
that had passed from before my eyes.
But ! was not permitted long to en-.
joy this sweet hour Of forgetfulness.
for as we left the theater l, looking
around as one will In crowd. saw Z
man standing on the curb, who arrest
ed my thought even though my eyes
swept past him. Back they came In
stnntly, and recognized in a moment
Wooching, the man with the strange
eyes.
With cry sprang forward, but the
crowd impeded my progress. and after
nearly knocking down two men q third
brought me up with an oath. STAN.
mered an apology which, unless my
memory fails me, was received with
another unflattering adjective. But,
unheeding this. sprang out on to the
road and was Immediately almost run
down by a hanson, the driver of which
loaded the air with further contribu.
ton Of choice billingsgate. But after
rushing wildly for dozen yards or &c
| pulled up, nonplused. The man was
nowhere to be seen.
Here my uncle Joined me, and, lay.
ing his hand on my arm, he gasped
out What is it?"
II saw him. he was here . moment
ago"
"HeY
The man with the strange eyes"
Jim ground out an oath.
(which way did he go?'
I pointed along Coventry street.
II would have had him. too, IL thu
crowd had not blocked me"
You are sure 1t was hep
was SO sure that did not take the
trouble to be emphatic. even though
every nerve Of me was a-thrill with ex
element.
Then let us follow"
We moved westward among the PEG
pie. who were now very numerous
owing chiefly to the emptying of thu
theaters in the neighborhood. But
though we intently peered into eact
face. we failed to encounter the objec,
Of our search. Then we stood for /
time at the corner of the Pavilion. JUS
where Shaftesbury avenue empties 1t
self into that ocean Of light and If,
which people call Piccadilly circus
the brightest, gayest, saddest spot Il
the whole world.
In such place one might 40 vel
search for the proverbial needle in tn,
bundle of hay, as expect to find an In
significant little parsonage who had ev
cry intention of not breaking cover
But still we stood watching the people
the bewildering rush Of cabs and car
riages, the honest citizen hurryinI
home to bed, the young dandy with thu
immaculate shirt front and hat tippet
saucily on one side. who is q nttl,
weak at the knee perhaps. but who 4
seeing life." don't you know; the gray
haired roue, the dawdling vagrant.
These, with the rafting Of vehicles, the
laughter and curses of men and wom-
en-, the hoarse shouts Of the newsboys,
make up babel unapproachable in
any other capital.
After time. to the infinite risk Of
life and limb, we ventured to cross the
circus. Then, eyes open. ears alert. we
continued our journey homeward.
reaching our rooms without encounter.
ing anything that might be termed
suspicious. 1t was with a feeling Of
relief, and yet with relief which did
not dissipate my fears, that heard thu
tSaA - 49, ~ ~. uega q