The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-01-12
CHAPTER IN.
FROM PORTSMOUTH TO CHICHESTER.

FROM PORTSMOUTH TO CHICHESTER.
Upon our arrival at Guildford we I'M
medately drove to n well known hos
telry in the High street, and there We
remained until our baggage arrived
from Waterloo, which, you may guess,
was not dispatched with any break
neck speed. Needless to say, ever since
that adventure on the Winchester plat
form my father had grown more highly
excitable and nervous and as conse'
ouence he was totally unable to remain
for long in any one place. Suspicious
Of everybody, he knew not where to
turn to escape his enemies, real or i'm
aginary. He sat in his room, even in
the daytime, with locked door, and
he would never permit me to make an
excursion into the street without first
inQuiring If l had my revolver and if it
was loaded And then the same in
junction always followed: If you drop
across that man you saw on the Win
chester platform, shoot quickly. You
once boosted of putting a ball between
q mans eyes. DO ii to him. And this
advice was rather strange, because this
was the man he had hot seen upon that
occasion,
A few days Of Guildford wcaried us.
Heaven itself would not have pleased
us with the little yellow man knocking
at the gates. So we began our aimess
wanderings round the country, visiting
in turn Godalming, Haslemere, Peters
field, petworth, aud eventually. as my
father would say, We dropped anchor
at Chiche,.cr.
We had been some three months In
Chichester. The summer had gone, and
the leaves were beginning to turn, and
occasionally a chill wind which had In
1t the first breathings Of the coming
winter crept up from the sea during the
night. We now began to consider our
selves extremely fortunate and were
accordingly happy or comparatively so,
and my father, who during this short
period had regained a surprising
amount Of self possession, not only
took an occasional turn through the
town by himself, but he placed 10 re
striciious whatever upon my coming
and going. AS q consequence scourCH
the country on my bicycle and liY"o
and enjoyed life for the first time dur
Ing the whole period of our long, wca
ry coupau!ccsh!p. In this way l got
to know every road and hyway with:
20 miles Of TIE town, and often l went
for very long journeys. sometimes vii
an acquaintance, b.s more frequently
alone. Indeed | had been SO much
alone that could easily tolerate my
self, but when got the bicycle was
no longer solitary. 1t was compan-
ion, a friend, ard If II could not talk
to me l could always talk to It. And
many secret we had shared with
each other and many happy jaunt.
Well, one day after luncheon l set
out for run to Portsmouth, Journey
I had accomplished several times with
ease aud satisfaction. But upon this
4 occasion fate did not smile on me. As
Z / entered Portsmouth town the clouds
I began 10 pile up from tho south, AID l
viewed with apprehension the promls-
ed deiuCe, for your bicycle is nothing
but ia weathe: bird. Give lin mud
and dripping streets, AID the brute will
/: probably break your neck If you try to
ride Lin. But the young fear neither
the one nor the other, and as for neck
breaking well, that simply does not
come into the count.
However, rode straight on through
the town down to the Clarence pier
and, dismounting, looked about me.
Truly the sky was dark, the clouds
seeming to hold perfect deluge, but
4 as yet they were high and, though
/. scudding furiously, promised not, |
thought, an immediate downpour.
Therefore turned about determined
to get some distance on the road before
the deluge came. But before | reach
ed Cosham the first drops fell, and
these were followed SO quickly by the
real downpour that rode into the
mlittle town amid perfect torrent Of
rain. /: ~. Fs
Here, much to my chagrin, was
breed to stop for nearly two hours,
Ind when at last I ventured forth II
Fas In slight drlzzle, as there were
% prospects of the weather clearing.
Carefully pedaled my way along,
now splashing through pools. now in
dulging in various forms Of the side
sllp, and expecting every moment to
be projected into the road. 1t was
guite dark as l wheeled my way
Through Havant. and l looked with
|rbonging at the lights of the shop win
4 dows. But the genial warmth within
! was not for me. so passed Oh into the
night.
As I left the town the rain began to
Resccnd with renewed vigor, but rs l
Fas already well saturated 1t did not
fleet me In the least. albeit 1t did not
I'D to the checrfulness Of my sur
findings. Once wet II second or third