Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-11-01
CHAPTER VI.
WHICH CONCERNS SOME STRANGE BE
HAvIOR.

and a vast amount OF uneasiness. Ny
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 GO
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, 1t seemed that draft was most
necessary, but what I thought mat
tered nothing. The silent man In the
corner had taken the helm.
AT the station he discharged the fiy
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 a
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 train dash through or to watch
the passengers alight, but sat in his
corner of the waiting room reading.
reading necessarily. And yet 1 MOTTO
ed that whenever any one entered the
room he seemed to know IL as IL by In
tuition, and the top of the paper would
gradually drop to a level with his eyes,
and he would subject the newcomer to
a careful scrutiny. At first 1 thought
that 1 must be mistaken, that his
glance was such as most people bestow
upon the advent of a stranger, for
who has not entered such a place and
seen every eye Immediately turn his
way? To me, however, there seemed
something more than mere idle curiosi-
~ In my fathers glance, and after a
brief interval was assured of it
happened to be speaking to him at
the moment, when, without any appar-
ent cause, 1 saw his eyes, which were
turned toward I'd door. start nervous
~ while 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 I
Immediately sought for, but could see
nothing to warrant It The few people
scattered about the room were yawn-
ing as usual and lolling about on the
hard benches In the most ungracefuI
attitudes. while In the doorway. the d.
rection in which my father had looked,
there stood a little man Of a dark, for
eign appearance, but whether he was
Turk, Malay or Mongol could not tell.
He merely stood there for q few mo-
ments while he surveyed the room, but
evidently not liking the appearance OF
Ii turned away and began slowly to
promenade up and down the platform.
AS soon as he had gone my father. as
though instinetively aware of the
mans departure, stole a stealthy
glance over the top OF his paper, and 1
saw that his usually pale face was II
anything more CHASTITY than usual.
You are III, SIR" l said What is
the matterr'
Nothing" 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 I'M
pleasantly warm, permeated as it 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 I'm you as have you'd wish
yourself well ont 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 I went to the door to
watch the people coming and going
When returned, my father evinced
some curiosity as to the passengers
who had departed, and even went so
far as going 10 the door and looking
out The scrutiny evidently satisfied
him, for he came back with a smile and
told me to bring my things out on the
platform.
Punctually to time our train slid into
the station, and my father and I en-
tered a first class smoker During the
few minutes that the train stood there
he glued his face to the window and
watched anxiously the entrance to the
platform. But at last the guards wills
tie sounded, the engine replied with
short, sharp shrek, and slowly we
crept out of the station. Then my ia
ther threw himself back with sigh of
content rested his feet on the seat OPP
posite and quietly began to fill his pipe.
Once the train was fairly under way,
the land skimming by us on either side,
and no sound came but the roar and
the rush OF the wheels, my father set
tied himself down to read, and
scarcely think he moved unless it was
to resl his pipe or to cross or uncross
his legs. / tried hard to follow his ex-
ample, tried hard to convince myself
that found my varied store Of litera-
tsre interesting, but was conscious
81 the time OF the utter failure of my
'e2deavor.
AS we began to approach Shrewsbury