Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-06-11
Continued.

shook his mead.
I'D rather be paid my fare now, sir
if it's the same to you," he said. GIVE
driver parties hereabout before, that
have stayed some time, and when they
come out they didn't always happen to
have the money for fare about then,
No offence to you, gentlemen; but
you see, l know Liverpool, and l know
the house you want, though you do get
me to stop in the next street. I knows
'em by the quality, and when l bring
regular swell tip-toppers this way, it's
always 81, Blank Street, they wants
though it's only the young uns as
gives the address,"
'I'll take your number, and give you
a sovereign as a retaining fee," said
Lord Kildonan, quietly. THAT will re
store your confidence, will it not?
When | return | will give you another
sovereign to drive me back to Lime
Street. Are you ready to waltz"
well, yes, sir, under those circum-
stances, certainly"
This colloquy took two or three min
utes, and when Lord Kildonan and
ArmathWaite returned to Blank Street.
the persons whom they were pursuing
had disappeared. They walked the
whole length of the street looking for
No. 80, as the cabman had luckily given
them an address which Lord Kildonan
assumed to be the one of which they
were in search. For long time they
looked in vain. Such houses as still
retained traces of figures on their
shabby doors, seemed to have been
and then remembered at
they heard footsteps coming quickly
random. There were lights in few
but there was nothing to
along the street on the opposite side
OF the Way-a man who seemed, by
the glimpse they caught of him, to be
Well-dressed, and OF the so-called ere
spectacle" class, crossed the road, al
most brushing past them, and went up
a narrow court or passage which di-
vided one of the small houses of the
street from one of the largest. In the
windows of the large house there was
not single light. Lord Kildonan
his companions arm, not
with nervous excitability, but with the
of discovery, and led him
up the court in the rear of the strang-
er. The latter was so far ahead of
them already that they had only tine
to see him pull a bell, which gave
faint, single sound, like that Of a
small gong, and turning the handle of
a door in the wall of the big house.
disappear through it rapidly and with
out noise.
Lord Kildonan and Armathwaite
came up to the door. By ray Of
which pierced into the mar
row court and showed the woodwork
to be shabby and unpretentious, they
saw to the left Of the door a small
barred window with no light in it,
which suggested watchful eye be-
hind, and under the bell the number
81 in very small figures. Lord Kildonan
pulled the bell, opened the door, and
walked in confidently, Armathwaite
following, with a sense that all his
youthful nerve did not enable him to
put on so bold a front as the old
Scotchman seemed to wear with ease.
They were in small, bare, stone
paved passage, with nothing to dis
tinguish it from the kitchen entrance
of an ordinary private house. There
was a cleaning machine against
the white-washed wall to the right, a
child's hoop, a broom, and two or three
fiower-pots containing half-dead plants,
in various corners; all this was dim
ly visible by the light of small oil
lamp that fiared on a bracket to the
left. Straight in front of the door
was passage, down which Lord Kill
donan promptly proceeded to make
his way. Armathwaite, who was fol-
lowing, heard a step behind him, and
a mans voice saying: 81 beg your par
don, sir" Turning, both gentlemen
saw a little man, with a baize apron
on, innocently occupied in brushing
boots. Nothing could have seemed
more genuine than this diligent man
servants surprise at the intrusion Of
two strangers, but for a certain look
of shrewd inquiry in his little black
eyes, which the visitors id not fail to
note Armathwate would have been
completely dscOncerted but for Lord
Kildonan, who tossing the man a
sovereign, said briefly, Members" and
turned again to walk on. Armath,
waite remembered, with a flash of in.
telligence suddenly grown keener, a
suspicion which had occurred to him
before; by the time they had reached
the end of the long, dark passage. he
knew into what kind Of house they had
come. and was prepared for the sight
which met their eyes when, directed
by the sound of voices which broke
upon their ears when they pulled open
a baiZe-covered swing door on the left
at the end of the passage, they entered
a room, the atmosphere of which was
almost unbearably close, containing
four or five small card-tables These
were occupied by men, for the most
part respectfully but not we'll dressed
some quiet some noisy. some speaking
with the distinct utterance of the we'll
educated, some with the brogue and
the burr of farmers and cattle-dealers
but almost all showing, either by open
and eager excitement, or by the equal
~ unmistakable se1f-restraint be
trayed by Strengthened lips and steadi
ly-glowing eyes, the absorption of the