The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-01-28
CHAPTER III.

the quantity or mu0 Wnlcn ne prouSnl III
along with his luggage.
CHAPTER III.
Sitting in the coffee room of Middle
toms Hotel his slippered feet planted on
the old-fashioned brass fender, the man
who had come to Worcester thought out
the incidents of the day, and sketched
forth a map of progress for the NOR
row. Warm and dry, and at his ease. the
wan face of the masquerader of an hour
ago came before him more often than he
had bargained for, the girl being apart
from his life. and only a stray incident
by the wayside of career that had been
eventful and varied.
He was a man of the world, and had
seen strange sights and met with strange
chances and mischances, and yet he had
not been at any time more perplexed than
on this night of coming back home. There
was a stern story, he was sure, of much
privation marking the life of that weak
woman who had struggled into a mans
dress, and hung about Worcester railway
station for mans work and mans wages;
and he had experienced privation him
self, and lived it down in some degree,
nOL lObluS byMpdIAs WIN ~ ~ eAO"AN6
callous to it, Perhaps it was on his con-
science that the girl had toiled hard for
a sixpence, and he had not rewarded her
for her labor. He rang the bell and the
waiter entered.
IF anybody should ask for me-"
Yes, sir-what name, sir?"
Reuben Culwick," he replied; "but
he-she will not know my name. The
party who helped me with my portman-
teau from the station, l mean, and who
left me in hurry. She-he is aware
that l am staying here for the night;
therefore, be good enough to ask him
her-the lad, mean, or whoever comes"
he added with dash, Into the room
tonight or tomorrow morning. Do you
understands he inquired, as the waiter
listened open -mouthed to these rambling
instructions.
Eyes, sir-perfectly. Anybody who
comes, man or woman. Yes, SIR he
said with great briskness.
"Stop one moment" said Mr.. Culwick.
as the man fitted toward the door; II
shall want a trap to take me to Sedgc
Hill, and bring me back to Worcester.
at ten in the morning." and the waiter
having withdrawn, he set himself to his
coal-fre studies once more. The instruc-
tons which he had given had sufficed
to turn the current of his ideas, and the
adventure of the night passed away from
his mind with the deeper thoughts that
followed it.
"And return" he said, and laughed to
himself more than once-and odd laughs
they were, of various degrees of hilarity,
H. Aoo frantad 20 tho
laugh with the inner ring in it, the un-
dercurrent, as it were. of something
which was scarcely irony. and which
might have been interpreted into lurk
ing sorrow or regret by any one who had
known his history.
"Yes, Reuben" he said when, at a
later hour, he was going upstairs to his
room, Ito return; positively the last APP
pearance Of Reuben Culwick at Sedge
Hill. Will there be much of crowd
to see the gentleman under those inter-
esting circumstances
He had made up his mind to solve the
riddle quickly for himself. and at ten in
the morning he was standing in front of
Mr.. Muddleton's Hotel drawing on pair
of gloves and critically inspecting the
animal which the proprietor had harness
ed to the dog cart. Reuben Culwick look
ed up and down the street, and thought
of his little adventure in Worcester last
night. The waiter, not too busy, was
standing at the door, interested in the
temporary departure of the customer,
and Reuben turned to him.
Has any one called this morning for
me?'
mo, SIR"
eff any one should call about helping
me with the portmanteau last night, give
-him-half a crown. And ask her to
call again." added Reuben Culwick, as he
sprang into the trap and drove off.
''Give him half crown and ask her
to call again." said the waiter. looking
after him. "He doesn't know what he's
saying. The old man at Sedge Hill will
never make him out. A regular Culwick
he is, and no mistake about it,"
CTo be continued.)