Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1905-04-29
CHAPTER xvI.-(Continued1

| race. lie merely remarked, Then the
Rev. Mr. Porter will have visitor next
Sunday that he little expects. Let me
see," unused the Professor Bury st.
EdmUnd's. l can take the early train
on Sunday morning, and get back at
night. | shall have plenty of time to
do my business, and his, too"
What do you mean to do?" asked
Josiah.
Never you mind; l will tell you all
about it when | get back"
oh, what a jolly revenge it will be-
for all he made us suffer, to bowl the
old hypocrite ont so cleanw cried Josiah,
gleefully. "You can give mine and
Silas' complimeuts-"
mo, no; for heavens sake, do not
mention my name in any way" | ex-
claimed excitedly.
why not?" asked Mr.. Montgomery
turning sharply round and casting upon
me one Of his old scrutinizing glances.
"Because-because-" l could not
give reason. "Oh, please to promise
that you will not speak of mei' l plead
| ed
| He did promise. But, somehow. | put
very little faith in his keeping his word.
when l was at old Browns, the
printers" said Josiah, II heard a good
many things about our reverend pastor,
who was not in very good odor, except
among his own sect, in spite Of his sane
timoniOusness When he first came into
the town, he was an open air preacher,
with no chapel or congregation; but he
managed to ingratiate himself into the
good graces of a bevy Of old women;
and upon the death of the minister of
Little Bethlehem, which happened about
the same time, the elders or deacons, or
whatever they call themselves, of the
chapel got him appointed. So he set
himself up as a converted cObbler; and,
as converted reprobates of all kinds were
the rage just then, he dropped into a tidy
| thing."
While we were yet talking, old Mr..
jennings came downstairs to go to his
mornings work. We had sat up the
whole night. 1t was just o'clock.
| Spite of my new anxieties, | fell asleep
the moment my head touched the pillow,
and woke about five hours afterwards.
Martha had good laugh at my misera
BILE looks when | went in to breakfast.
Neither Mr. Montgomery nor Josiah APP
| peared until much later. They took
newspaper between them and discussed
it over their breakfast While 'the FRO
fessor" was languidly scanning the ad
vertsement sheet, he suddenly uttered
an exclamation of SURPRISE and read
something with keen attention.
Just cast your eye over that" he
said, handing me the sheet and pointing
with his finger to a particular advertise
ment. With the utmost diSmay, | read
the following:
"AbscOnded, from Tabernacle House,
near Bury st. Edmund, a young man,
nineteen years of age, about five feet
nine in height, slightly built, long, dark
hair and dark eyes, small features, very
pale complexion. Whoever will send in
formation that will lead to the appre-
hension of the same to the Rev. Mr..
Porter shall be handsomely rewarded.
n. B.-Should this meet his eye, no fur
ther proceedings will be taken against
him if he at once returns; but should
he be apprehended, he will be proceeded
against on grave charge. The police
are on his track"
The newspaper dropped from my hand
and | thought | should have tainted.
Martha was obliged to battle my face
with cold water to recover me. This
little scene was not lost to the sharp
eyes of Mr.. Montgomery. l saw him
quietly noting it, but he made no re-
mark Josiah began to hector, and beast
what he would do if he were in my
place.
| was to see Clara in the afternoon;
and, for the first time, l felt 10th to
meet her. That advertisement reused up
train of painful thoughts. What was
l doing feeding mad love for one
woman, while another could claim me
as her husband! How could 1t all end,
but in misery? If Clara should learn
to love me, and then discover all, what
monster she would think me!
In the face of such impending dan
ger, but one course was open to me: to
see her for the last time, bid her adieu,
and then fly from her forever. Yes l
would do 1t, II my heart broke in the ef-
/ fort. l called in at Martha's as l passed
by for something l had left there. Mr..
Montgomery proposed to bear me COM
pany as far as our roads lay together.
| Don't you make yourself uneasy
about that advertisement" he said, as
we walked along. cit Is half gas; es-
pecially that part about the police. He
must set some value upon you to make
this fuss. There's something more in
this than you know of, or choose to tell"
he added, with a sharp look. az know
Bill Stokes so well; he wouldn't take all
this trouble without some very good
reason. But, as l said before, don't
frighten yourself. 1t Is more than like
", before this day week. that he may be
| advarftsad for a 'ahSconded -
Had looked through the newspaper
that morning, l should have seen two
other advertisements that concerned rue
equally with the one did read. One
ran thus: