The Glenwood post., 1907-02-23
(copyrisht, 1905, by BobbsMerrin Col
CHAPTER II.-Continued.

gers, in the hope of seeing some one
l knew. Conversation on trains makes
short journeys. l sat up
| stiffiy in my seat Diagonally across
the aisle sat the very chap l had met
in the curio-shop! He was quietly
reading a popular magazine, and oc-
| casionally a smile lightened his sar-
| donic mouth. Funny that l should
run across him twice in the same
evening" Men who are contemplating
| suicide never smile in that fashion.
He was smoking a small. well-colored
| meerschaum pipe with evident relish.
| Somehow, when a man clenches his
! teeth upon the mouthpiece of a re-
spectacle pipe, it seems impossible to
associate that man with crime. But
the fact that l had seen him selecting
pistol in a pawnshop rather neutral
lied the good opinion l was willing to
form. l have already expressed my
views upon the subject The sight of
him rather worried me, though l
could not reason why. Whittier was
he bound? Had he finally taken one
of Friard's pistols? For moment |
was on the point of speaking to him,
| if only to hear him tell more lies
about the ten of hearts, but | wisely
put aside the temptation. Besides,
it might be possible that he would
not be glad to see me. ] always avoid
the chance acquaintance, unless, of
course the said chance acquaintance
is met under favorable circumstances
like the girl in Mouquin's, for in
stance, After all, it was only an in
cident and, but for his picking up
that card, l never should have remem-
bered him.
Behind him sat a fellow with a
countenance as red and round and
complacent as an English butler's,-
red hair and small twinkling eyes.
Once he leaned over and spoke to my
chance acquaintance, who, without
turning his head thrust match over
his shoulder. The man with the face
of butler lighted the most villainous
pipe ! ever beheld. ! wondered if
they knew. each other But, closely
as l watched, | saw no sign from
either. | turned my collar up and
snuggled down. There was no need
of his seeing me.
Then my thought reverted to the
ten of hearts again. My ten of hearts.
The wrinkle of a chill ran up and
down my spine, My ten of hearts!
Hastily l took out the card and ex
amined the back of it. 1t was an un-
commonly handsome back. represent
ing Diana, the moon, and the midnight
sky. A horrible supposition came to
me: supposing they looked at the
back as well as at the face of the
card? And again, supposing | was
miles away from the requisite color
and design? | was staggered. Here
was pretty fix, l had never even
dreamed of such contingency. Hang
it, l now wished | had stuck to my
original plan, and gone to the theater
Decidedly l was in for it; there was
no backing down at this late hour
unless l took the return train for Jer-
sey City; and | possessed too much
stubbornness to surrender to any
such weakness. Either | should pass
the door committee, or l shouldn't; of
one thing l was certain.
"Blankshire," bawled the trainman;
| then the train slowed down and finally
| came to stop.
No turning back for me now.
picked up by suit case and got out. On
| the platform | saw the curio-shop fel-
low again. Tramping on ahead, the
smell from his villainous pipe assailing
my nostrils, was the man who had
asked for a match. The former stood
undecided for moment, and during
this space of time he caught sight of
me. He became erect, gave me a sud-
den sardonic laugh, and swiftly dis
appeared into the darkness. All this
was uncommonly disquieting; in vain
l stared into the blackness that had
| swallowed him. What could he be
doing here at Blankshire? l didn't
| like his laugh at all; there was at
| once menace and a challenge in it.
ANY baggage, sir?" asked one of
the station hands.
No" But ! asked him to direct me
to a hotel. He did SO.
l made my way down the street.
| The wind had veered around and was
coming in from the sea, pure and cold.
| The storm clouds were broken and
scudding like dark ships, and at
times there were flashes of radiant
| moonshine.
The fashionable hotel was full. So
plodded through the drifts to the
unfasaionable hotel. Here found ac-
commodation. 1 dressed, some lines
laughing, sometimes whistling, some
times standing motionless in doubt.
Bah! 1t was only a lark. . l thought
Of the girl in Mouquin's; how much
better it would have been to spend the
evening with her, exchanging badinage