The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-28

ses 1, and I'm Moon the cabman; but
eff you don't come at once and do
wot's right and honorable I ses, by
that. young thing I ses, which 'er
bright smile haunts me STILL l ses,
I'll. advertise you on my own cab all
ove Lunnon town. I ses, you old
villain I ses. And his lordship up
at that, an he ses, Moon, you're an
'onest man. e says, an I'll take
you're advice e ses, an I'll take a
sovereign e ses. Now, go your
ways e says; 'wot man could do fur
'er you've DONE e ses. But NO! my
lord I ses, I'll not leave these prem
ises,' ses I, till you sits yourself down
in that there cab of mine ses I; fur
when I goes to see a wrong righted,
1 sees it right, and my names Moon
ses l." Here he was interrupted by
vociferous cheers, and it was some
minutes before he could make him.
self heard again. "It's nc use telling
me they're a warm family he went
N. do you suppose I've lived my
life in Lunnon town an don't know
that? It's not me pocket, it's me art
that's touched. She brought me ere
an she left me without a word, al
arter what I'd done for 'er and all to
be deseTted-to be left to die like a
dog in a ditch" ooh, you'll not die
this time!" and Cheer up, old
bloke!" various voices shouted in the
crowd.) And she's all my fancy
painted 'er; she's lovely, she's di-
vine!" the old ~vagabond was proceed
ing, when, to Gertrude's horror, his
wandering, watery eye rested on her
self with an instant CLEAN Of recog--
milton.
She had been rooted to the spot by
the subject of his discourse, and now,
not knowing what the consequences
of the recognition would be, she
wished that the ground might have
swallowed her.
She need not have been alarmed,
however, for the sight Of her, or per-
haps of a policeman coming up be-
hind her, had a curiously SOLDERING
effect upon Moon; and all he did
when he saw her was instinctively to
make the sign of his calling with his
whip while he gathered up the reins
and sunk on his seat, looking, be-
cause his great featureless face was
too fat for expression, as if nothing
had happened.
The crowd hooted and jeered and
called to him to go on, but he was
deaf to their e%ntreaties, and presently
they began to dispense. Then Ger
trude went up to him, and after read
ing him a severe lecture, to which he
listened in solemn silence, somewhat
rashly dispatched him with the note.
DO you think you're sensible
enough to be trusted with it," she
asked. Its Of great Importance.
You'll be we'll paid when you arrive"
"Trusted!" he answered, %scornful-
ly. why, miss, I've druv this cab
when I've been SO drunk I couldn't
hev stood on the ground; an I'm not
so drunk as that now" he added, re-
gretfully. "Oh! I niver went wrong
in me life"
well, I suppose it's better to trust
to a half-drunk mai I know some
thing Of" she said, obviously, than
to a sober one of whom I know moth
ing. Here, Moon take this note to
Miss Somers. And, Moon" she
added, solemnly, mark my words If
that note goes wrong you'll have no
more luck as long as you live"
Now, the saints preserve u.s."
Moon exclaimed, crossing himself de-
voutly, an act SO utterly inconsistent
with all she knew Of London cabmen
as to make Gertrude smile.
But she perceived that that last
abjuration was a lucky hit, and re-
to the station much relieved.
= On arriving in Southampton she
drove straight to the Peninsular and\
Oriental Steamship Company's office,
and asked if Mr.. Lawrence Soames
had been there that day. "Oh, yes,"
the clerk told her. He had taken a
passage to Yokohama, and was bound
for San Francisco; but the next mail
did not leave till that day week, and
Mr.. Soames had said he would go and
do the Channel Islands, st. Malo, st.
Heller and the country round about
them while he waited.
Did he say which boat he would
go by"
mo, but he asked when the next
boat for Jersey left, and went off in a
hurry when I told him."
When does it ~leave?" Gertrude
asked.
AT 8 O'clock" the maj replied.
sits we'll on its way by this time"
Her heart sunk at this. What a
the missing of that train
had been.
To be Continued.