The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-07-15

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ming and counter planning against the
Vaccinations In whose wiles they two
had become % perilously entangled.
Primarily there was Hobbs TO be
dealt with-no easy task, for Kirk
wood dared not resort TO violence nor
In any way invite the attention Of the
authorities. and threats would be an
idle waste Of breath In the case Of
that corrupt and malignant little cock
ney, himself as keen as any needle.
adept In all the artful resources Of the
underworld whence he had sprung.
and further primed for action by that
master rogue. Calendar.
The train was pulling slowly into
the station when he reluctantly aban-
doned his latest unfeasible scheme for
shaking on the little Englishman and
concluded that their salvation was
only TO be worked out through ever
lasting vigilance. incessant movement
and the favor Of the blind goddess
Fortune.
He saw nothing OF Hobbs as they
alighted and FASTENED from the sta
ton and hardly had time to waste
looking for him since their train had
failed to make up the precious ten
minutes. Consequently he dismissed
the fellow from his thoughts until
with Brussels lingering in their men,
cries a g-rish vision Of brilliant
streets and glowing cafes. glimpsed
furtiveiy from their cab windows dur.
ing It's wild dash over the broad mid.
city boulevards-at midnight they set.
tied themselves In a carriage Of the
Bruges express. They were speeding
along through the open country with
a noisy clatfer: then a minutes inves-
tigation sufficed to discover the mate
Of the Alethea serenely ensconeed In
the coach behind.
The little man seemed rarely con-
pIacent and impudently greeted Kirk.
woods scowling visage as the latter
peered through the window IN the
coach door. with smirk and a wag.
gish wave Of his hand The American
by main strength OF win power mas
tered an impulse to enter and wiring
his neck and returned to the girl more
disturbed than he cared to let her
know.
There resulted from his review e
the case brit one plan FOR outwitting
sfr. Hobbs. and that lay In trusting 10
his confidence that Klrkwood and Dor.
othy Calendar would proceed Ms far
toward Ostrnd IS the train would take
them-namely. to the limit Of the run.
Bruges.
Thus inspisd. KIrkwsod took coun.
sci with the girl. and wban the train
paused ut Client they mode a unos-
tentatious exit from their coach. find.
ing themselves when the express had
rolled on Into the west upon q station
platform In foreign city at nine min.
utes past o'clock In the morning, bu,
at length without their shadow. Mr..
Hobbs had gone on to Bruges.
Kirkwood sped bis journsings with
an unspoken malediction and collected
himself to cope with situation which
was 70 prove hardly mere happy for
them than the espionage they had Just
sluded. The primal flush Of triumph
which had saturated the Americans
humor on this signal success proved
but Dctive and transitory when In
quiry Of the station attendants educed
the information that the two earliest
trains 10 bs obtained were the 500 fol
Dunkerque and the 5:37 for Ostend.
minimum delay Of four hours was Il
b endured IN the face Of many con
tinseDt features singularly unpleasant
TO contemplate. The station waitinf
room was on the point Of closing fol
the night. and Kirkwsod, alarmed bJ
the rapid sbb Of the money he hat
Iaken from Calendar. dared not subjec
his finances to the strain Of q night'I
lodging at one Of Clients hotels. II,