The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-06-03

He was stranded.
Distracted. lie searched pocket after
pocket. locating his watch. cigar case
ard cigarette case, matchbox, PEN
knife, all the minutiae of pocket hard.
ware affected by civilized man. with
old letters. cardcase, a square en-
velope containing his steamer ticket.
but no sovereign purse. His small
change pocket held less than 8
shillings-two and eight, to be exact
and a brass key. which he failed to
recognize as one Of his belongings.
And that was ALL At some time dur
ylg the night he had lost Tor been Gun.
ningly bereft on that little purse OF
chamois skin containing the three gold.
en- sovereigns which he had been hus.
banding to pay his steamer expenses
and which. if only he had them now,
would stand between him and starya-
ton and d night in the streets. II
Brentwick were only in town. But he
wasn't and wouldn't be within the
week.
NO good waiting here" he conclud.
ed. Composing his face, he re-entered
the station. There were his trunks. Of
course. He couldn't leave them stand.
ing on the station platform forever.
He found the luggage room and In
terviewed mechanically courteous at
tendant. who. as the result of profound
deliberation. advised him TO try his
luck at the lost luggage room across
the station. He accepted the advice
Ii was foregone conclusion that his
effects had not been conveyed TO the
Tilbury dock. They could not have
been loaded into the luggage van with
out his personal supervision. Still. an!
thing was liable TO happen when bis
unucky star was in the ascendant.
He found them IN the lost luggage
room.
A clerk helped him identify the arti
cles and ultimately clucked with per
functory note. .Sixpence each. please
"I-ah-pardonf"
"Siypence each. the fixed charge, sir
For every twenty-four hours or frac
ton thereof. sixpence per parcel"
.'Oh. thank you so much" said Kirk
wood sweetly. u will call tomorrow.
Very coed. sir Thank you. sir"
"Five times sixpence Is TWO and six,
Kirkwood computed. making his wa.
hastily out Of the station lest a wors'
thing befall hin. NO. bless you
heart-not while two and eight repre-
sents the suu total Of my fortune"
| lie wandered out into the night. II
could not linger round the station IL
dawn. AID what profit 10 him II b
did, Even were lie 70 ransom hi
trunks ole can scarcely change one
clothing ii i public waiting room.
Somew here ii the distance a grea
clock chiiled single stroke freighte
sore with melancholy. Il knelled th
passing Of the half hour after mid
night. a Witching hour when ever
public shuts W tight and gentleme
III top .lats and evening dress ar
doomed 10 pace the pave Till da
earring they have homes or visibl
means Of supportl-till day. whe
pawAshops open and such personal e
fects III watches and hammered sive
cigar cases may be hypothecated. VIII
was he 10 do: An hour passes
Through this long hour Kirkwoo
walked without pause.
Another clock somewhere Change
res .atly twice The world was yer
still And 50. wandering foot loose
a Wilderness Of ways. turning ainles
IS, now right. now left, be found hir
self Ii FFo-nau street.
k.rEuUod identined Il with sta
ard d guilt. tremor. lie stopped stoC
still In az unreasoning state Of SEN
panic. arrested by a SHY impulse
turn and IS. as II the bobby whom
deserted approaching him with mea
ured stride. pausing now and again
! try a door or Fash bis bullseye dow
an area. we're 10 be expected 20 ide
fify the E.an responsible for th
racket raised ere midnight In vacaI
No. O
. At the corner be swerved and eros
, ed. still possessed OF his devil OF
. spiration. Il would he unfair TO hl
: TO say that be did not struggle 70 {
sist il. for he did. because Il was IA
| ~ and egregiously asinine. yet. stru
] Cling. his feet trod the path to WIFI
il tempted him.
E why" be expostulated feebIy.
) might as vel turn lack and beat d
! bobby over the head with my cane.
r But AZ the moment bis hand was
T his change pocket. feeling over Oh
; same brass door key which earlier
!. had been unable 70 account for. al
: he was informing himself how We
!. easy II would have been for the 80
ereign purse 70 have dropped from |
!. waistcoat pocket while be was slidil
3 on bis ear down the dark stairca,
!. To recover II meant. az the least. sh
!. ter FOR the night. followed BY decei
!. comfortable ard sustaining morni
D meal. Fortified BY both be could !
deem BIS luggage. change to clothi
: mere suitable for daylight trayelir
9 pawn his valuables and enter into ne:
D tiati0ns with the steamship compa
: FOR permission 70 exchange his ~
y sage. with a sum 20 boot. for trar
y portation on another llner-z mt
9 feasible project, temptation all B
4 irresistible.