The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-06-17
CHAPTER XIV.

cLEEPY Sheerness must have been
scandal;zed that day and its Cos
sips have acquired ground for
~ many an uncharitable surmise.
Kirkwood. however. was so fortu-
nate as TO gain the wicket before the
employee there awoke 10 the situation.
Otherwise. such is the temper Of Brit
ish petty cfficialdom. he might have
detained the fugitive. As II was.
Kirkwood surrendered bis ticket and
ran out into the street with his luck
still a dominant factor in the race.
for. looking back. he saw that Mrs. Hal
lam had been held up az the gate. an
other victim Of British red tape. Her
ticket read for Queensborough. she
was attempting 10 alight one station
farther down the line. and. while IN
doubtedly she was anxious to pay the
excess fare. heaven alone knew when
she would succeed In allaying the sus-
pIcions and resentment OF the ticket
taker
That's good for ten minutes start"
Kirkwood c.owed. And It never oc-
Cured 70 me-
Before the station he found two
hacks In waiting. with little TO choose
between them. Neither was Of type
that did not seem TO advertise It's pre-
Wet an fashioning. and to neither
was larDessed an animal that deserved
anything bur the epithet OF screw.
Kirkwood took the nearest for no 9th.
er reason than because It was the
nearest and all but startled the driver
on LIS box by offering double fare for
brisk pace and a simple service az
the end Of the ride. Succinctly be set
forth his wants. jumped into the anti.
quated four wheeler and threw himself
down upon musty, dusty cushions 10
hug himself over the joke and bless
whatever English board Of railway dl.
reciors il was that first ordained that
tickets should be taken up at the end
instead Of the outset Of journey.
II was promptly made manifest that
be had further cause for gratula.
ton. The cabby. recovering from his
amazement. was plying an indefatiga.
bic whip and thereby elicitlng degree
of speed from bis superannuated nag
that his fare had by no means hoped
FOR. much less anticipated.
In d period Of time surprisingly short
KirkwoOd saw. from fieeting glimpses
Of the scenery 10 be obtained through
the Keeling windows. that they were
threading the outskirts 81 the town.
I spontaneously. whether by design OF
through actual inability to maintain IT,
/ the speed was moderated. and In The
course u few more minutes the cab
stopped definitely.
/ Kirkwood clambered painfully out
shook himself together and the bruises
out II bis bones and looked back.
/ Aside from n slowly settling cloud Of
dust. the road ran clear as far as be
could see--to the point. In fact. where
the town closed in about H.
lie bad won. al all events insomuct
~ 20 win meant Guiding the persever
Ing Mrs. Hallam. But to what endf
Abstractedly be rendered bis lonely
sovereign TO the driver and without
even looking at II cranmed the heavy
weight of change into bis pocket. an
oversight which not only won him The
awestruck rdmiration Of the cabby
but entaiIed consequences ~ may be
hc llt'Ie unprecedented. II was with m
absentmlnded nod that be acquiesced
IN the mans announcement that hs
might arrange about the boat for him
Accordingly the cabby disappeared
and Kirkwood continued TO stare about
him eagerly. hopefully.
ne stood on the brink Of The Thames
estuary. there possible Owe miles
from shore To- shore. From bis feet
almost a broad sbingle beach siJped
gently 10 the water.
On one hand a dilapicated picket