Evening star., 1909-07-16
CHAPTER VIII
The Perfect Stranger,

| Next morning l received some rathe,
| disconcerting news.
| A letter informed me that favorite
aunt of mine--from whom I had consider
able expectations. by the way-was lying
seriously i'll at nursing home at Worth,
| ing. Therefore | drove at once to Vic
toria and took the next train down.
| Though good many people were trav-
cling, l managed to find an empty first
class smoker, but scarcely had | settled
myself when another man. dark bearded
middle-aged, Well-dressed, and without
| luggage like myself, entered and seated
| himself in the opposite corner.
! , Ere the train moved off he made a
casual remark to me, and we began Ia
chat. He seemed a pleasant fellow and
struck me as a city man making a flying
| visit to his wife and family at the sea
side a. is so often the case.
| We had smoked and chatted pleasantly
| for half an hour or when the topic Oi
conversation turned upon travelling.
mentioned that I travelled a good deal on
the continent, when he exclaimed, with a
| sigh.
| "Ah. yes: and so do l.
| | then put him down as commercial
| traveller. for he spoke of the various capi-
tails of Europe with intimate knowledge
My life is spent in almost constant
travel he went on But. after all
there's no place like England.
| I agreed with him heartily. Though a
cosmopolitan. love my own country. not
withstandng its mud and fogs.
Then we chatted all the way down to
| Worthing, where We parted. But before
doing so | exchanged cards with my
pleasant companion. whose name | dis
covered was Mr.. Charles Grinfield."
| I lunched at Warne's, spent the after
noon at my aunt's bedside and at 6:;3,3
caught the express to Victoria
| An agreeable surprise awaited me when
l found my fellowtraveler of the morn
| ing lounging up and down the platform
awaiting the train.
| "Hulloa!'' he cried pleasantly. II won
dered If you might be returning by my
train"
So together we entered an empty com
partment and continued our chat.
There was something about the man
which struck me as indescribably mys-
| trious. Why, l cannot tell. Some
how he seemed unduly inquisitive re
was a detective was. of course. out of
I the question Besides. why should the
| police keep observation upon myself"
| had committed no crime.
| So l dismissed such weird thoughts
| from my mind.
PERHAPS 1t was tha:. owing TO my cos
| mopolitan existence. ] had become dis
| trustful of every stranger. Indeed, l
never travelled without h revolver in my
hip pocket habit acquired abroad. and
! one which had many occasions Sc
cured for me peaceful night Alone. in
| a strange and lonely house in a strange
| land. II Is really remarkable what Sc
curity one feels with handy six-shooter
under ones pillow.
Now | confess that before we got to
Croydon | entertained some shrewd sns
picion of my engaging feilow-traveier
who had given his name a. Grinield. He
had been a little too ready TO give me
his card and | always distrust that
action. Quickly made friendships have
usually some ulterior motive.
And vet. as he sat back in the corner.
enjoying his excellent cigar there was
nothing suspicious about him. Neverthe
less. why had he waited in Worthng TO
travel back with me" Once in the after
noon / had caught sight of him in the
town but he had instantly disappeared.
Had he been watching my movements
Some of his remarks were certainly in
quries regarding myself. And this in
quisitiveness | naturally resented.
This he apparently noticed. for while
We were waiting in Croydons station he
suddenly looked me straight in the face
| and said:
Mr. Ralston. | sec that you are just
a little annoyed with me foi pryinS into