Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-09-10
CHAPTER XIX

IA the still evening air was
wv smitten and made softly mu-
Steal by the pealing of a dis
tant chime calling vespers to its broth
ers in Antwerp's hundred belfries
Like the beating of mighty heart
heard through the rushing clamor Of
the pulses. a single deep throated bell
doomed solemnly six heavy rumbing
strokes.
Six o'clock! Ilirkwood reused out of
his dour brooding. The Amsterdam eX-
press would leave at 6:52. and he knew
not from what station.
Striding swiftly across the prone
made. he entered small tobacco shop
and made inquiry of the proprietress
His command of French was tolerable.
He experienced no difficulty in COM
pretending the good woman's instruc-
lions.
Trains for Amsterdam. she said left
from the Care Centrale. mile or so
across the city. Monsieur had plenty
of time and to spare. There was the
tram line If monsieur did not care to
take fiacre. If he would go by way
Of the Vielle Bourse he. would discover
the tram cars of the Rue Kipdorp
Monsieur was most welcome.
Monsieur departed with the more
haste since he was unable to repay
this courtesy with the most trifling
purchase. After brisk walk of some
fifteen minutes he reached the station.
public clock treasured him with
the information that he had the quar-
ter of an hours leeway 1t was only
seventeen minutes past IS o'clock BEL
gfan railway time, always confusing)
Inquiring his way to the Amsterdam
train. which was already waiting at
the platform, he paced its length, peer
Ing brazenly in at the coach windows,
now warm with hope, now shivering
with disappointment, realizing as he
could not but realize that, all else
aside, his only chance of rehabilitation
lay In meeting Calendar. But in none
of the coaches or carriages did he
discover any one even remotely re-
sembling the fat adventurer, his daugh-
ter or Mulready.
Satisfied that they had not yet board
ed the train. he stood aside, tortured
with forebodngs, while anxiously scru-
tinizing each individual of the throng
of intending travellers. Perhaps they
had been delayed-by the Alethea' IS
lateness In making port. very likely.
Perhaps they purposed taking not this
but later train. Perhaps they had
already left the city by an earlier or
had returned to England
On time. the bell changed it's warn
ing. the guards bawed theirs, doors
were hastily opened and slammed, the
trucks began to groan, couplings Jolt
Ing as the engine chafed in constraint
The train and Kirkwood moved stimuli.
taneously out Of opposite ends Of the
station the one to rattle and hammer
round the eastern boundaries of the
city and straighten out at top speed on
the northern route for the Belgian line
the other to stroll modify away, idle
hands in empty pockets. bound aim
lessly anywhere-it didn't matter!
Nothing whatever mattered in the
smallest degree. Ere now the outlook
had been dark, but this he felt to be
the absolute nadir of his misfortunes
Prcsently-after awhile, as soon as he
could bring himself to 1.-THE would ask
the way and go to the American consu.
late. But just now. low as the tide OF
chance had ebbed leaving him strand.
ed on the flats of vagabondage, low as
showed the measure of his self esteem
he could not tolerate the prospect of
begging for assistance.
He found himself. neither knowing
nor caring how he had won thither
In the Place Verte. the vast venerable
pile of the cathedral rising on his
right. hotels and quaint old world
dwellings with peaked roofs and ga
bles and dormer windows inclosine
the other sides of the square. TIL.
chimes Che could hear none but those
of the cathedraD We're heralding the
hour of seven. Listless and preoccu
pied in contemplation of his wretched
case. he wandered purposelessly halt
round the square, then dropped into 8
bench on its outskirts.
1t was some time later that he no
ticed, with a casual. Indifferent eye, 6
porter running out of the Hotel dc