Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-12-14
6be
BLACK
BAG
By Louis Joseph Vance
CHAPTER XIX.
By Louis Joseph Vance
Copyright. 1905. by tn. Bebss.Nsrrili Co.

CHAPTER XIX.
u WITHOUT warning or presage
SN the still evening air was
wv smitten and made softly mu.
sical by the pealing Of dis.
tant chime calling vespers to its broth
ers in Antwerp's hundred belfries.
Like the beating of a mighty heart
heard through the rushing clamor Of
the pulses, single deep throated bell
doomed soiemnly six heavy. rumbline
strokes.
Six o'clock! Kirkwood reused out OF
his dour brooding. The Amsterdam ex.
press would leave at 6:32. and he Knew
not from what station.
Striding swiftly across the prone
made. he entered a 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-
tions.
Trains for Amsterdam. she said. left
from the Care Centrale. mile or 80
across the city Monsieur had plenty
of time and to spare. There was the
tram line If monsieur did not care to
take facre. II he would go by way
of the Vielle Bourse be 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 trifing
purchase. After brisk walk Of some
fifteen minutes he reached the station.
A public clock redssured him with
the information that he had the quar-.
ter Of an hours leeway. 1t was only
seventeen minutes past IS o'clock Bel-
gian 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 be
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 dauSh-
ter or Mulready.
Satisfied that they had not yet board
ed the train. he stood aside, tortured
with forebodings. while anxiously scru-
tinizing each individual of the throng
Of intending travellers. Perhaps they
had been delayed-by the Alethea's
laeness 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 bawled theirs. doors
were hastily opened and slammed. the
trucks began to groan. couplings JOLT
Ing as the engine chafed in constralnt.
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 tho
city and straighten out at top speed on
the northern route for the Belgian line.
the other to stroll moodlly 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.
Presently-after awhile, as soon az he
could bring himself to it-he would ask
the way and 60 to the American consul
late. But just now. low as the tide Of
chance had ebbed. leaving him strand
ed on the fats 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 thlther.
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 inclosing
the other sides Of the square. tt
chimes Che could hear none but those
Of the cathedraD were heralding the
hour of seven Listless and preoccu-
pied in contemplation Of his wretched
case. he wandered purposelessly half
round the square, then dropped into
bench on Its outskirts.
1t was some time later that he no.
ticed. with n casual. Indifferent eye, a
porter running out Of the Hotel de
E'landre. directly opposite. and calling
a facre In to the carriage block.
AS languldly he watched a woman,
very becomingly dressed, follow the
porter down to the curb.
The Gacre swung in. and the woman
dismissed the porter before entering
the vehicle. proceeding so unusual
that It fixed the onlooker's interest.
He sat rigid with attention. The wo-
man seemed to he giving explicit and
lengthy directions to the driver. who
nodded and gesticulated his compre-
helsion.
The woman was Mrs. Hallam.
The first blush Of recognition passed,
leaving Kirk wood without any amaze
ment. 1t was an easy matter to ac-
count for her being where she was.
Thrown of the scent by Kirkwood at
Sheerness the previous morning, she
had missed the day boat, the same
which had ferried over those whom
she pursued Returning from Sheer
ness to Queensborough, however. she
had taken the night boat for Flushing
and Antwerp, and not without her
plan. She was not woman to waste
her strength aimlessly. Kirkwood be-
lieved that she had had from tho first
a very definite campaign In view. In
that campaign Queensborough pier
had been the first strategic move, the
Journey to Antwerp, apparently. the
second, and the American was i'm
pressed that he was witnessing the
inception Of the third decided step.
The conclusion Of this process Of rea-
soning was inevitable-madam would
bear watching.
Thus was q magical transformation
brought about Instantaneously lassi.
tude and vain repinings were replaced
by hopefulness and energy. In a
twinkling the young man was on his
feet, every nerve a-thrill with excite
ment.
Mrs. Hallam, blissfully. ignorant OF