The
pursuit had been very exhausting, and at times it had been
mortifying; for here and there people who saw him running after the
car had supposed he wished to board it, and in their good-nature had
hailed and stopped it. After this had happened twice or thrice,
Lemuel perceived that he was an object of contempt to the passengers
in the car; but he did not know what to do about it; he was not
going to pay six cents to ride when he could just as well walk, and
on the other hand he dared not lose sight of the car, for he had no
other means of finding his way back to his hotel.
But he was all right now, as he leaned against the house-wall,
panting, and mopping his forehead with his handkerchief; he saw his
hotel a little way down the street, and he did not feel anxious
about it.
"Gave you the slip after all," said a passer, who had apparently
been interested in Lemuel's adventure.
"Oh, I didn't want to catch it," said Lemuel.
"Ah, merely fond of exercise," said the stranger. "Well, it's a very
good thing, if you don't overdo it." He walked by, and then after a
glance at Lemuel over his shoulder, he returned to him. "May I ask
why you wanted to chase the car, if you didn't want to catch it?"
Lemuel hesitated; he did not like to confide in a total stranger;
this gentleman looked kind and friendly, but he was all the more
likely on that account to be a beat; the expression was probably
such as a beat would put on in approaching his intended prey.
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