The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-02

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BILE truants from the asylums where the insane
are lodged, and who now and then break
loose by some pretenatural exertion of force
or cunning, and range, wild beast like, until
they are hunted down He did not look mad,
but then looks so often mislead and, in any
case, his purpose must be an unlawful one.
No respectable man would have lain in
ambush under the seat of a railway carriage
that much was only too clear.
"Snug this, isn't it, ma'am % said the tres
passer with dreadful sort of iocularity,
after a time; "uncommonly snug call it.
only us two !"-and he threw himself into the
middle seat Of the carriage, on the opposite
side, and rubbed his great hands together in
an insulting way that made my flesh creep.
had been taking a wary survey of him out
OF the corners of my eyes for some minutes,
in hopes of asoertaining what kind of evil-doer
he was, but could not make my mind up.
He was tolerably well dressed in suit of black
broadcloth but it was very dusty and fluffy,
as was natural after his sojourn
beneath the drab drapery; and his
cravat, of a staring pattern, red and green,
was loose and awry. He had a soft felt hat, a
silver guardchain, and very muscular hands,
with short thick fingers. He was strongly
built, thick-set parsonage, of middle height,
and unquestionably what we at Cheltenham
call vulgarian. He might, by general grit
tiness and dinginess that clung to him, have
had something to do with Goals, or wood, or
iron, or contracts for railway making, or that
kind of avocation. He was upright, however,
and sunburned, and had, very likely, been a
volunteer, somewhere in that north country
whence he came. He was not a common thief,
whatever he might be.
''This is the compartment for ladies only,
amt it 7" said the intruder, bluntly, after
fresh pause. Now must speak. l felt that,
while at the same time l had not any
idea of the wisest course to pursue.
Should l freeze the audacious wretch by a
chilling behavior, and assert my womanly
dignity by monosyllabic coldness or should l
play bolder game, and be afableR All things
considered, thought would be affable. ''It
is so, sir, said /, trying to speak in the same
conciliatory tone that l should have used at
RhododendrOn Villa to morning vlsitor-our
vicar, for example, or old Sir George Huff,
who drinks the waters annually. "I'm in
luck, for once ~ said the man, ioyously
shifting his knee with his open hand with a
violence that made me start. 81 didn't know,
when got in and crawled under that aounce
of thing, whether half-a-dozen bothersome
chaps mightn't come taking their places, and
poking their portmanteaus and traps under
meath, in which case I'd have been discovered
to a certainty. Besides, the cramps were so bad
lying doubled up there, that must have hallooed
long before we got to Paris, whoever had been
in the carriage. l say-what's that Sand
wiches, by George !'-and the fellow pounced
upon the packet, neatly done up in white
paper, that lay on the seat in front of mine,
and began to eat as voraciously as if he had
been on short commons for week.
"Im half starved hungry as hawk" " he
growled out with his mouth full; "and so
would any fellow be that had been hunted up
and down, and forced to hide behind hay
stacks, as / have. 1t was touch and go with
ma in, AVnia bho1 hafOr
tomorrow, if I'd not seen this carriage in a
siding, under a shed, with the door open, and
porter trimming the lamp. l overheard one
of the French beggars say this was to be part
of the train, and lucky it was learned some
of their lingo when l was-never mind that !
Got drop of comfort with you, ma'am rum,
gin, brandy Pm not nice" (Which last word,
however, he pronounced "nash," but
guessed his meaning).
felt ready to faint. "You are very well
come to the sanwiches,' said |, 'but as for
ardent spirits, am sorry that l cannot meet
your wishes. As lady -"
"Ah but you look just the sensible, easy
sort of lady to have flask of something COM
Portable along with you;' said the man, with
little basket 1t looks like bottle, don't it P''
and he very coolly drew the basket over to-
wards him as he spoke, and removed the
wicker-coyered bottle within.
But the bottle contained nothing more
tempting than eau de cologne, and my free
and-easy new acquaintance laid it down with
an oath. 81 should have been the better for
raw nip! he said sulkily, and then he
jumped up, and peered through the glass into
the night. We had just passed the lights of
a small station at which the express made no
halt. There was a long and awkward silence.
1t was broken by the intrusive stranger. He
had taken up my Bradshaw, which lay among
my other portable articles, and was iuttering
over the leaves:-'"This train stops but once"
he muttered to himself; 1--WE shall get to Creil
presently"
My heart was in my mouth, as it were, when
heard this, and remembered that we were
approaching the large junction that he had
named. We should make halt there, and if
could but keep this savage in good humor
until within reach of help, then - He
seemed to read my thoughts, for he bent for
ward, looking fxedly at me the while, and
gripped me by the wrist with a force that
made me give a little scream. There was a
black bruise left behind by the grasp of his
| hard hand, bruise that l showed to sympa-
thizing friends for a month afterwards. "No
nonsense, ma'am, for l won't stand it ~ he
| said, threateningly; ''when you get to that
station, you'll please to sit as still-do you
hear ?-as if you were waxwOrk. Beckon
to porter, call the guard, speak one word
| above your breath, and see what comes OF 1t ~
"What right have you" | began, doing
my best to pluck up a little spirit; but he cut
me short. "Might's right in job like this.
he said, very grutfy, and with so fierce LOOK
that l gave up all ideas of opposition, and
began to sob. But even this consolation was
j. - - hat hn