The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1879-07-17


mocking Italian eye has ample leisure t
scan the laughing negTess with her gor.
g GUS wraps, the tsll old gentleman, the
tOddling old ladies round as balls, the
ambassador in his tuTban.
Miss Norfolk-Stanley gazed out on
the hurrying throng with that selfish
complaeency peculiar to the traveller
who has already secured q good seat in a
continental railway caIrisge. She held
an old-fsshioned theory that, deprived
of the escort of nephew Dick, ladies'
carriage was the safest place for herself
That she was alone in this opinion was
speedily revealed by the fact of every
other woman in the. crowd bestowing
her person in the conveyanees adjacent,
rather than submit to the awful pCssi>
biity Of troop of children for hours
Bijou's mistress was an old traveller !;
experience had made her timid and sus-
piciOus. She read all the robberies in
English and foreign newspapers, and
looked dubiOusly at mankind of the
tourist species. Who were these men
Why did they observe her? a ladies'
carriage for her, if you please, and not
one where esch msn in the corner may
prove an assassin and thief If a favor.
able opportunity offers. She had learn
ed the words Help" and " Thieves 7"
in six languages for emergencies.
Two ladies paused at the door of the
carriage. The smiling official, in remem-
brSDce of Miss Norfolk-Stauley's bribe,
resisted their efforts to enter, and led
them elsewhere. They were both women
OF medium height, in long water proof
cloaks, their heads enveloped in blue
wells, which concealed their faces Miss
NOrfolk~Stanley saw q long, yellow
hand, with thin fingers REGULARLY talon
like, stretched forth to turn the handle
OF her carriage door. The hand belonged
to the fret woman, and she experienced
a strange sense of relief when it was
again withdrawn. and the owner passed
on. Why? Because Bjou could capeT
about at liberty if she retained the car
risge alone. She assured herself this
WAS the sole reason for dreadiDg the
yellow hand, and the shiver which crept
over her st sight OF it.
This danger surmounted, these re-
maiDed one more to be overcome before
BiiOu and his mistress could breathe
freely. The surly guard jumped on the
steps, demanding tickets. The surly
guard gave and received no quarter.
His expression of countenance was eatur-
nine, his gray mOustaebe curled upward
in truly savage manner, and his cap
was pressed down over a deeply wTinkled
forehead. He was always in hurry and
his lie was rendered burdensome by the
questions of nervous travellers. He eyed
Miss EorfOlk-Stanley sharply-sole accu-
pant Of the ladies' carriage sitting with
2 leather bag carefully held upright or
her knee.
"You have no dog2' demanded the
surly guard, peering about On the floor
suspiciously.
" Certainly not" said Miss Norfolk
Stanley, biUshing at the lib which she
uttered in alarm for her pet.
Then the suTly guard banged the door,
departed, and the train actually started
at last. Bijou skipped out of his prison,
executed q wild but barklsss dance over
the seats, stood on his hind legs with
great apparent enjoyment, ate a biscuit,
and was refreshed with water from the
cup of his own tiny travelling flask.
The train wended its way toward the
Alps: one by one snow peaks detached
themselves from the mountain rampant
dividing France and Italy, and stood out
boldly against the blue sky; the atmos-
phere grew keen. Down in the valley
weathersbeaten little hsmlets were hud-
died together in q cluster of steep roofs !;
the river foamed In silvery rippIes, the
peasants worked in the blooming fields.
Within the railway carriage Miss Nor
folk-Stanley INDUCED in her own medi-
tatioDs, and Biiou cspered about at
pleasure The lady made her plans,
with slightly compressed lips. She
would go to Paris, and thence direct to
London. Nephew Dick might well look
to himself
The train paused. Hi, Bi,oul Miss
Norfolk Stanley had scarcely time to
restore her pet to the bag pocket, when
the opposite door few open, and the
surly guard thrust in his head. Her
heart failed her. # the surly gusrd had
seen Bijou, he had a right to carry the
dog of in triumph to the baggage van,
and impose on herself the ignominy of
ladies must be admitted, as the cigar
smoke OF their carriage made them i'll.
Again that long, yellow hand CROPPED
upward for the door handle, and the
two women in closks invaded Miss
Norfolk-Stauley's territory. She re-
signed herself, with g sigh, to the ineYi~
LcDiOs EllC4 all S4CoO AGsNiEC6 NC4C CtA1 j
a trife peculiar and foreign.lOokiug
mere harmless felioW~creatures, anG
lieu had already enjoyed two hours Ot
freedom. Miss Norfolk Stanley's first
impulse was to throw herself On THEN
mercy to the extent of releasing her
dog. In travel she had n yer vet en-.
counteTed another woman who did not
assist in smuggling BijOu with the
delight in co1traband warfare OF any
kind peculiar to the sex. A second
glance at those yelled and mUffled
figures deferred her The strangers
with a murmured apology in French fol
the intrusion, sank into their places at
the other extremity of the carriage, and
remained as silent as statues. They
carried no bags or parcels of any kind
The yalloW hand produced a smelling
bottle of cut steel, aud pungent odOl
diffused itself gradually as the windows
were closed to exclude the smoke.
Now the tunnels were gained which
form the threshold OF Mount Gents on
the Italian side, and which are immeag
urably more black and oppressive.
a rush of steam, shrek of The
locomotive, and the train WIS engulfeC
in the first of the three long tunnels
The gas burned in q tiny star in tbs
roof of the carriage. Horrible darkness
and dense smoke, like an opsque wal
against the windOwessgh Bijou'g mis
tress unfsstened her collar, and sought
/ her tan. At the other end of the car
rage the yellow hand was deity opening
/ the owner elosk, while pair of glitter
/ ing eyes were turned on the unconsciou;
Miss NOrfolk-Stanley from the folds O
the veil The smelIing>bottle of Cut
steel had vanished.
a rush OF steam, shrek of the LOGON
tive, and the train plunged into th'
/ second tunnel. Behold the companion
of the traveller with the yellow hand
quietly unfsstened her cloak, and pro