The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-09-25

w I'LL
The train again moved on. Cant b
asleep" be. .lmuttered, What's tn
matter with herP''
The window was shut close; he let
down with a tremendous clatter an
bang, remarking that che hoped, a
the evening was fine, the weather warn
and the carriage close (for he declare.
to me there was q peculiar odor hang
| ing about which struck him from tn
first "she would not object to littl
air."
Still no reply. Then he said "h,
| feared she was not well; would she lik,
him to pull the bell for the guard ant
have the train stopped againP' Blu
nothing he could say or do ELECTED an,
sign of life from her.
Jack now became seriously uncom
Portable and alarmed on her account
He thought she could not be asleep, bu
had tainted. Suddenly it crossed hi.
mind that she was dead. Night hac
now closed in, but as the last tinge ol
twilight faded from the sky the car
riage lamp gained its full power and
revealed every object more plainly thar
Jack leaned toward the motienless
form. A long black veil, falling from
q close fittin2l hat-like bonnet, Genvel
|oped nearly the whole upper pekt a BIZ
figure; indeed, on close Inspection. Il
hardly looke4 like an ordinary veil, bu,
more like q large black silk handker.
chief. Her dress was of common black
stuff. much worn and frayed, from
amid to- tsld3sof (which appeared the
endS S3 \ hiScS of ropA that must have
been. fastened round her waist; and one
hand, incased in an old ill-fitting black
glove, lay placidly on her lap.
Full of uncomfortable sensations,
Jack was about to lift the veil. when,
foyxh fist the, theifgure moved; it,
otkef hand sstole slowly from beneath
the fblds 81 tde dress, and the veil was
gradually lifted and thrown up over the
head.
Involuntarily my friend shrank back
into the corner of his seat, for q face
was revealed-to him which no one
could have looked upon without q sense
of awe. 1t was that of a woman some
what past middle age, thin, haggard
and pale to a degree which only death
could parallel. The features, finely
chiseled and proportioned, showed that
at one time there must have been su-
lpreme beauty; while, though, the iron
gray hair looked little disheveled and
unkempt. the glance of the eyeywas
steady, calm and determined.
|, In, this glance lay. chieAy theawe-in-
spring expression of the face, for, in
addition to the penetrating look. there
was q persistency in it, and at the same
time Q fasoinatiOn, quite terrible. II
fixed itself upon Jack from the first
moment that eye met eye, and for sew
eral minutes not word was spoken on
eithers6id& ! PresentlX however, he
tried to pun fAhimself Sosether, and to
assume his usual lght-hearted manner
which had thus for 3 minute been so
strangely s sHd unusually disturbed and
xos 81 xsss beg IiI'% Scgr p.rdoni ! was afraid
She slightly bent her head, but spoke
not a word nor withdrew her glance.
He felt more and more that it was
costing him an effort to be himself.
Her slow, stealthy, albeit lady-like de-
ready produced, and a curious sensa-
ton was gradually creeping over him,
.that-impossible as it might seem
-that face ~As'notAstfange to him. Lit
tie as he, with his temperament, was
givenito speculation or introspection,
he found himself striving to look back
for Some event or oircomstance in his
life which might give him ,clew. Had
he ever dreamed of such face, or had
he seen it in childhood He was. puz-
Izled, adeoted, quite put out. And still
the deep, penetrating eyes were fixed
very soul. And the hands-what were
they doingp Taking off the gloves as
with q sst, deliberate purpose; and the
long. white, thin, almost claw-like fin
gers worked strangely and nervously,
Slowly closing and opening upon the
palm. as if preparing to grasp some
thing.
Again he stroxe to throw foff the un-
pleasant, unusual sensation which had
crepe oyerchim. Ez@%
! 81 can't stand this" he thought; al
WAS never SO uncomfortable in my life!
l must do something or say something
TO put q stop to this, to make her take
her eyes off mer' '4-1oS
He moved abruptly to the further
corner of the carriage and to the same
side on which the woman sat
4 "rll try and dodge her in that way"
he said to himself; !" she shall not sit
and glare at me in this fashionr'
a But she, too, Immediately shifted her
place. and. rising to her full height.
which was very great. went over TO the
ONE single second dropping her eyes
from him. He looked out of the win
dow with q vague notion Of getting ont
of the carriage; when suddenly. pAss.
ing q little station which he recognized,
but at which the train did not stop, an
idea struck him-an idea after his own
heirt-a comic idea! He availed him.
self of it on the instant, and assuming
an ease which doubtless sat i'll upon
him, and which he was far from feel
ing, he pointed with his thumb back
toward the station they had just passed,
as he said mysteriously in a hollow
voice:
.. Do you know that placer"
She seemed to answer in the affirma-
tive by slight inclination of the head
as before.
'iAh! you do. Good! Longmoor," !"
he went on; then don't mind telling
you a secret" He paused Q'l fright
en- her," he thought). Criminal lu-
natics," he said aloud; 81 am one OF
them. have just escaped from therer'
tHe leaned forward as if to impress
her with his words; she also bent for
ward until her lips almost touched his
ear as she Kissed into it.:
$50 have Ir'
With what had already gone before,
thislpn9 the finishing touch to jack &
uneasitess of mind. 1t was not, as he
said, the mere ,9yesence of the woman,
or the revelation which his joke had
elected, which scared him, though the
circumstances in itself might be un.
pleasant enough.
should have faced it right away
from the first, as any man would have
done. hxd it not been for the remarka-
bic influence her face and look had up
on me; that unacceptable feOhng that
.h<.A 80 80 Al