Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-08-26
JACKS GREAT PERIL.

never saw such a change in ii man in
my life! When we last met, Jack
well, must not give his real name, con
sidering what l am going to relate. so
I'll call him Jack Pallant-was, as he
had ever been since l knew him, one of
the lightest-hearted. cheefiest fellows in
the world, full of fun and up to every
thing AMI as gentle and tender as a
woman, with the courage of lion. And
now, what did | fiEd him? Even though
but three months had elapsed, he had
become II grave, detected, saddened man
in Il word, hardly recognizable, either
mentally or physically. was shocked,
and of course he saw that | was. He
came to see me, indeed, the moment he
heard ! was in town, that l might learn
from his own mouth what had happened,
instead of at secondhand.
Jack had always been more or less a
spoiled boy-only sons are ALWAYS more
or less spoiled-and having lost his
mother when quite a child, it was not
wonderful that his poor old dad made
much of him. But he had taken the
sPoiling kindly, and beyond making him
perhaps a little idle and thoughtless. it
had done him no harm. There was no
harm in the fellow; he spent more money
do that without coming to much grief
in the long run. and his father, a soldier
before him, regarded the falling lenientlv.
paid his bills and looked pleasant. Be-
yond adding that he was a rather short
dapper little fellow, Tneed not say much
more about him; | have only to try and
put into coherent shape the strange and
tragical business which had so fearflllIy
altered him.
He was coming to town one autumn
evening for few days leave from Gun
nersholt, where he was quartered. can
see him as plainly as if / had been there.
springing into the first carriage that
offered room, without regard to who was
in it; for he was the least fastidious of
men, without the slightest particle of
hawhaw pride and nonsense. or that
stand-of-ishness of manner, too usuai
with men in his position; ready to make
himself happy wherever he was, OF in
whatever company.
But 1T so happened, it appears. on this
occasion that he got into an empty car
riage; at least he thought SO, for II was
twilight, and he did not observe for the
first moment the figure of a woman
seated In a further corner, dressed in
dark clothes and thickly veiled.
The sudden discovery that he was NOT
alone rather startled him for a moment
and it may be, as he said, that the eve,
ming before having been guest night AT
mess, his nerves were not quite up To
their usual tone. He was not the lad
however, to be long in such situation
without making some remark to his fel-
low-traveler, though in this case an un.
usual hesitation to do so came over him
owing to her mysterious appearance and
extreme stiffness. The between-liehts
of the carriage lamp and the evening SKY
prevented him from discerning details
but there she sat, perfectly rigid. an6
with not a vestige of her face visible
through the thick black vail.
3 "Ahem! aheml'' he said at last shift
ing one seat nearer to her and nearly on
posite; 81 hope / have not intruded o.
you; Thought the carriage was empty
/ may be disturbing you, fear" Iii
would say anything. in random sort o
way, to break the ice, as he called If.
No answer. A long pause. "Ver,
singular" he thought; and he moved t,
seat exactly opposite to the figure
making another commonplace observa
ton. No response, or any movement.
Asleep, suppose" he said to him
self; and he sat quietly watching her
while the train ratified on for a mile o
two. A station was reached and stop
page made, with the usual accompan;
mcnts of screech and whistling and slam