River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-10-02
JACKS GREAT PERIL.
A Startling Story of Railroad Adventur

JACKS GREAT PERIL.
A Startling Story of Railroad Adventure.
never saw sucn change IN man in
my life When we last met, Jack-well,
must not give his real name, consider
ing what am going to relate, SO I'll call
him Jack Pallant-was, as he had ever
been since knew him, one of the light
est-hearted, cheeriest fellows in the world,
full of fun, and up to every thing, ana
gentle and tender as woman, with the
courage of lion. And now, what did I
find him9 Even though but three
months bad elapsed, he had become
grave, detected, saddened man-in word,
hardly recognizable, either mentally or
physically. Twas shocked, and of course
he saw that was. He came to see me,
indeed, the moment he heard / was in
town, that | might learn from his own
mouth what had happened, instead of al
second hand.
Jack had always been more or less
spoiled boy-only sons are always more
or less spoiled and having lost his moth
er when quite child, it was not wonder
full that his poor old dad made much of
him. But he had taken the spelling
kindly, and beyond making him perhaps
little idle and thoughtless, it had done
him no harm. There was no harm in the
fellow; he spent more money than he
should, but many young soldiers do
that without coming to much grief in
the long run, and his father soldier
before HIM, regarded the failing Ienient-
ly, paid his bills, and looked pleasant.
Beyond adding that he was rather short
dapper little fellow, need not say much
more about him; have only to try and
put into coherent shape the strange and
tragic business which had so fearfully al
tered 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 of
fered room, without regard To who was
in it; for he was the least fastidious of
men, without the slightest particle of
"haw-haw' pride and nonsense, OF that
stand offishness of manner, too usual with
men in his position; ready to make him
self happy wherever he was, or in what
ever company.
But it so happened, it appears, on this
occasion that he got into an empty car
riage, at least he thought so, for it was
twilight, and he did not observe for the
first moment the figure of woman, seat
ed in further corner, dressed in dark
clothes, and thlckly yelled.
The sudden discovery that he was not
IL. HI I.
and it may be, as he said, that the even
ing 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 a situation without
making some remark to his fellow travel
er, though in this case an unusual hesita-
ton to do so came over him, owing to her
mysterious appearance and extreme still
ness. The between-lightso of the carriage
lamp and the evening sky prevented him
from discerning details, but there she
sat perfectly rigid, and with not vestige
OF her face visible, through the thick
black veil.
"Ahem! ahem!" he said at last, shift
ing one seat nearer to her and nearly OPP
poslte; 81 hope ] have not intruded ON
you; l thought the carriage was empty.
may be disturbing you, fear" He would
say any thing in a random sort of way,
to break the ice as he called it.
No answer. A long pause. Very singu-
lar" he thought; and he moved to a
scat exactly opposite the figure, making
another commonplace observation. No
response or any movement.
asleep, l suppose, he said to him
self; and he sat watching her while the
train ratified on for mile or two. A sta
ton was reached and stoppage made,
with the usual accompaniment of screech
and whistling, and slamming of doors,
but without producing any change in the
occupant OF the opposite corner. The
train moved on. Cant be asleep he
muttered, "What's the matter with herr"
The window was shut close; he let it
down with a tremendous clatter and
bang, remarking that she hoped, as the
evening was fine, the weather warm and
the carriage close for he declared to me
there was peculiar oder hanging about
which struck him from the first, "she
would not object to little air."
Still no reply Then he said che feared
she was not well would she like him to
ring the bell for the guard and have the
train stopped again2n But nothing he
could say or do, elected any sign of life
from her.
Jack now became seriously alarmed
and uncomfortable on her account. He
thought she could not be asleep, but had
fainted. Suddenly it crossed his mind
that she was dead Night had now clos
ed In, but as the last tinge of daylight
faded from the sky, the carriage lamp
gained its lull power and revealed every
object more plainly than hitherto.
Jack leaned toward the mot ionless
form. A long black veil, falling from
close -fitting hat-like bonnet, enveloped
nearly the whole upper part of her fig
ure; indeed, on close inspection, 1t hardly
looked like an ordinary veil, but more
like a large black silk handkerchief. Her
dress was of common black stuff, much
worn and frayed, from amid the folds of
which appeared the ends of piece of
rope that must have been fastened round
her waist; and one hand, incased in an
old ill-ftting black glove, lay plac'@ls
on her lap.
Full of unpleasant sensations. Jack
was about to lift the veil, when, Tor the
first time, the figure moved; Its other
hand stole slowly from beneath the folds
of the 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 face was
revealed to him which no one could have
looked upon without sense Of awe. It
was that of a woman somewhat past mid
die age, thin, haggard and pale to de-
gree which only death could parallel.
The features, finely chiseled and proper
toned. showed that at one time there
must have been supreme beauty; while,
though the iron-gray hair looked little
disheveled and unkempt, the glance of
the eye was steady, calm and determined.