Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1880-08-26
A STRANGE ADVENTURE.

| n 81 hANUL AL v LN UhE'
II left Kings Cross by the night mai
on the 10th of last August said Charley
King, as ne settled himself down, with {
very serious face, to tell us what he as
sured us was story true in every partlc
ular. was tired, and went to sleep al
most Immediately, and remained in that
condition until the train stopped al
PeterbOro.
Only partly awake remember letting
down the window, and that several per.
sons in the crowd on the platform tried
to get into the carriage. Drowsily con.
graduating myself upon having the door
locked, I was dropping off to sleep again
when ! suddenly discovered that was
not alone. Who was that seated in
the opposite corner of the carriage? A
young lady, assuredly. The dim light
from the lamp enabled me to discern that
she was in evening dress, with the hood
OF her opera cloak over her head. She
appeared to be busy fastening her ear
ring into her left ear.
"How ODD, }" / thought, fthat I could
not have seen her get in!' Here were
my legs still stretched across the
seat with my rug over them, and surely
must have known if she had passed me
and the door had certainly never been
open. Very angry and puzzled, de-
termined to demonstrate with the guard
at the next station.
The young lady was very quiet and
still. and, as she appeared not to notice
me, hardly liked to begin any CONVEX
saslon, so sat watching her till sleep
again overlook me.
All at once the slackening efspeed and
the shrill, horrible, hollow danger whis-
tie of the engine again disturbed my com
Portable nap, and, lazlly looking out.
found to my surprise we we're not stop
ping at any station, and that outside
nothing could be seen.
A turtive glance across the carriage
showed the young lady still quietly sit
ing there, fidgeting with her earring, and
not the least alarmed at this interruption
to our journey. I called to the guard as
he ran by the moment we stopped, and
putting my head out the window inquired
what was the matter.
"Nothlng, SIR" he said, cheerily: "no
danger; only the lines blocked, and we
are waiting till they signal us to go on. :"
l then said, in low tone, "What poss-
essed you to place this young lady in my
carriage, when I so especially enjoined
you to keep it emptyG' ~ never let any.
body in,' protested the man with sur
prise. A young lady, do you say9"
Springing on the step as I drew my head
back, he looked into the carriage, and ex
claimed; why. there's no lady there, sirr
turned, aud imagine my confusion
she was gone! This passes my under
standing" said 1, "for though I'll swear
she was here bofore spoke to you, there
is certainly nobody here now; she must
have got out" I crossed to the fur
ther door and tried it: it was locked sure
enough. l let down the glass and looked
out, but in the darkness, OF course, could
see nothing. "Why, you've been dream
ing, SIR" said the guard, as I, looking
somewhat small, resumed my seat.
"Don't tell me-" cried I, Indignantly,
and disgusted at the absurdlty of the
position. ~ am perfectly convinced that
she was in the carriage! Why, here Is
positive proof" I went on, as l per-
ceived, and Immediately picked up a
gold earring from the floor between her
seat and mine. Amusement, mingled
with doubt and dlstrust, was plainly de-
plcted on the guards handsome counte-
nance, as regarding me with a puzzled,
half -comical expression, he said, after a
minute, "Well, sir, if you really believe
you saw her, l should advise you chang
ing your carriage.
Angry at myself for following his ad-
vice, did follow it, and when the train
was under way again examined the ear
ring so unaccountabiy found. The shape
struck me as curious. 1t was wheel
suspended from birds claw, which
turned when touched. Surely, as 1 told
the guard, this trinket was proof that
I had not been deceived or dreaming, at
least this was not the apparition OF an
earring at any rate. What could it
mean2 The more 1 thought of it the more
l was perplexed, and finally put it away
In my portmonnaie, and with mind
wearied with puzzling over the strange
occurrence at length tell asleep once
more but not for long. Suddenly I was
shock which threw me violently for
ward, while the carriage lurched over
and nearly capsized.
knew at once an accident had happen
ed-the accident half prophesized by the
guard. As soon as / could collect nv
scattered senses and found myself unhurt,
I clambered out of the carriage and ran
down the line to the front of the train to
ascertain the extent of the catastrophe.
It was hard to make ones way in the dark
and confusion, but what were my feelings
of horror and amazement, joined to in
tense thankfulness, when L discovered,
after some light had been obtained from
a hastily y-kindled bonfire, that the car.
riage I had previously occupied was ly.
ing complete wreck / knew it by its
color and the number, which / had re.
marked, still visible ON the battered pan.
ell. Then learned that several passea.
gers in the other compartments had suf.
tered feartully and I was so overcome
that felt quite dizzy.
So omuch my friend tod me, and when
he mad concluded / asked HIM to wait q
momont while went to my home. When
returned, / handed him an earring and
asked him to compare 1t with>the one he
found so strangely. As he did so, he ex-
claimed excitedly:
Yes; there they are, clearly the pair
two birds claws, each holding a revolv.
| ing wheel. "Now look at the portrait, =
I said, handing him the picture of an old
sweetheart of his, when he had stood fol
3 minute regarding me with blank