The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-05-01


Oped nearly the whole upper part OF
her figure !; indeed. ON close inspec-
ton il hardly looked Ike an ordinary
veil, but more Ike a large, thin 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 T stoned round
her waist and one hand encased in
an old. i'll fitting black glove, lay plac-
idly on her lap.
Full of uncomfortable sensa ions,
Jack was about TO lift the veil, when
for the first time, the figure moved /;
its hand stole slowly from underneath
the folds of the dress, and the veil was
gradually lifted aud thrown up over
her head.
Invo!untarily my friend shr,nk
back into the corner of bis seat, for a
face was revealed 10 him which no one
could have looked on without sense
of awe. 1t was that of a woman
somewhat past middle age, thin, hag
gard, aud pale to degree which only
death could parallel.
The features, finely chiseled and
proportional, showed that at one time
there must have been supreme teauty,
while, though the iron gray hair look
ed little disheveled ard unkempt.
the glance of the eye WAS steady, calm
and determined
In this glance lay. chiefly. the awe
inspiring expression of the face. for in
addition to the penetrating lo0k, there
was a persistency in it and at the same
time a fascination quite terrible. 1t
fixed itself upon Jack from the first
moment that eye met eye, and for
several minutes net word was spoken
on either side. Presently. however.
he tried to pull himself together, and
resume his usual light hearted manner.
which had thus for moment been 90
strangely and unusually disturbed and
he said briskly:
81 beg your pardon, madam l was
afraid you were I'LL"
She slightly bent head, but spoke
not word. nor withdrew her glance.
He felt more and more that it was
costing him an effort TO be himself.
Her slow, stealthy, albiet Iadylike
demeanor, added greatly to the effect
already produced, and a curious SEN
sation was gradually creeping over
him that-impossible as il might
seem-the face was not strange to
him, Little as he, with his tempera-
ment, was given to speculation or
introspection. he found himself striv-
ing to look back for some event or
circumstance in his life which might
give him clew. Had he ever dream
ed of such face, or had he seen it
in childhood? He was puzzled, affect
ed, quite put out. And still the deep,
penetrating eyes We're fixed on his.
piercing, as it were, into bis very soul.
And still the hands what were they
doing? Taking off the gloves as with
"a set, deliberate purpose. and the
long, which, thin, almost clawlike
fingers worked strangely and nervous
ly, slowly Closing and opening
upon the palm, as if preparing t.
grasp something:
Again he strove to throw off the
unpleasant unusual sensation which
had crept over him.
II can't stand this" he thought,
II was never so uncomfortable in all
my life. | must do something, or
say something 20 put stop to this,
to make her take her eyes off me"
He moved abruptly to the further
corner of the carriage, and to the
same side on which the woman sat.
'Pll try and dodge her in that
way" he said to himself, ''she shall
not sit and glare at me in this fash
ion J"
But she too Immediately shifted
her place, and rising to her full
height, which was very great. went
over to the seat exsctIy opposite him,
never for one single second dropping
her eyes from his. He looked out of
the window with a vague notion of
getting out Of the carriage, when sud-
denly passing a little station which
he recognized, but at which the train
did not stop, an idea struck him-an
idea after his own heart "a comic
idea He awaited himself of it on the
instant, and assuming an ease which
doubtless sat i'll upon him, and which
he was far from feeling. he peinted
with his thumb buck toward the sta
ton they had just passed, as he said
mysteriously in hollow voice.
do you know that place?"
She seemed to answer i'm the
affirmative by a slight inclination of
- lool l.