The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-10-27

NeooAbAf NlAu ~ WAS uthI IL v klOth
before the old fellow became too indig-
nant over some statement as to the civil
service to continue the argument and
went staggering and putting out. He
returned almost Immediately.
Conductor, he wheezed, with a sort
Of forced calmness, Il thought bought
that upper berth in my sectionln
$50 you did. 1 replied.
And you told me you put it up2'
eyes, sir. "
'You did no such thing.n he ex-
claimed, suddenly bursting into rage,
''the internal thing has been down all
night, and is down now, and my berth
steaming like a sweat box. Give me my
money back ~
"You looked into the wrong berth,
replied. Il put that upper back my
self and nobody's touched it since"
Il looked into section seven, " he said,
furiously. Il don't believe you ever
touched it
81 Just want to show you that you
don't know what you're talking about, "
answered, leading the way back into
the car. Here is your section. See.
At this l threw back the curtains and
stopped dumbfounded. The upper berth
was down, and, what was more, the wires
did not appear to have been touched.
Bliss started to say something in reply,
when felt of sudden as though bull
let had gone through my heart. A hor-
rible thought had flashed across nv mind.
too quickly to be shaped in words. The
blood came throbbing through my neck
IN slow, bursting waves, and more like a
machine than a man l stretched out my
arm and opened the curtains of section
five. The upper berth was shut.
had made a mistake. In hideous,
moving tomL, swings like Mahomet's
collin. between heaven and Garth, | had
buried the girl alivel For a moment it
seemed as though the arteries of nv
throat would burst; my heart beat with
quick, sharp pangs; my skin had all the
ICY contraction Of a sudden plunge into
cold water. It was then that sort of
secondary intellige ce seemed to work
within me, and, while my senses reeled
with fear and horror, impelled me to
push up the berth in the cid mans Sec
ton and get away. l scarcely knew
what was doing, but Bliss noticed moth
ing and grumblingly crawied into his
berth, while hurried out to the plat
form.
Why did not open upper fve2 Be-
cause | realized instantly that the victim
was long before dead. In a sleeping-
car space is economical to the utmost ex-
tent. The swinging berth fits into space
ike ball IN a socket The elasticity of
the mattress and the slight figure of the
girl alone made it possible for me to
close 1t with her inside. 1 gave one hag-
gard look at my watch. An hour On
half had elasped. She must have died
IN the nrst three or four minutes.
l stood on the steps and tried to
think, but could not control nv mind
In swift detile it pictured to me the dis
covery, the blackened corpse tumbling
from the blankets, the stiff fingers clutch-
ing at nothingness, the mothers shrek.
the CONSERVATION of the passengers. the
excited theories, the quick conception of
the truth, the search, the Remuneration.
the awful machinery of the courts. the
prison BY violent effort I SURVEYED
the situation from several standpoints.
They all led TO one conclusion-fight.
There was but one time when I could
have taken the benefit of the accident
that was at once. when | made the dis
covery-and realized the impossibilitv.
of explaining my hesitation. These
things passed through my mind like
tia, hes of lightning There was not an
instant TO lose. Mrs. Paxton might at
any moment awake and call her daugh-
ter. Just then the engine slowed up
tritle. l saw indiEtintly in the gloom
That the ground was level, swung of,
and watched the dim outline of the
train, carrying its burden of sleeping life
and silent death, grow faint and fainter
and disappear into the night.
The place where l Jumped was near
water tank. presently made it ont and
walked wide around ii to avoid possible
watchman. I knew the lay of the land
in general way and that l could not be
far from the little town of Mohawk Sum
NIT. To get out Of the country the
quickest way possible was my dominant
thought, and old Mexico suggested itself
at once. I realized that I must avoid
the railroad with il accompanying tele-
graph lines, and I started, as nearly as I
could Judge, southeast. As I walked
along | cut the gilt buttons off my coat
and vest and threw them away. l did
the same with my cap and tore the gold
braid from around the brim.
| shall not 90 into the details of that
night, nor the many days and nights that
followed it. I was full Of wild regrets
at the course I had taken and saw a
million defects in my plan. With agony
1 realized that my flight destroyed the
theory of innocence. could see do zen
ways that I might have remained upon
the car-now that it was too late. Nv
journey south was through innumerable
hardships, and the ever present and sick
ening apprehension of pursuit. In the
camps where hunger drove me it seemed
TO me that everybody looked strangely at
me. If man turned his head nv heart
bounded with panic. Twice I was lost
on the arid, sage grown plains, and once
/ wandered without water and burning
with fever for two days
had S94 in my pocket when Jumped
from the train, but when I finally made