Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-11-23
4 HORRIBLE NIGHT.

be will save yoi all trouble Win your
luggage. fiiiag yOlr train. sni - oa.
..ii With bland smile, the head man
Of Blank & Sja. ~ he handed me my
l,,le book Of e,apon, aud bosei me oii
into the chill fog Of the November day.
| went neat day TO Paris. and spent The
nsx, day after 10 the gsy shops aud
street. Of that needless. h.PPys e.re-fof
getting ,o-u. I ~. to leave fof Tann
from the Care De Lyon n us Ia the
evening. When the dusk fell the clouds
gathered. and drove alone ,hroasa the
pouring rain TO th- station. Ny fneni'
h.d br3ash, me a,ser' aud fruits. and
they woaId have sOne to see me Oh. bat
| refused. They were ~omsn-sny
.hoald no, DO .. we'll As they And
then there ". the agent Of Blank "
Soa he was cure to Be there. Wha'
eoali want more
| reached the .,.,ion The rain beat
on my un.hsllered head I. | paid the
driver t-ice hi. fee. Cor the truly 'smi.
nine reason that be dsmsndei u.
-en,in. 40 ssent Of Bl.ak & Soa Vas
to BE- seen. h,i my ,ieks, dated. my
,ruak registered. and then | follosei
porter laisn -iih my hand luggage 10
the train. All the lsnsih Of the rAia
for Tura We wandsrrd--,hefe wA' ba,
one ff,i-elas eAui.s- to be ioand.
bad my fr.,-el... ,icks, in my hand aad
yea, up TO ihi. one e.frisse and would
have entered II. A s,olld.loosins Old
pr,e., "a, there ia solitary state. sad az
/ "a, about TO climb up be ..h srimly
th., /, va. all t.k,n. pleaded TOT one
li,,l. e1fnsr. bat In vain. | said
"Ba,. Monsieur. my ,ieks, u hf''-
class. .nd there is no hr..-elA,s earriase
bat this" -.
81, /, al taken. madam" came bis
reply. insKorsble s fate. i
/ turned away in despair. Clearly
mus, either 70 .eooad ella. or give Up
nv Journey for ,hl, night. | could not
DO the latter. for the friend OF my heart
-as waiting Coz me In Venice. and h''
plan, depended on mine. Al that mo-
men, | caught sight, for the first time.
o.. limp man wearing the livery OF
Blabk & Son. lie va. the most knoek.
kne,d. weak looking creature yoi could
ima,ine-.,ill be W. Me.sr. Blsnks
agent. Expiring hope vi. rssindIed IN
,nv h,..., erred out 20 him. ! show
ri him my little book With my hf'''
elias. ticket. Slo~ly. as fhe were so-
iny TO execution. be ven, up TO the sur
ly pris., in the single dr'telss' carriage
and .lo~ly be came back To me.
ale say. IL. all taken msam.
"Ys,. bat eAn', you speak TO the
chief Of the station
There's no time. aud he pointed TO
,h. clock. jas oa the quarter past 'e'en'
II. wU 80 utterly helpless. 30 P''aely
weak. | ,arnsd from him desperately.
Esen the .ecoad.el.s carriages had been
alin. est. saw q vacancy Ia oaly
ons. plugged into it. and the porter
handed me my baggage. glanced then
al my eomP.nioas-'~o oes'le.ero~ed
black looking msn. esitsn,ly Italians.
smoking h,resly. Terror took hold on
me. 1 uttered a las, cry Of despair. aud
kindly voice, speaking Eosh'h ~i'ha
French accent, said:
MADAM. can | be Of any service
and =, TIA, monen, the speaker .Pfans
into the carriage, tc1k his seat in the
corner opposite me. aud the door va,
.hu, with . bang. and the train moved
away.
| told my tale. and the young French
m.n-who va. after all more Eagll'h
than French. since be had lived ia Eag.
land slmo,, from his boyhooi-irisd to
comfort me. At ths, moment l real
ned ,ha, had drawn OF my gloves, the
more readily to get out my tickets and
the small change fof my porter. aud
,h., on one hand ruby ring VI. CATCH
ing the lsmplisht. and on the other
duiler glitter betrayed q large sap phire'
had worn the ring. for safe keeping.
ba, my mind mi.g.-s me {. | saw how
earnestly the smoking Italians were re.
ssrding them. | settled back In my
corner and drew on my gloves. bat nov
some evil attraction compelled me to
look ,te.df..,ly at my companions and
Try 20 take their measure.
1, WI. task beyond me. had new
er seen such men. The head and the
face Of the younger were exactly the I'M
age Of the murderer in Nine. Tasssnud's
Chamber OF Horrors. Happily Tor the
world ,hs, murderer had been hung; but
could /, be ths, his uneasy ghos, vas re-
incsrna,ed 10 this man. and had come to
,ormen, the World again. l had just
read "E,o,eric Baddhism," and this idea
.eemsd moe, reasonable. There VI" .
,or, Of evil fascination in the study OF
these two rufii.ns. II seemed to me
they looked behind their tobacco smoke
like demons seen through the salPhuroas
cloud. Of the Inferno. Suddenly my
Prnch. uslishman leaned forward and
spoke to me.
"M.d.m. l have fear Of,hoss Italians.
like their looks very ILL"
"I agree with you." ! said. THAT
younger one looks exactly like ons OF
Nine. Tasssnud's murderen."
"Hs makes me less Of terror than the
other. He 10 perhaps TOO young 20 con.
ui,s plans for harm; but the other ]
lie drew . long breath. "Ths other has
10 his eyss look 20 terrible. 90 wicked.
IL gives me fear. And behold them
They are 90 shabby! Way do they pay
seeond.clsss fare. Would they not bs
third but for some mischisf they plan"