The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-01-13


his left hand'
: This was about the extent of the informa-
| tion contained in the paragraph, and my
readers Will agree with me that the news
was sufficiently exciting to occupy my
thoughts to the complete exclusion of the
unpleasant experience | had Just passed
through. AS lay back in my seat to muse
upon what had read, my thoughts began
after awhile to wander and my head to nod,
according TO their wont at midnight, and be-
tore long fell asleep. How long slept |
cannot tell -probably for few minutes only
but In those few moments T underwent
most discomforting dream. dreamt that
Chippy Watson stood over me, mallet in
hand, and that my travelling companion was
holding his arm, TO avert the threatened blow.
She struggled in vain, and the mallet fell
yet with strangely light touch-upon my
arm. with start, awoke, and then saw
thsssiE Cfhiy dream bending toward me
with scrap of paper in her hand.
But her face, how terribly was it changed |!
Instead OF the dainty pink flush | had last
seen, there was ghasly whiteness in her
checks, and her eyes seemed to start from her
head with terror. Holding up one finger, as
II TO command silence, she passed the paper
on which were written the following words /:
Some one is underneath the seat, and has
just touched me-"
Was it the dream which fl led me with the
thought that this was an idle alarmY lean
not tell but this much know that in an in
slant there flashed across my mind with
overwhelming force the thought of the es-
capped wife murderer.
Returning my companions sience-signal
by gesture OF acquiescence, | wrote upon
the paper:
ut is probably only dog Shall look
under the seat? q
Her answer was short and to the point:
No do not look. 1t was a hand"
Here, then, was sufficient dilemma; but
by comparison with what had passed befure
between my fellow passenger and myself, fl
was dilemma that | felt almost disposed to
welcome. The male sex in my person was
about to assume its rightful position of pro-
tector to lie weaker, if would.be independ-
cnt companion. Sweet was my revenge; and
yet, tie revenge scarcely promised to be
wholly pleasurable.
| My first action was to remove any sus-
picion that there might be in the mind of the
mysterious third occupant of our carriage,
through the presumably accidental action of
having touched the lady's dress Giving vent
to an audible yawn, MS though | had Just
awakened from sleep, remarked, in q tone
of cool inpertinence:
You really must excuse me for address,
ing you again, madam, but will you permit
me to smoke, 10 enlivGn this tedious Journey ="
AS l spoke, | accompanied my words
by meaning glance, and was favored with
the reply:
Certainly, if you wish it; cannot pre-
vent you"
Thereupon produced my pipe and tobac-
co-pouch and proceeded slowly to fill the
former, as thought out the plan of action.
On reference to my watch, saw that the
train would stop in another ten minutes
Clearly, the only thing to do was to wait till
we reached Blackley, and there get assistance
to find ont who our unknown travelling com
panion might be.
The longer | pondered over the problem,
the more curious for its solution did be-
come, and then needless Of the warning | had
received, struck match and Intentionally
dropped it.
STOPPING down, with a muttered maledic-
tion, to pick it up, cast searching glance
underneath the opposite seat and then my
blood ran cold as the faint CLEAN of the Ia
per revealed the back iofa mans hand with
the mark of t'tooed arrow upon it.
Chippy Watson then was our COMPANION
a doomed and desperate man
By mighty effort | controlled my voice
sufficiently to say:
EXCUSE my reaching across you, madam, |
but that was my last match, and | could not
afford to let il go out"
The girl, into whose white cheeks the col |
or showed no trace of returning, murmured |
some uninteligible reply, and for a few
moments we sat in silence
Again | looked at my watch Thank
Heaven, in five minutes we should be at
Blackley, and the awful ride would be at an
end. Scarcely had the thought formulated it.
self when the girl opposite me sprang up,
trembling like leaf, and shrieked, ere | |
could stop her
ooh, ehand has touched my foot again ~
The moment the words left her lips heard
sudden movement under the seat, and
quicker than thought figure appeared upon
the floor. In that moment flung myself
upon the rufiian and clutched his throat with
the energy OF despair knowing that should
he once gain his feet it was all over with me.
the lighter and the weaker man. Can ever
forget the horror of those five minutes ride
The whole compartment seemed to be falling
upon me. Then nails, feet, all were attack.
ing me at once, but through all kept up my
grip upon the murderer's throat, and though
L streamed with blood, and almost lost con-
seriousness, still held on while the glrl's
screams rang dimIy through my ears. Sud.
denly the train stopped the struggle ceased:
e.,
When recovered consciousness at length,
found myself lying upon table in The
Buckley Station waiting.room, with a SYM
pathetic crowd around me, and, best of all, l
saw lace bending tenderly over me, the face
OF the girl of my dream and my discontinue.
After making two or three attempts, | man.
aged to ask: Where is Watson ?r
VERY nigh dead" replied ruddy-faced
farmer who stood beside me. you three
quarters strangled the life out of his ugly
body; lie was black In the face when they
lifted you off him."
"Do you know that he is an escaped wife
murderer" inquired feebly.
Yes, we know" responded my honest
friead. "The Burtown police teiegrapbed
after the train to have 1t searched, because
man answering his description had been seen
in the station before it left The police have
got him safe, my lad, this time, and no mis-
take. Why, saw him handcuffed, and his
arms pnioned behind him, and he lying half
dead the while after the throating as you
gave him."
Do my readers want to hear the rest of nv
story, now that the catastrophe is told If
so, will inform them that Watson, on break
ing loose from the police, after turning the
corner of Shut Lsne-where it will be remem-
bered he ppeared-contrived, by an al
most incredible effort, TO scale high wall
and so gain the shelter OF a railway enbank-
ment. Along this he crept until he reached
the midtown tunnel where he had lurked
all day, until late in the evening, he crept
into the station and contrived to secrete him
selfin the carriage OF the midnight mail with
the results before mentioned.
There is one more incident in close con-
nection with that journey TO be told it is
this, that there will be marriage early this
spring. The name of the bridegroom will be
Knigbtly; the name OF the bride does not
matter. She was never formally introduced
to her future lord and master, and therefore
it is surely unnecessary to tell the name she
will soon cease to bear, to passing acquaint-
ance like the reader.-Chdm6erS' Journal.
Fastened Fore and Aft.
An old sea captain was riding in the cars,