The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-03-01

look place as IL seemed In d Sec
ond. One minute, and Watson, rigor-
ously guarded, was quietly walking
into the van in the midst of officers;
the next, and he was free, tearing
down the street with the police and
the populace at his heels. He was seen
to dodge down O back alley down at
Shut lane, and followed by the crowd
OF several hundreds. At the end OF
Shut lane he disappeared round cor
ner, and, strange to say, has not been
seen again. There can be no doubt
he will be recaptured, but his present
escape and disappearance are most
mysterious. We understand that the
fellow possesses singular strength and
agility, but none the less it will be a
standing disgrace to our police au-
thoritles that prisoner should thus,
in broad day light and in the midst OF
q crowded thoroughfare, effect his es-
cape from the very hands of Justice.
A reward of 91OO has been offered for
his reapprehension. Watson is about
feet 8 inches in height, strongly built,
aud when he escaped was dressed in q
gray-fustain suit, red scarf and soft
hat. He may further be distinguished
by scar across his chin, and by hav-
ing an arrow tattooed on the back of
his left hand"
This was about the extent of the
information contained in the para
graph, and my readers can agree with
me that the news was sufficiently ex-
citing to occupy my thoughts to the
complete exclusion of the unpleasing
experience I had just passed through.
As lay back in my seat to muse
what 1 had read, my thoughts began
after a while to wander, and my head
to nod, according to their wont at
midnight, and before long fell asleep.
How long l slept | cannot tell-pro-
badly for few minutes only-but in
those few minutes under rwent q most
discom forting dream. dreamed
that Chlppy Watson stood over me,
mallet in hand, and that my travelling
companion was holding his hand to
avert the threatened blow. She strug-
gled in vain, and the mallet fell-l ct
with strangely light touch-upon
my arm. With start, l awoke, and
then saw the girl Of my dream bend
ing over me with scrap of paper in
her hand.
But her face, how terribly was it
changed! Instead OF the dainty pink
flush I had last seen, there was q
CHASTITY whiteness in her cheeks, and her
eyes seemed starting from her head
in terror. Holding mp one finger, as
if to command silence, she passed me
the paper, on which was written the
following words:
''Some one is underneath my seat
and has just touched mel"
Was 1T the dream which filled me
with the thought that this was an
idle alarm? l cannot tell, but this
much know that in an instant there
flashed across my mind with over
whelming force the thought of the es.
capped wife-murderer.
Returning my companions silence
signal by a gesture CT acquiescence, l
wrote upon the paper:
''It IS probably only a dog. Shall I
look under the seat?"
Her answer was short and to the
point:
"No, do not look. It was hand"
Here, then, was a sufficient dilem
ma, but by comparison with what
h had passed before between my fellow
passenger and myself, it was a diem
ma that felt almost disposed to well
come. The male sex in my person
was about to assume its rightful po.
sirion of protector to its weaker, its
would-be independent companion.
Sweet was my revenge, and yet the re-
venge scarcely promised to be wholly
pleasurable.
My first action was to re move any
suspicion that there might be in the
mind of the mysterious third occu-
pant OF our carriage, through the pre-
sumably accidental action OF having
touched a lady's dress. Giving vent
to an audible yawn, as though l had
just awakened from sleep,I remarked,
in a tone of cool impertinence:
"You really must excuse me for ad-
dressing you again, madam, but will
you permit me to smoke, to enIiven
this tedious journey?"
As spoke, accompanied my words
by a meaning glance, and was favored
with the reply:
Certainly, if you wish it; I cannot
prevent YOU"
Thereupon I produced my pipe and
tobacco-pouch and proceeded slowly
to Gil 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 Go was to wait till
we reach Blackley, and there get as
sistance to find out who our unknown
travelling companion might be.
The longer / pondered over the pro-
blem, the more curious for its solution
did become, and then, needless of the
warning / had received, I struck q
match and Intentionally dropped it.
Stooping down, with muttered
malediction, to pick it up, l cast a
searching glance underneath the op-
posite seat, and then my blood ran
cold, as the faint gleam of a taper re-
vealed the back of mans hand with
the mark OF tatooed arrow upon it.
Chippy Watson, then, was our CON-
panion, doomed and desperate
man.
By mighty effort l controlled my
voice sufficiently to say.
Excuse me reaching across you,
madam; but that was my last
match, and could not afford to let
it go out"
The girl, into whose white cheeks
the color showed no trace Of return
ing, murmured some unintelligible re-
ply, and for 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. Scarce
ly had the thought formulated
itself, when the girl opposite me
sprang up trembling like a leaf, and
shrieked ere could stop her:
"Oh, the hand has touched my foot
again.
The moment the words had left her
lips heard q sudden movement un-
der the seat, and quicker than thought,
figure appeared upon the floor. In
moment flung myself upon the
ruffian and clutched his throat with