The weekly messenger., 1889-10-12

HIS llHScrS. III TOOK us Il
G3 couple Of minutes to find it.,
~ and then the train was lost
"Three-quarters of an hour to wait in
this hole" Hinton groancl. Better
walk oyer the hill to Chorley. The
train is due there Mt 9.15; we can do it
easily"
I'VE did it little too easily; the
train was in sight before we reached
Chorley. We leapcd over the ratings
and ran along the line; the train passed
us at the signal box, and We overlook it
as it came to a stop.
The last carriage was n hird-class; a
young lady, leaning through the open
window of the end apartment, looked at
us anXiously.
"Will you be good enough to open
the door I" she asked, as we drew near.
We both stopped.
Hinton brushed past me to render the
service; he was younger than /, his gal
lantry was boundless, and the present
appeal to it was made by one of singu-
larly preposScssing appearance. 1t was
not common face that smiled down on
us, showing long row of dazzling teeth,
q white, sensitive nose, and an intelli-
gent forehead, from which tie hair was
drawn back assertively, and a pair of
dark grey eyes, capable ofanything; not
n common figure that stood revealed
when the door was Opcned-tall, grace
ful, simply elegant, and dressed with
faultlesS taste, and the first question
that mystified me was how such lady
came to be travelling alone in third
class carriage, and at this early hour.
She stood at the open door in embar-
rassment that added a cham to her
face. The platform did not extend to
the carriage. The depth to the ground
was considerable, the step awkward.
She put out one neatly booted foot, and
drew it back hastily; all the time she
kept her hands c.ose in her muff, which
made the descent still more impractic-
able. With Il faint tinge of color in her
pale check. and her fine eyes twinkling
with veXation, she said:
"May | ask you to help me. 1 have
hurt my hands; they are useless
In moment we were on the footboard
one on each side, helping her to descend. ,
As | glanced along her arm / caught
the glimpse of blueish black metal in
side her sealskin mut1. She wore an iron
bracelet. Was it an eccentricity of fash
ion or Il surgical application, 1 wondered.
1t was to Hinton she smiled her
sweetest acknowledgement. and when in
parting she bowed to us both, her eyes |
rested last and longest upon him.
We stood by the open door watching
her as she walked up to the platform |
with an elastic, graceful step.
ss\Ow tbap ,r. ,.n,, n,> ~ ]
called the guard, with his whistle
raised.
At thatmoment the young lady turned
round, and, seeing us still standing by
the door, smiled bewitch ngy, made q
short step forward, turned again and
stopped, fixing hereyes on Hinton, who
was scarlet to the roots of his hair. 1t
was an invitation that my fiery young
friend was not slow to accept.
81 shall come on by the next train.
Jack, said he, and started at once to
reJOin the fascinating lady.
The guard blew his whistle, and I
stepped up mechanically into the car
riage, closing the door, and never los |
ing sight of my friend and the lady with I
the iron bracelet. He had his hat off
and was speaking to her as the train !
whisked me by. They were both so
pleasantly occupied with each other that
they took no notice of me. } continued
to watch them until the train was out of .
the station, and then sat down and
glanced round to see if there was any
others occupant Of the compartment.
Good Heavens. What was this at the |
other end, half on the ground, half on
the seat. l started to my feet and drew
near the dark mass. with growing terror
as l perceived that it was police officer
who lay huddled together, with one
shoulder on the seat and his head
dropped down upon his breast. His he'll
met had dropped Off. When / raised
his face 1 found it perfectly colorless,
only the white of his ewes was visible
through the half-closed lids. There was
no sign of any wound, no blood upon
his hands or face. A white handker-
chief lay upon the seat 1t seemed to
me that the man had suddenly tainted.
tried to raise him from his supine DOS
tion, but the dead weight (he was a
arge man was more than could man.
,ge.
The carriage was open from end to
compartments divided simply
oy backs. There was only one other
traveller In the carriage-a navy in the