The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-11-02

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So felt Edna Crawford, sitting NTH
bogCed head.
Mrs. Smith and announced her inten-
ton of passing the evening at the thea
tire. At the sight of the girls tear
stained face Mira Smith wisely held her
tongue, but the cynical smile that played
about her thin lips caused young Mrs.
Henshal TO fesl for her trusted COM
p0nion a sudden hot dislike.
When Mrs Smith left to make some
preparation for accompanying her Lena
threw herseh on the bed in a paroxysm
of bitter weeping. Her thoughts turned
longingiy toward her father, TO whom
she bad always gone for advice and SYM
patty, and with these thoughts came
the sudden determination to go to him
without delay. She knew that Banker
Hartman was then in Chicago on an i'm
portant financial mission, and summon
ing bell boy she procured a time table
andfound that with haste she could catch
the $50 Chicago express.
She thrust few articles into valise,
and leaving brief message for Mrs.
Smith to the effect chat she had de-
cided TO go out alone and not to wait up
for her" she stepped into a cab and was
soon at the Union depot. She purchased
her ticket, securing the only remaining
section on the train, and before she had
time to realize the Importance Of the
step she had taken she was whirling
away en- route for Chicago.
Lena was suddenly brought back to
the consciousness Of her position by the
porter, who was collecting the oompart-
ment tickets preparatory to making up
the berths for the night.
Edna, who in the haste of her depar-
ture had neglected 10 secure any Sleep
ing section, now found that everything
had been previously engaged and that
the only alternative TO sitting up all
night was an uninviting looking lounge
at the end Of the car. Mrs. Henshall,
who had been attracted by the girls de-
spairing face, stepped forward and Of
fered her the other berth in her own
compartment
Edna accepted gratefully and warmly
thanked her unknown companion for
her courtesy.
AS she moved from the seat her foot
touched a small, dark object lying on
the floor close to her chair. 1t was a
leather card case, stamped with initials
an. r. H"
With view TO discovering the owner
Edna opened it, and extracting one of
the bits of pasteboard read aloud, "Mr.
Henry Rowan Henshall, New York
city"
why, this must have been dropped
by the gentleman who spoke to me Just
as the train was leaving San Francisco"
she said
Lena had grown deadly pale. "The
gentleman who spoke to you" she ques-
toned family.
YES" replied Edna hesitstingly, "a
tall, blonde gentleman who has followed
me on several previous occasions. This
evening he spoke to me and l resented
1t. A stranger present at the time came
to my assistance, and in the disturbance
that followed this card case was proba-
bly, lost"
Lena Henshal reuaAinedEilent. Crush
ed and Inundated by this proof of her
husbands duphcity she had not the
courage to further question her CON-
panion.
Her love for her husband was the first
grand emotion of her life, and the dis
covery she had just made filed her with
a mad, wild jealousy When she finally
retired for the night it was with the
pleasing knowledge that in the berth
above her, by her own invitation, lay
the girl who was the cause of her hus-
bands indifference and probably the
possessor of her husbands love.
How long she tossed about in her
narrow berth, wakeful and miserable,
Lena never knew.
Just as merciful sleep was closing her
weary eyelids there came sudden jar,
then q horrid crash. shrek that rent
the air, blow upon her head that
made hideous glare of light, and then
darkness absolute and blessed uncon-
seriousness.
The papers Of the following day were
filed with the ghsstly details of the
awful railway accident near b.
The names Of the surviving 'passen-
gers. together with list of the killed
and wounded, were published. but the
name OF Edna Crawford, aliss Louise
Neville, did not appear in any of these
accounts. nor did the strictest and most
dihgent inquiries throw any light on the
complete and mysterious disappearance
of this young woman