Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1890-09-25
THE WOMAN IN BLACK
Strange Tale Of Midnight Spec
ter in Paris.


TWAS in Paris, during the summer Of
1889, that,l heard the little anecdote
which ! am about to relate. al
OF course had been attracted there,
like every American who could tear
himself away from business, by the ex-
position in the French capital. What
moment would be more propitious for
the long expected trip abroad than the
time when Paris, the great cosmopolitan
city, was celebrating the anniversary of
the bloody event thatshook q yery throne
in Europe?
Marvellous, indeed, was the.scene that
surrounded me that evening: I had
wandered at random from the Troca-
dero, with its flashing colonades and
towers, to the central dome, with its
ureaths of light and transparent roof;
from the gigantic tower which multi
tnde of lights had turned into monu-
ment of red-hot iron towering thou
sand feet overhead, to the more dark
and picturesque colonial exhibit, where,
lost among the trees, one could find
African villages, Indian temples, and
Siamuse theaters, in which the actors
strutted around shrieking under their
masku like so many wildcats.
At last the closing time had come; it
was eleven o'clock. A long, dense line
of policemen, starting at one end of the
grounds, pushed their way in the di-
rection of the opposite exit, sweeping
in front of them the few remaining
visitors.
Not feeling sleepy, yet not caring to
follow the crowd, l sauntered leisurely
along by the river. Presently soldier
overlook me, and tipping his small. red
cap asked for light. I held out my
cigar, and undertook to air what little
French I knew. In the conversation
that followed / heard from the young
officers lips the story of the woman in
black.
= X - y =
1t was about month ago, but re-
member it as if it were yesterday, that
the sergeant called out to me to re-
lieve the sentry outside. Being new
recruit and tired with the days work,
did not hear, and it was not until he
had cursed and sworn by every saint
in the calendar that ! recovered my
senses sufficiently to pick up my gun
and button my coat to face the stormy
night. 1t was nearly twelve o'clock,
the sky was black as ink, and the rain
poured down steadily in very UNI
promising manner. A high wind, which
was blowing it in clouds through the
streets, made the position still more un-
comfortable.
After getting my instructions from
the man whose place l was to take.
made for the sentry box, fully decided
not to venture forth from its shelter.
Once there began to examine the po-
sition, and glanced through the small
window up and down the street There
was not soul to be seen; the lamp
overhead swung to and fro in the wind,
creaking dismally, and trying its best
to spread it's light along the wet and
deserted thoroughfare. On each side
the old houses, with their greenish
walls, arose grim and somber in the
darkness. Away off in the distance
could be heard the confused rumble Of
the streets that are still awake at that
time of night, but the distant sounds
only seemed to increase the silent lone
illness of the quarter that was to watch
until daylight.
Having nothing else to do, and know.
ing how unlikely it was that anybody
would disturb me, Titled pipe and be-
gan to smoke, in order to keep awake
more easily. OF course, a man will
think on such occasions, and nv
thoughts carried me far away to nv
home in little Southern village; |
made endless comparisons between my
old life and what had to expect during
the next three years. The result, I
need hardly say, was far from ,fattering
Tor the company's mess and night duty
In stormy weather.
How long had been meditating I
could hardly tell; it seemed like hours,
| but was probably not over thirty min
utes. At all events, when / :happened
to look up saw some one down the
street about two blocks away. Natur-
| ally watched to see which way the
person was walking, for in such solitude
| the slightest object becomes interest
ing. was soon able to see that it was
. woman, and that she was coming
| toward me. / noticed that there was
| something strange about her, and re-
member wishing most fervently that
she had been going the other way. Per-
haps my pipe gave me guilty con-
| science; perhaps it was some other
feeling; at all events, watched her as
/ She came toward me. a
She was dressed entirely in black; a
long black wrap. with a hood over. her
head, afforded her little protection
! against the rain. She seemed to glide
along noiselessly, stopping every now
and then to look around her. am not
. coward, but the intense solitude, com
bined with the bowling of the wind,
the creaking of the lamp and the mys-
terious movements of the dark creature,
made me feel very uncomfortable.
Still j decided to face the danger, il
danger there was, and moved to- the
door Of the box to wait until the danger
had passed. .s
Slowly she moved forward until she
was within three or four steps OF me,
then stopped again; her face was in the
shadow and I could not distinguish her
/ features. While I was trying to dis.