Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1891-10-02

at Ostend, that an elderly couple were
the other occupants of the carriage; he
merely gave passing glance from his
newspaper at the man, a stranger who
got in at Bruges and sat down on the
opposite seat.
Nearly an hour had passed before
Brown laid down his newspaper, and
when he did he was Mortified to see in
the traveller who got in at Bruges the
dark-faced man who had excited his
suspicious when he started from London.
AT Brussels Brown lodged the dark
faced man.
Never within the whole course of his
experience in foreign ports had Brown
passed a more wretched night; the
morning found his nerves in sad
state. He, who had never before known
himself the possessor of nerves! The
fidgety man who made fussY arrange
.ments about starting by the first train
for Lucerne, and whose eyes had a way
of casting furtive-not to say apprehen-
sive-glances around, was strangely un-
like the self-satisfied, phlegmatic Briton
who had arrived the evening before at
the Three Kings.
The success of his man9uvre in leav-
ing Brussels made him repeat it, and, be-
sides, he was in perfect fever to get to
the end of his journey, and rid himself
of the charge of the diamond. His
spirits rose considerably as the hour of
the trans departure drew near without
any appearance of the "shadower" in
the station. Brown remained on the
platform until the last moment, then,
with a fervent sigh of relief, he entered
the railway carriage. The train was
just moving off when the door was sud-
denly opened, breathless porter dashed
in handbag and parcel of rugs, fol-
lowed by still more breathless traveller.
The door was shut, the engine shrieked
the last departing signal, the train
moved from Bale station. In one cor
ner sat Brown; in another-the farthest
on the opposite side-sat the man with
the black whiskersi
The position in which Brown now
found himself might we'll have appalled,
the bravest. He was alone in railway
carriage, with scoundrel who had fol-
lowed him from London. Brown had
utterly abandoned surmise since last
night and accepted each idea as an abso-
lutte certainty. The object in this scoun-
drel's view was the capture of the valua-
BILE diamond, which was at that very
moment on Browns person. A long
journey lay before them, and Brown was
unarmed. At this review of the situa-
tion his heart sank; he drew back in
stinctively into the corner. His eyes
suddenly met those of the other man; a
deep flush suffused his face, which
seemed to find reflection in the others.
Brown hastily took up Baedeker and
affected to read; the man opposite stimuli
taneously did the same. A transparent
unreality on both sides. Browns fur
tive glances invariably caught-quickly
withdrawn though they were-those of
the other man leveled on him. While
this went on, the slightest change of posi-
ton, the least movement in the oppo-
site corner, made Brown start. Might
it not herald the approach of danger2 A
spring, rush, the attack
The tension was terrible; to remain
inactive almost impossible. Brown had
an inspiration, as man in extremity
sometimes has. Though he was not
armed, he would pretend to be. That
might do something; produce hesitation,
or delay, at least. Accordingly, he de-
liberately assumed bold, even threaten
ing demeanor. Casting truculent
glance across the carriage, he plunged
his hand into his pocket, affecting to
grasp an imaginary revolver. To his
intense delight the ruse took immediate
effect. The man opposite gave an un-
mistakable start, and shrank back into
his corner. So far, so good. But how
to keep up the pretence2 What to :
next2 At this crisis the whlstE -
engine suddenly distracted 9 =
Good heavens He had forg .sren the
long tunnell They were coming to it
nowl His eyes, with a quick, involun-
tary movement, sought the lamp. 1t was
not lighted
Entrappedl Doomedl The widest
thoughts rushed confusedly to his brain.
With shrek the train plunged noisily
into the tunnel, into darkness. The din
and rattle outside contrasted sharply
with the silence within the carriage.
Crouched in his corner, Brown, his hear
ing sharpened to agonizing acuteness,
listened for stir, rustic, the sound of
human breathing drawing nearer to him.
Every moment fancy detected step, a
stealthy, cat like movement His imagi-
nation. after the neglect of a lifetime,
was now taking ample revenge. Un-
controlled and uncomfortable were its
wild flights. Every railway murder of
which he had ever heard flashed upon
him with all the CHASTITY details. The
spring upon the victim, the struggle, the
death-stroke, the body thrown out on
the rails. How idly he had read of these
things happening to other menl But
now to realize himself as the victim; his,
the body! Absolute panic seized upon
him; hardly knowing what he was do
ing, he tried softly to open the door. 1t
was locked, however. His movements
must have been heard, there was stir
at the other end of the carriape. The