The Opelousas courier., 1892-10-15

%F:s ,,' y . '; liz, ;,ss;';;
from head to foot in a travelling ulster
with g deep cape, and closely yelled. I
wanted a smoke very badly, and so I
ventured to ask her if she had any objec-
ton.
Imagine my astonishment when, in
stead of replying to my question, she
sobbed out something utterly incoherent
and burst into tears. This was startling
enough, but when I saw that she made
no attempt to take out a handkerchief to
dry her eyes, but simply sat still with
her hands folded under her cape, surprise
very quickly gave place to bewilderment.
In such d situation a man does not
reason; he simply acts Or instinct.
In a moment I was at the other end of
the carriage, begging her in q clumsy,
masculine fashion TO tell me what was
the matter with her. For an answer she
suddenly parted her cape and held up
two tiny clasped and daintily gloyed
hands. As she did so ] heard the clink
of steel. and something Fright shown in
the lamplight.
My fair companion was handcufedl
Before she attempted any explanations
she opened her right hand and showed
me one Of the regulation screw keys
which alone will open the steel bracelets
that restrain the exuberance of the unruly
or dangerous criminal.
ttPlease unlock these horrible things
for me and then ! will tell you every.
thing" she said. and the request was
supplemented by a beseeching glance
from a pair of tear-dewed eyes, to whose
witchery many an older man than n.y.
self would have succumbed.
TOOK the key, and, after q little fum-
bling about the strangely contrived locks,
set free the dainty little hands that were
stretched SO appealingly toward me.
Not knowing exactly what to do with
the handouts, I slipped them for the
time being into the side pocket Of my
ulster.
As soon as she got her hands free she
u~nbuttoned her ulster and threw it back
a little. AS she did so / noticed that she
wore a strikingly curious brooch at the
neck OF her dress. It was formed OF
two thick gold serpeuts, coiled as il
ready to spring. with their heads thrust
forward side by side and their emerald
eyes cleaning with an unpleasantly life
like expression.
It was a pitlful tale and to q great ex-
tent one which the newspapers have Of
late years made too commonplace.
Forced by social and pecuniary consid-
erations into a marriage with . man old
enough to be her father, and possessing
no single taste in common with her, she
had, under lore temptation, broken her
forced troth and fed from his house.
Too proud to follow her himself, and
yet mean enough to punish her by sub.
hitting her to an unheard-of indignlty,
he had put a private detective upon her
track, told him she was tainted with q
dangerous mania, and given him strict
orders to bring her back to London
when caught, handcufed like o felon.
The detective. when he overlook her
at Hereford, had given her o letter from
her husband in which be told her chat II
she did not submit to his instructions BIZ
would prosecute her for stealing one o.
Two articles of jewelry-the brooch thai
she was wearing among them-Whict
she had INV ittingly taken away viii
her in the hurry Of her flight. To avoid
the disgrace aud public shame she had
submitted to the brutal but private
tyranny OF his revenge.
At Glaucesier her escort had got GU
to telegraph to her husband to meet then
and had lost the train through d porte.
telling him that the stop was 1--WE minutes
instead OF three, and she had just seen
him run on to the platform as the train
left the station.
As she looked round the carriage IN
which she now found herself free. I'M
shackled, she saw the key Of her hand.
cuffs, which must have fallen from his
ticket pocket as he jerked his overcast
on. She tried hard to open the locks.
but, Of course, had been unable to do 90.
Didcot and Swindon were passed 4
she told her tale; we conversed ur~-
the strange occurrences of the night, and
the only stop before Paddington was
new Reading. Here my travelling COM
panIon decided 10 leave the train, IS By
no means could sha avoid running into
her husbands arms at the terminus.
Despite her gentle winning manner /
felt i~nstinctively that persuasions would
be useless, and % I opened the door,
got out, and helped her to alight from
toe carriage, and with few rnurrnured
words Of repeated thanks she was gone.
When I got back into the carriage !
III i cigar and 10y back on the cushions
10 think over my adventure. by The