Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1892-09-16

now Reading. Here my travelling CON-
panion decided to leave the train, as by
no means could she avoid running into
her husbands arms at the terminus.
Despite her gentle winning manner, /
felt instinctively that persuasions would
be useless, and so 1 opened the door,
got out, and. helped her to alight from
the carriage, and with few murmured
words of repeated thanks she was gone.
When l got back into the carriage
lit cigar and lay back on the cushions
to think over my adventures BY the
time the train drew into Paddfngton
had exalted my beautiful unknown into
heroine of romance, and, regret to
say, myself into something like a
knight errant of the days of chiv ally.
"This is 1t, twelve-ninety. Are you
there, FredV TIE train had stopped,
and lamp flashing into the carriage
woke me up from my day dream to hear
these strange words, apd to see couple
of men in police uniform and railway
inspector peering into the compartment.
"Hullo! this must be wrong. They
aren't here, and yet this is the right
number. Excuse me, sir, how far have
you come in this carriage2"
"From Stroud" replied, bit dazed
by drowsiness and my strange reception.
"Have you come all the way alone"
Some mad idea connected in con-
fused way with the beautiful woman
whose soft, clinging clasp could still
feel on my hand, stopped the truth that
rose to my lips, and instead uttered the
foolish lie:
eyes, have been alone in the carriage
all the way"
A moment later would have given all
| possessed to have recalled my words,
for as uttered them the railway inspec.
tor turned his lamp under the seat
opposite to me and said in hoarse
whisper:
"Good Heavens what's that2"
My eyes followed the glare of the
lamp, and | saw the toe of mans boot
on the floor of the carriage few inches
back from the front of the seat.
A minute later and the corpse of a
somewhat uudersized man, whose face
was still drawn in the agony of violent
death, was dragged out, lifted up and
laid upon the seat.
OF course spent the night in the
cells, for if l could have procured bail to
any amount it would not have been
accepted.
Not only was l charged with the most
terrible of all crimes, but the charge was
supported by prima facie evidence that
looked practically conclusive. The
handouts had been found in my pocket,
and I was accused of procuring the
escape from justice of the notorious
Maria s., the wife of member Of
the Nihilist Inner Circle, then serving a
life sentence in Siberia.
No fewer than four murders had been
traced to her, and now | was charged
with completely in fifth, that of a
well known English detective who had
sought to make brilliant coup by taking
her alone.
She seemed to have the power of fas-
cinating men with her beauty till they
became her slaves, and then striking
them dead by some terrible and myster-
ious agency that left no trace save death
behind it.
There is no need to dwell on the hor-
| rors of the time that followed my arrest
Everything that money and skill could
do fer me was done, but | was com
mittcd for trial on the circumstantial
evidence to answer the charge of mur-
der.
While lay in Jail awaiting my trial
the search for Marie $ became an
absolute hunt to death.
Despite all this, so perfect was her
skill in disguise, aud so unlimited her
1 fertility OF resource, that she might have
evaded pursuit after all, had it not been
for one of those slips that the cleverest
of criminals seem to make sooner or
later.
A smart young chemists assistant, at
a fashionable watering place, one even
ing on the pier made the acquaintance
of a very pretty girl, who said that she
was studying chemistry for the science
and art examinations.
This turned the conversation on chem
icals, aud she ended by asking HIM to
get her a quantity of very poisonous
substance which she wanted for an ex-
pertinent, aud which she could not buy
because she was a stranger in the town.
The chemists assistant was II sharp
young fellow, and he saw the chemical
she asked tor was not in the syllabus of
the science and art department.
He told his employer OF the occurrence
the next day, aud in the evening took
the girl some crystals of a harmless salt
which resembled what she had wanted
somewhat closely,
"fhis is not what | asked for,h she
said, rs she looked into the packet.
"No, you can't make prussic acid out
of that, mics, but it's safer to play with, Z"
coolly replied the youth, and AS he spoke
u man who had been leaning over the
rail Of the pier few yards away moved
silently up behind the girl, plnioned her
arms 10 her side aud held her down To
the seat.
the detective called a cab on the es-
plenade, aud the three got in aud drove
to the police station, pulling up the win
doss TO avoid any possible observation
As they went through the streets.
When the cab reached the station
there WAS no sign OF sound OF movement
insido il The eabman rot down aud