The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-07-14


fore noticed first, that
| a-KaTSSN6HN was not alone, and,
rtnsHnTIkS/ second, that / was not
~YWs& in smoking compart-
| ment.
1.Es My fellow.traveler
was a lady, clothed
from head to foot in a
travelling ulster with deep cape. and closely
| vailed. / wanted a smoke very badly, and so l
ventured to ask her if she had any objection.
| Imagine my astonishment when, instead of
| replying to my question, she sobbed out some
thing utterly incoherent and burst into tears.
This was startling enough, but when saw that
to dry her eyes, but simply sat still with her
hands folded under her cape, surprise very
| quickly gave place to bewilderment.
In such situation man does not reason !;
he simply acts on instinct.
| In a moment was at the other end of the
carriage begging her in 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- gloved hands AS she did So heard
the clink of steel, and something bright shone
in the lamplight.
My fair travelling companion was hand.
cuffed!
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 exu-
| berance of the unruly or dangerous criminal.
Please unlock these horrible things for me,
and then will tell you everything" she said,
and the request was supplemented by be-
seechng glance from pair of tear.dewed eyes
| to whose witchery many an older man than
myself would have succumbed.
| / took the key, and after little fumbling
about the strangely contrived locks set free
the dainty little hands that were stretched SO
appealingly towards me.
| Not knowing exactly what to do with the
handouts, slipped them for the time being
| into the side pocket of my ulster.
| AS soon as she got her hands free she unbut-
toned her ulster and threw it back little. As
she did So l noticed that she wore strikingly
curious brooch at the neck of her dress. 1t
was formed of two thick gold serpents, coiled
as if ready to spring, with their heads thrust
forward side by side. and their emerald eyes
cleaning with an unpleasantly life-like ex-
| preston
1t was pitifnl tale, and to great extent
one which the newspapers have of late years
made all too commonplace. Forced by social
and pecuniary considerations into marriage
with man old enough to be her father, and
possessing no single taste in common with her,
she had, under sore temptation, broken her
forced troth. and fed from his house.
Too proud to follow her himself, and yet
mean enough to punish her by making her
submit to an unheard- of-indignity, he had put
a private detective on her track, told him she
was tainted with a dangerous MANIA and
given him strict orders to bring her back to
London, when caught, handcuffed like felon.
The detective, when he overlook her at
Hereford, had given her letter from her hus-
band in which he told her that IL she did not
submit to his instructions he would prosecute
her for stealing one or two articles of jewelry
the brooch that she was wearing among them
which she had unwittingly taken away with
her in the hurry of her flight To avoid the
disgrace and public shame, she had submitted
to the brutal but private tyranny of his revenge.
At Gloucester her escort had got out to tele
graph to her husband to meet them, and had
lost the train through porter telling him that
the stop was i've 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 but shackled, she
saw the key Of her handouts. which must have
fallen from his ticket-pocket as he jerked his
overcoat on. She tried hard to open the locks,
but of course had been unable to do so.
Didcot and Swindon were passed as she told
her tale; we conversed upon the strange oc-
currences of the night, and the only stop before
Paddington was now Reading. Here my trav-
cling companion decided to leave the train, as
by no other means could she avoid running
Despite her gentle, winning manner, felt
instinctvely that persuasons would be useless.
and so / opened the door, got out, and helped
her to alight from the carriage, and with a few
murmured words of repeated thanks she was
gone.
When got back into the carriage 1 lit a
cigar and lay back on the cushions to think
over my adventure. By the time the train
drew into Paddington had exalted my beauti-
full unknown into heroine of romance, and,
regret to say, myself into something like a
knight Grant of the days Of chivalry.
"This is it, twelve.nnety. Are you there,
Fred?" The train had stopped, and lamp
flashing into the carriage woke me up from my
day dream to hear these strange words, and to
see couple of men in police uniform and
railway inspector peering into the compart.
ment.
"Hullo! This must be wrong; they aren't
here, and yet this is the right number. Excuse
me, sir; how far have you come i'll this car
riage?"
"From Stroud" 1 replied, bit dazed by
drowsiness and my strange reception.
Have you come all the way alone?"
Some mad idea connected in a confused 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:
yes; nave peen 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 inspector turned his
lamp under the seat opposite to me- and said in
hoarse whisper:
Good heavens! what's that?"
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
understood man, whose face was still drawn in
the agony of violent death, was dragged out,
lifted up, and laid upon the seat
OF course l spent the night in the cells; for
if could have procured-bal to any amount it
would not have been accepted.
Not only was charged with the most terri
BILE of all crimes. ,bnt the charge was supported
by prima facie EVIDENCE that looked practically
conclusive. The handcnfs had been found in
my pocket, and was accused of procuring the
escape from justice of then9torious Marie s.,
the wife of a member -of the Nihilist Inner
Circle, then serving alto sentence in Siberia.
No fewer than four murders had been traced
to her. and now l asEhatged with completely
in fifth, that of aaWslF known English de-
tective who had sought to make brilliant
coup by taking her alone.
She seemed to have the power Of fascinating
men with her beauty till they became her
slaves, and then stri king them dead by some