The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1892-09-21


from head to foot in travelling ulster
with deep cape, and closely veiled. l
wanted a smoke very badly, and so
ventured to ask her if she had any obiec-
ton.
Imagine my astonishment whom, in
stead of replying to my question, she
sobbed out something utterly incoherent
and burst into tears. This was startling
enough, but when l saw that she made
no attempt to take out 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 situation a man does not
reason; he simply acts or instinct.
In moment was at the other end of
the carriage, begging her in a 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 claspei and daintily gloved
hands. As she did so heard the cliuk
of steel, andsomething bright shown in
the lamplight.
My fair companion was handcuffedl
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.
''Please unlock these horrible thipgs
for me and then will tell you every.
thing" she said, and the request was
supplemented by beseech!ng glance
from pair of tear-dewed eyes, to whose
witchery many an older man than my
self would have succumbed.
took the key, and, after a little fun.
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, slipped them tor the
time being into the side pocket of my
ulster.
AS soon as she got her hands free she
unbuttoned her ulster aud threw it back
a little. As she did so l noticed that she
wore a 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 expression.
1t was pitiful tale aud to a great ex-
tent one which the newspapers have of
late years made too COMMONPLACE.
Forced by social and pecuniary consid-
erations into marriage with man old
enough to be her father, and possessing
no single taste in common with her, she
had, under sore temp .tion, broken her
forced troth and fled from his house.
Too proud to follow her himself, and
yet mean enough to punish her by sub.
mitting her to an unheard-of lndignlty,
he had put private detective upon her
track, told him she was tainted with
dangerous mania, and given him strict
orders to bring her back to London
when caught, handcuifed like felon.
The detective, when he overlook her
at Hereford, had given her letter from
her husband in which he told her that if
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 telegraph to her husband to meet them
and had lost the train through a porter
telling him that the stopwa five 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, un'
shackled, she saw the key of her hand
cuffs, 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.
pIdeOt and swindoa were passed as