Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-05-13

experience | had just passed through.
As lay back in my seat 10 muse up
on what l had read, my thoughts be-
gan after while to wander and my
head to nod, according TO their wont
at midnight, and before long l fell
asleep.
How long l slept I can not tell
probably for few minutes only
but in those few minutes l under
went most discomforting dream.
| dreamt that Chippy Watson stood
over me, mallet in hand, and that my
travelling companion was holding his
arm TO avert the threatened blow.
She struggled in vain, and the mallet
fell, yet with strangely light touch
upon my arm.
With a start | awoke. and then saw
the girl of my dream bending toward
me with scrap Of paper in her hand.
| But her face. how terribly was it
/ changed Instead of the dainty pink
| flush / had last seen, there was
ghastly whiteuess in her cheeks, and
her eyes seemed starting from her
head with terror. Holding up one
| finger rs if to command silence, she
passed me the paper on which were
written the following words:
Some one is underneath the seat
,,I laS iust t,urbaI mo -
Was it the dream which filed me
with the thought that this was noidle
alarm ! can not tell; but this much
| know, that in an instant there
flashed across my mind with over
whelming force the thought Of this
escaped wife murderer.
Returning my companions silence
signal with gesture OF acquiescence,
| wrote upon the paper:
1T is probably only ii dog. Shall
| look under the seat?'
Her answer was short and 10 the
point;
NO; do not look 1t was n hand.
Here. then. was a sufficient dilem-
ma but by comparison with What
had passed before between my fellow
passenger and myself, it was dilem-
ma that | felt almost disposed to vel
come. The male sex in my person
was about to resume its rightfuI po-
sition of protector to its weaker, II
would-be independent companion.
Sweet was my revenge, and yet the
revenge scarcely promised to be
wholly pleasurable.
Nv first action was TO remove any
suspicion that there might be in the
mind OF the mysterious third occu-
pant Of our carriage, through the
presumably accidental action OF hav-
ing touched the lady's dress. Giving
vent to an audible yawn, although l
had just awakened from sleep, | re-
marked in Il tone of cool imperti-
nence-
"You really must excuse me for ad-
dressing you again, madam; but VIII
you permit me to smoke to enliven
this tedious journey? ??
As l spoke l accompanied my words
With a meaning glance, and was Ia
vored with the reply
"Certainly, if you wish it; | cannot
prevent you
Thereupon produced my pipe and
tobacco pouch and proceeded slowly
TO fill the former as / thought out n
plan Of action. On reference TO my
watch ! saw that the train would
stop i'm ten minutes. Clearly the only
thing to do was TO wait till we reached
Blackeley and there get assistance to
find out who our unknown travelling
companion might be.
The longer | pondered over the
problem the more curious for its So
luton did | become, and then, heed
less of the warning | had received,
struck u match and intentionally
dropped it. STOPPING with a NUT
tered malediction TO pick it mp, ! cast
n searching glance under the oppo-
site seat. and my blood ran cold as
the faint CLEAN Of the taper revealed
the back OF the mans hand with the
mark OF the tattooed arrow upon 1t.
Chippy Watson, then, was our com
pauiOu-a desperate man
BY mighty effort | controlled my
voice sufficiently to say:
Excuse me reaching across you,
madam, but that was my last match,
and could not afford to letitgo out. "
The girl. into whose white cheeks
the color showed no signs Of return
ing. murmured some uniutelligible re-
ply. and for a few moments was set
| in silence.
Again ! glanced at my watch.
Thank Heaven in five minutes we
should be in B.ackeley, and the aw-
fu ride would be at an end. Scarce
ly had the thought formulated Itself
! when the girl opposite me spran= up
trembling like a leaf, and shrieked:
"Oh. dear that hand has touched
my foot again.
The moment the words left her lips
| heard a sudden movement Gnder
the seat and quicker than thought
a figure appeared upon the floor. Ia
that moment flung myself upon the
ruffian and clutched his throat with
the energy Of di.pair, knowing that
should he once gain his feet it was all
over with me, the lighter and weaker
man.
Can ever forget the horror Of that
five minutes ride? The whole COM
partment seemed to be falling upon
mo Teeth. nails. feet. all were at