Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-11-15
SHE WOULD TRAVEL ALONE,
/ New KorEs woman's Terri BILE Adv, are
,n "A Railway Train
4 feel very uncomfortable about


was tall, fair woman, whose pretty
face bore traces Of recent illness: and,
IS she spoke, she passed her delicate
hand, laden with costly rings, over
her forehead.
1t Is too veXatlOus, too" con-
tlnued her husband, noting anxiously
the gesture, "that every seat in the
drawIng-rOOm car is taken. Don't
you think l had better ask the con.
ductor to look after yOu?"
''No, please don't, Jack" " answered
his wife; ''he would only worry me.
| shall be comfortable enough, and.
after all, it Is only six hours before [
arrive at R, where viii meet the
B-S. Goodbye, dear, and dou't
fret; will wire you this evening"
After her husband left, Mrs. A
rave careless look at her fellOw-pas-
sengers. In the seat across the aisle
Fat a respectable-looking, ruIdy-
faced, middlc-aged woman, whom the
Invalid regarded with satisfaction. \
taan and woman, with 4 family OF
tcveral children, occupied the place
Eear the door; the rest OF the car
seemed empty, but as her eyes fol-
lowed the line Of the seats, she felt a
disagreeable start on finding her gaze
met by the bold, direct stare Of a we'll
dressed, siniSter-lOOking man, who Oc-
cupied the third seat in her rear. BY
his side sat a burly-lOoking giant,
who, although cleanly and neatly
dressed, was evidently Of an inferior
class. Disagreeably impressed, she
knew not why, she turned around,
and, opening her book, cndeaYOred to
5eguile the tedium Of the Journey
After a couple Of hours the express
stopped at --, and here, to her re-
get, she saw her kind-Iooking neigh
Dor leave her seat. The family party
that she had noticed also hurried past
with children and bundles, pushing
past the new people who were coming
in, and it was with a feeling Of posi-
tive annoyance that she saw the men
behind her leave their place, and
quietly take possession Of the seats
the pleasant-faccd woman had left
vacant.
Again the train sped on. Mrs.
A felt quite yeXcd with herself
On account of the uneasy, nervous
Ieeling that gradually stole over her,
and the hall-dread she felt of the
dark, Mephistophelian-looking man
who had placed himself so near her.
Several times she looked toward him,
feeling instinCtiyely that his eyes
were fixed upon her, and each time
size never faned TO find the bold and
glittering orbs staring into her face.
'.How absurd I ami" she said to
herself, impatiently; ''what harm
could any one do me in a car full o.
people, and she reso,utely turned heI
back and began to read.
But, suddenly she gave 4 violent
start and a half-scream as she felt.
rather than saw, the dreaded face
bending over shoulder, while he said:
1--WE get out at the next station.
madam"
Just at that moment tI;a welcome
sound Of "Tickets," vas heard from
the conductor, who was making his
rounds before the train stopped. The
man, to her great relief, left her i'm
mediately, but, to her surprise, walked
up to the official and, drawing him
aside, engaged him in earnest con-
yerSation. In spite Of herself, she
could not help turning around to see
what her prosecutor was about, al
though she devOutly hoped to see
him leave the train, thus making it
unnecessary to take any notice of his
behavior. That they were talking
about her was evident, for the con-
ductor kept glancIng toward her as
the man spoke, and, to her annoy
3nCe, she saw him resume his seat
and begin to confer rapidly with his
companion.
Resolved to save herself from
further trouble, she laid her hand OF
he conductors arm as he passed.
please bend down your head,
she said to him, in low voice, that
man must be out Of his senses: he has
been annoying me ever since We left
C. Win you plcasc take me tc
.he next carr"
To her utter amaZemcnt and terror,
the conductor only gave her COM
passionate glance, and said gently:
Madam, you are under this gentle
mans charge, and he is going to take
you where you will be made quite
well again; am sure a lady like you
will 90 with him quietly"
Like 4 flash the frightful situation
dawned upon her bewIldered senses. !
The man was pretending she was
mad, and that he, with his assistant, |
were taxing her to an asylum. In |
vain Size attempted an explanation; |
terror paralyzed her tongue, and made |
her quite incoherent. The horrible |
man smiled down upon her. and she |
felt in her weakness that a grewSOme |
fate. over which she had no control, |
Iut her i'm his power. Her vehement |
and sobs were regarded |
by the kindly conductor as so many !
of her maIady.
Meanwhile the train was stopping !
4 little crowd collected around the |
"poor mad lady," who was protesting |
so vainly against her fate; and so in /
the broad daylight, in thc midst Of /
plying, warm-heartcd people, the un- [
fortunate woman was gently forced I
out of the train, put in a carriage by
the two men, and driven rapidly
away. More dead than alive, she
fnally tainted.
When she came to herself, she was
alone in a strange room, lying on
sofa. All tho most recent dreadful
rushed over her distracted
mind as she came to herself The
rause for the desperate piece Of
gillainy was not difficult to find; her
costly diamond and ruby rings, her
pocket-book containing a roll Of bills
1f several hundreds of dollars, her
watch and charm, and even the little
pin that held her cOllar-all had van
she'd But, thanks to Heaven, she
vas alone.
Tottering to her feet, shs found
,he was in a bare, clean room, with an
men window looking ont on n tran |