News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1893-05-04

! Next day at IL L presented mysel
at the Van Spoofs apartments al
the Bristol. | was evidently expect.
ed. Cynthia was pale and her eyes
| sparkled with a feveTish light. There
were open trunks lying about in al
directions. They were getting ready
for the start to New York. lost no
time. Take the place with a rush is
my MOTTO"
Cynthia" | cried, as l fell upon
my knees and placed her taper fingers
! on my lips.
Captain Love-" said Mrs. Van
Spool in a choaking voice, "the-
Dan'l is in the next room, and and
he suspects. Let me implore you to
leave me-"
At that moment there was an i'm
periOus knock at the door-a hus-
bands knock.
"Save yourself!" cried Cynthia,
as she held open the lid of an immense
Saratoga trunk, one of those huge
Golfers without which no American
lady ever travels.
"For her sake, for the sake of this
transatlantic Imogen, |, a modern
Iachimo, stepped into the great trunk.
1t wasn't fear of the man Van Spoof,
Pumper, it was lOve-love for the
treacherous little fair-haired viper,
his wife.
"The lid closed upon me and l
heard the click of the spring-lock.
Come in, Dan1," cried Cynthia
Van Spool, and before l heard the
fellows voice l smelled the odor of
the rank cigars that he invariably
smoked.
"Waal, my gal," said Van Spool,
care you through With them boxes ?"
They're all packed, Dan'l, I've
just filed the last one," and Mrs. Van
Spoofs voice seemed to be choked by
a kind of sob.
"Then they can he started off at
once, pussy, said Mr. Van Spool.
81 heard no more | believe | faint
ed"
"When l came to myself l was
brought to by a tremendous concus-
sion. l heard the noise of vehicles
and the hum of voices. We were evil
IDENTIFY in the street. | dared not ut
ter sound for Cynthia's sake. We
were soon in rapid motion over the
smooth asphalt. The position was
terrible one. l couldn't turn, but l
could breathe-thank heaven, | could
breathe. | would go through with
my terrible adventure for Cynthia's
sake. What if were to die of suffoca-
ton? Dreadful thought But her
secret, Cynthia's secret, the secret of
our love would be safe. She would
release me at the first opportunity.
She evidently had some plan-trust a
wOman's ingenuity for that-but she
had not had time to communicate it.
But my meditations were interrupted.
| and my living tomb were suddenly
flung upon some hard substance. If
it had not been for my hat my skull
must have been fractured; as it was,
| felt as if every bone in my body was
dislocated. But | uttered no sound
no cry escaped me, for l felt that.
perhaps, the eyes of Cynthia were up
on the trunk, and a grOan might be
tray us.
"We-the trunk aud I-were bang
ed about horribly for the next five
minutes. Then a voice shouted,
"Grande vitesse, Charing Cross, en-
registre," and then my sufferings re-
began. But l bore it, sir,-I bore it
for Cynthia's s sake.
81 saw it all; she was eloping to
England with me, and for a moment
| pitied the poor, deluded American
husband, Van Spool.
"We were placed in the van and the
train started. After what appeared
like years of agony, though it was
only little over four hours, we were
dragged forth. | was one vast ache,
but my heart beat with happiness;
for now, surely, now, Cynthia would
release me. My position in total dark
ness, my knees in my mouth, unable
to change my attitude, parched with
thirst and want of air, it was worse
than the miners in the coal mine,
worse than the Little Ease; but hope
the hope of my reward, sustained me.
And then l heard a voice-an honest,
hearty English voice; Look out be-
low"
"Then, we, the trunk and L, flew
through the air as if shot from q
cross-bow. There was an awful
crash and l lost consciousness. They
had shot US with the rest of the lug
gage, down the steep shoot to the
steamers deck-a railway collision
was a joke to it.
They put the heavy luggage for
ward; you feel the motion of the ship
most there. am bad sailor, Pun
per [ always have private cabin
when crossing the channel. | had one
now. l draw veil-yOu can fancy
the rest. But l bore it all. | endur-
ed tOrments in the van from Folke-
stone from want of air; we, being big
were undermost in the huge pile OF
| luggage in the van.
"When we got to Charing Cross at
last the customs officials opened my
prison. / learned afterward that
there was a label directing that the
trunk was to be opened and exam
ined Immediately on arriving at Char
ing Cross. That label, sir, was in the
handwriting of the fiend, Van Spool.
Had Cynthia betrayed me?"
They dragged me out, sir, more
dead than alive, and was at once
given in charge for attempting to de-
fraud the railroad company by travel
ing as passengers luggage.
Il dared not tell the story. gave
a false name. | was fined So the next
day and passed the night in police
cell. The magistrate said that he
hoped it would be warning to me.
at will be, Pumper. Never-neveI
while l live will l again pay my ad-
dresses to a married lady. But
wonder whether Cynthia-I NEAR
Mrs. Van Spoof-did what she die
under compulsion? wonder?"
shook hands with Captain Love.
lace and sympathized, and then
bade him goodnight.
He's married now, poor fellow, so
tell the story.-The Argonaut.