Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-11-10
BEWARE THE BOMB

Stage" column. and exclaimed aloud:
 ''-it it ;..,.sin!'
 \ FrCnclman sitting near me looked up i'll wonder :t my pctulant tone. so haSton,-l to explain. speaking iiucntly i:l v,ry lad French:
 "'Round the World In Eighty Days is on the boards again. Will thly eve have done. with tl,;:t absurd affair: They s.,ln to think it a feat equal to the Ia b,,::, If H,r,ul,S" Thc Fr,uchnun looked shocked. ''Philv;I~ F"Eg w;iS no better than a tor;ui~""' l cried b"aStfully, T coa,I do much better than h,."-
 You can 70 around the world in lc 5 thIn SO day;,:' asked my hrar,r slowly, and I answered i'll the s;lmr tone:
 Il will 20 round the world in 70 days if you like.
 Il take ynu up." he cr;,'d
 What do you hct:''
 Five thousand francs.
 Done, - said I. and wc exchanged cards and bows.
 That was how 1t came about that left Paris fir the east on the :Ith of Ian- ua1y and stepped un Isllrd a trlnSatlal:- tAN ~aI sAA4tAl EL'Etl ss -Ns-N ] OIh llt'E OH the :5th uf March. So far I had not ln [ a minute, and HOW 1t only remained to bc seen whether should reach Havrc i1 seven days, a> the steamship company promised II would bc q close shave at best. A variety uf dctentions might oc- cur. \ slight accident to the machinery. and all would bc lost
 l was nearly consumed with anxiety. but the ship acted up to her reputation. and un the I2th of March stepped once more on tn Tr,nch soil.
 l east the ship a lunk of gratitude a. she lav at the IIavr2 pier letting off steam from her Elul.>tr,E.~ lefilcr.
 Then l glanced at my watch. IL wa> i in the ::fIcIu"un- There Was plenty tir!" fer me tr din" at my case and catch the G:iO cNpr,<>. That would bring mc to Paris at half past II.
 t",'l ont my tim" table tn make SJIrc. A run Iily eye ou the column Uf ti-Ur,>. an inspiration came to me
 "Wh,rr'S the u>c "f starting this evening" I said tu myself If get there t,so early. 1t will lns,k aS if I were afraid of losing the wager. How much tS-tt,r tu arrive at the Vvry Inst second with llrilli.tncy and dash and dramatic. effect, just :J< thvy do on the stage. That would hr worthy of q genius, Now hcrt. l. d train which leaves H:vrr tomorrow morning It t;::i:I and reaches tl,. St LaZarc station at ll::'0. The time fixed fer llv to meet the fellow at ;h.' office t.f The s,maphurr just h,hind the Stocl, ENclau-,. is before the first stroke of noon. l cln easily go from St. Lazarc [" ri.. ', So there k nothing lr,v,:- my appear ing in the nick uf time. just ;Is Philca> Fo-- did. after making every ones heart palpitatc with suspense. That settled. l shall not Gn on until tomorrow"
 Accordingly W. Tt with my baggage to the best hot. ;. din, q comfortably. took q walk through tll,. town. smoking a cigar. and returned at 10 to 20 to bed II must take the G::I:I train tomorrow morning. I ...i,! [" the hotel proprie- tor. Can yuu have uc wakencd in | tim, =
 We have al trustworthy man on pur- pose f"r that work. Was the reply. That may la. said I skcptically: but. after all. if ynu cnuld let me have an alarm ,-los k. I would feel more safe '' Il will lend you my own. although I assure you il i' unnccCSS:lrv. said the | host. and accordingly 1 carried the tiny l cluCll [" my rnnln. wound the alarm. set | it at 'i. St,vI it "m a little table, IsSid' the lvrl and went to sleep with quiet mind.
 was ill heavy Slumbcr when frlt my arm hcing shaken violently.
 What's the natter" I grumbled i xJ-irb,u- my ''Y"u have only just time, sir. said a voice i'll my ear. Time for what:' I asked. looking up drowsily.
 ''Tu catch your train. was the reply
 sat up and glanced at the clock. It was half past 6.
 Without another word, I lcaped from the bed with such precipitation that 1 ! tlr, W down the table with the little clock. dashed into my clothes, crowded my few belongings into my trunk fran tically. flew down the stairs four at q 1 time. SIlrang into the stage which was awaiting Ir hardly drew breath until | was on the train 1 Ouf! What close squeeze. Two min utes mere, and would have lost my bet. However. all'S we'll that ends we'll I had my ticket; my trunk was on the train: the whistle sounded. was off for ! Paris.
 When entered the St Lazare station, the hands of the big clock pointed to half Tast IT. Ihailed q cab and learned that there was time for me to take my trunk with me.
 At that moment it appeared in the arms ot TWO pOrters, who were carrying it with the greatest care. Confound them, how slow they were! What fool ever accused the railway companies oi handling baggage roughly: I hastened toward the men, cXclaiming:
 Be quick now"'
 had hardly uttered the words wheI heavy hand was laid on my shoulder and turning round to see the cause o such familiarity I found myself face tC face with a gendarme.
 What is the matter with you?' asked in amaZement.
 Matter enough" " replied the man il ajeering tone, tightening his hold ''Yol will see''
 Behind the gendarme came two rail way officials They stopped over my trunk solemnly, turned their heads as i listening, then stood up and exchanged glance, which plainly said, There Ii no doubt of it.
 'They are crazy, :" I thought, but theI ahorrible conviction flashed through m, brain
 Whether the men were sane or not I sa