The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-06-12
BEWARE THE BOMB

was AoOAAAS YsCA hAC PupCGs IA OuS
smoking room Of o Paris cafe. My eye
CHANGED to fall upon the Echoes Of the
Stage column, and I exclaimed aloud:
"At il againi'
A Frenchman sitting near me looked
mp in wonder at my petulant tone, so
fastened to explain, speaking fiuently in
very bad French:
Round the World In Eighty Days
ia ON the boards again. VIII they ever
have done with that absurd affair? They
seem to think it q feat equal to the la.
bors of Hercules.
The Frenchman looked shocked
"Phileas Fogg was no better than a
tortoisel'' / cried boastfully. 81 could
do much better than he''-
"You d go around the world in less
than 80 days2'' asked my nearer slowly,
and / answered in the same tone:
IT viii go round the worldin 20 days
II you like"
IT take you upi'' he cried
What do you bet?"
Five Thousand francs.
Done" said l. and we exchanged
cards and bows.
That was how 10 came about that ]
left Paris for the east ON the 5th of Jam
uary and stepped ON board . t~ransatlan-
tic steamer from q New York pier on
the 9th of March. So far I had not lost
q minute, and now it only remained to
be seen whether / should reach Havre in
seven days, az the steamship company
promised Il would be q close shave at
best A variety Of detentions might oc-
cur. A slight accident to the machinery,
and all would be lost.
] was nearly consumed with anxiety,
but the ship acted up to her reputation,
and IN the 18th of March ! stepped ono
more on to French soil.
i cast the ship a look OF gratitude as
she lay ct the Havre pier letting on steam
from her monstrous boiler.
Then / glanced at my watch. IL was
a in the afternoon. There was plenty
time for me to dine at my ease and catch
the $40 express. That would bring me
to PARIS at half past II.
! took ont MY time table to make
ure AS / ran my eye on the column of
figures, an inspiration came to me
Where's the use of starting this
evening" / said to myself. IF / get
there too early, it viii look as if / were
afraid of losing the wager. How much
better to arrive at the very last second,
with brilliancy and dash and dramatic
effect, just as they do ON the stage That
would be worthy of a genius! Now, here
il q train which leaves Havre tomorrow
morning at 500 and reaches the St.
Lazare station at 1850. The time fixed
for me TO meet the fellow at the Office Of
The Semaphore just behind the Stock
Exchange is before the first stroke Of
noon. ! can easily go from Sc Lazare 10
the Exchange i'm eight minutes in q cab,
SO there IL nothing 70 prevent my appear
ing in the nick Of time, inst % Phileas
Fogg did, after making every ones heart
palpitate with suspense. That's settled
I shall not go IN until tomorrow
Accordingly / went with my baggage
TO the best hotel, dined comfortably, took
q walk through the town, smoking q
cigar, and returned at 10 to 60 TO bed
ST must take the 6:55 train tomorrow
morning, / said to the hotel proprie-
tor. "Can you have me Weakened in
timer"
I'VE have a trustworthy man On pur.
pose for that work, " was the reply.
t'That may be, " said I skeptically;
'sbut, after all. ii you could let me have
an alarm clock, i would feel more safe. |"
II will lend you my own, although ]
assure you it is unnecessary, " said the
host, and accordingly ] carried the tiny
clock to my room, wound the alarm, set
it at 6, stood il on a little table beside
the bed and went to sleep with n quiet
mind.
/ was in a heavy slumber when I felt
my arm being shaken violently.
What's the natter" | grumbled
without opening my eyes.
lyon have only just time, sir. = said
q voice in my IA
thine for what?'' | asked, looking
up drowsily.
ITO catch your train, was the reply.
sat up and glanced at the clock II
was half past 6i
Without another word, I leaped from
the bed with such precipitation that ]
threw down the table with the little
| clock, dashed into my clothes, crowded
my few belongings into my trunk fran.
tically, few down the stairs four at q
time, spreng into the stage which was
- - IH--As
| was on the train.
Oufl What d close squeezed Two min
ntes more, and / would have lost my bet.
However. ais well that ends well.
had my ticket; my trunk was On ths
train; the whistle sounded. Twas OF fol
Paris
When ! entered the 81. Laxare station
the hands of the big clock pointed d
half past III. Ihailed d cab and learnet