The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1894-05-11

-gZ/S1%3% eign slipped from
MSS@S his fingers. 1t took
W$9lNS&5S&A @ us couple of min
W utes to find it, and
the train WIS lost.
"Three-quarters of an hour to wait
in this hole" Hinton groaned. "Better
walk over to Chorley. The train is
due there at 9.15, we can do it easily"
We did it little too easily; the
train was in sight before we reached
Chorley. We leaped over the ratings
and ran along the line the train passed
us at the signal box, and we overlook
it as it came to a stop.
The last carriage was third class
young lady, leaning through the
open window of the end apartment
looked toward US anxiously.
'Will you be good enough to open
the door, she asked, as we drew near.
We both stopped. Hinton brushed
past me to render the service; he was
younger than /, his gallantry was
boundless, and the present appeal to
it was made by one of singularly pre-
possessing appearance. 1t was not a
common face that smiled down on us,
showing long row of dazzling teeth,
a white, sensitive nose, an intelligent
forehead from which the hair was
drawn back assertively, and q pair Of
dark gray eyes, capable Of anything;
not common figure that stood re-
vealed when the door was opened-tall,
graceful, simply elegant, and dressed
with faultless taste, and the first ques-
tion that mystifed me was how such n
lady came to be travelling alone in a
third-class carriage and at this early
hour.
She stood at the open door in en-
barrassment that added n charm to her
face. The platform did not extend to
the carriage. The depth of the ground
was considerable, the step awkward,
She put ont the neatly booted foot,
and drew it back hastily; all the time
she kept her hands close in her muf,
which made the descent more imrrac-
ticable. With faint tinge of color
in her pale cheek, and her fine eyes
twinkling with vexation, she said:
"May l ask you to help me? ] have
hurt my hands; they are useless.
In moment we were on the foot
board, one on each side, helping her
to descend. As | glanced along her
arm | caught the glimpse of blush
black metal inside her sealskin mulf.
She wore an iron bracelet. Was il an
eccentricity of fashion, or a surgical
appliance, | wondered.
1t was to Hinton she smiled her
sweetest acknowledgment, and when
in parting she bowed to us both, her
eyes rested last and longest upon him.
We stood by the open door watch
ing her as she walked up to the plat
form with graceful step.
"Now, then, sir, are you going on?"
called the guard, with his whistle
raised.
At that moment the young lady
turned round, and seeing us still stand
ing by the door, smiled bewitchingly,
made short step forward, turned
again and stopped, fixing her eyes on
Hinton, who was scarlet to the roots
of his hair. 1t was an invitation that
my fiery young friend was not very
slow to accept.
81 shall come on 10y the next train,
Jack" said he, and started at once to
reioin the fascinating lady.
The guard blew his whistle, and
stepped up mechanically into the car
riage, closing the door, and never
losing sight of my friend and the lady
with the iron bracelet. He had his
hat off, and was speaking to her as the
train whisked me by. They were both
so pleasantly occupied with each other
shat they took no notice of me. !
continued to watch them until the
train was out of the station, and then
I sat down and glanced round to see
if there were any other occupants of
the compartment.
Heavens What was this at the other
end, half on the ground, half on the
seat. l started to my feet and drew
near the dark mass, with growing ter
ror, as perceived that twas police
officer who lay huddled together, with
one shoulder on the seat and his head
dropped down upon his breast. His
helmet had dropped off. When
raised his face l found it terribly col
orless, only half the whites of his eyes