The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-05-02
IN THE TUNNEL.

She was a strange looking old woman,
as handsome as an old woman can be,
rather elegantly dressed and with the air of
one who belonged to good society.
She was sitting next me in the waiting
room of the railroad station, but outside
her horses were being fed and watered,
and she was waiting to rest.
When the whistle sounded, she stopped
her ears with both her hands and shudder-
ed violently. When the engine came in
sight, she looked at it as one might regard
a hideous monster and muttered to herself
in a way that made me fancy her not
quite in her right mind.
Then of a sudden she turned to me, with
little bow, and said:
"You are travelling by rail, MADAME
I answered yes.
"How can your" asked my interrogation
wherever go, 1 go in my carriage. Those
cars are SO terrible, especially the tunnels"
"But if one is not blessed with a car
riage?" asked.
''Then you must go behind that terrible
creature, suppose" said the old lady,
looking toward the engine, "but I'm sorry
for you"
'Do accidents often happen in tunnels?"
I asked, with an involuntary shudder.
'Accidentsl'' she cried 'Worse than
that. I'll tell you what happened to me
in a tunnel. There's time enough, if you
don't mind listening
I bowed. She put her handkerchief to
her face for moment and went on:
''You see that white house on the hill
up there? That is mine. There my hus-
band died, there my son married. 1t was
after he married, when was go years old,
that this happened. Sixty just think Of
it-a time when life ought to run on with
out any event whateyer-and then romance
came to me-romance for the first time in
my life, because, you see I had married
without any thought of that, very good
1nan-but so old-at 16.
"Well, as 1 said, at 90 he fell in love
with me. think he was 20, and, OIL but
he was handsome. I was sitting on my
porch when he rode by, and his horse SHE'D
at something and threw him at my feet.
He seemed to be dead. I had him picked
up and brought in, and the doctor and /
restored him to life.
"Do you know what he was? I'll tell
you. He was rider at the circus close by
not a gentleman, they said, but his voice
was SO soft and his way SO pleasant that
he seemed one, and, then, what did that
matter? He called me his good angel; he
kissed my hand At last he told me that
he loved me.
cit was strange to hear. I would not
listen to him at first, but at last he knelt
at my feet, and I-ah, was a woman
still I kissed him on his forehead, and
promised to be his wife.
"When my son heard of it, he was furi-
GUS. He said terrible things. Mother,
he said, if you marry this inpostor, who
only wants your money, you will rue the
day you Were born
ST did not care for my sons wrath, nor
that my friends all turned coldly from me.
married Adolphe, and we were very
happy.
to talk of Europe and of the happy life one
led in Paris So I said, We will go to
Paris
eve made ready to go. OF course we
needed money. I had bank notes and
checks to large amount-a little fortune
indeed-in my great wallet. also had my
diamonds. Adolphe took care of all these
things. To reach the city whence our ship
started we were obliged to go in the cars.
Even then hated and was afraid of them.
81 talked and laughed like a girl as we
whirled over the country, but he grew
more silent, and by the time we reached
the tunnel very grave. remember going
into it. Adolphe took my hand and kissed
it.
''I sat still. The cars ratified, the dark
ness grew deeper. I felt little frightened
and reached my hand to touch Adolphe.
He was not there.
''I said, 'Adolphe.' There was no an
swer. 1 called, 'Adolphep again. Oh, it
was so terrible-no answer, and the dark
ness like the darkness of death!
CAT last it began to grow lighter.
could see shadow forms, but no shadow OF
Adolphe. I asked for him. At last they
helped me and made search-he was not
on the train. No one ever saw him again;
he vanished in the tunnel.
,ioI i,1- -
him. would not. l. who felt his kisses
on my hand still Satan is envious of hap
piness, and''- There the old lady lower
ed her voice. "That thing with the red
eye there is satan, though people don't
know it. Don't go into the tunnel with
hiTn-remember what 1 say, and don't go
into the tunnel
Madam, your carriage is ready" said
a middle aged woman, entering just then,
and the old lady hurried off, shaking he1
head as she went and muttering to herself.
''She's been talking about the tunnel,
ma'am?' asked the middle aged woman,
with courtesy.
Eyes, - said.
''She never had good sense, I Think
said the woman, and at so she married a
foreigner, younger than her son. He man
aged to put half her fortune into checks
and such things and ran away with it aft
er they had been married month He
jumped off train in a tunnel and got off
unhurt.
''He was rope dancer and good at
jumping or he'd never have done it, and
he's living now with some bird of the
same feather in Europe. She don't know
it or don't believe it, poor old ladyl Her
wits amt right, and she thinks satan car
ried him off. Goedby, madam. The old
lady is in hurry, and L must go to her."
Boston Herald.
The Humiliation OF Pharaoh.
The official EorxntiaD has anDarentlv M