Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-06-28

had bound my arms and legs so that was
helpless. What strength and skill this del
cate looking woman hadl | could feel the
thin cord almost penetrating my flesh.
Yet in my state of stupor accepted it as a
necessity, and l offered, or more proper
ly, was able to offer no opposition.
She then, with another rope, dashed me
to one of the dividing seat arms. Still
was silent and unrcssting.
My feelings were quicscent. l had moth
Ing of the horrible sensation of nightmare,
whore the mind revolts, but paralysis
cramps action.
She now took up the strange looking in.
strument, which | felt would be utilized
on me, and the service of which was excit-
ing in my mind great curiosity. 1t may
seem strange to the reader, but it is a fact
that, with tightly stretched cord biting in
to my flesh. my whole thoughts were con-
contracted on the strange looking instru-
mont lying on the seat by the woman's
side
The reason of its presence was not long
to be in doubt She took it, and again
bending over me forced open my mouth
and fixed the Instrument. 1t was gag.
l submitted to all this, strange to say
even mentally quicsccnt. The only idea
had was Il slight curiosity as to what she
would do to me next, but no wonder as
to the purpose or end she had in view
struck me.
She stood over me for second or two,
contemplating her handworll Evident
ly satisfied, she took down another parcel
from the rack which she unfastened with
her back turned toward me and which she
placed on the seat, covering it with brown
paper.
She then sat down on the seat, and re-
moving the slight, delicate shoes she wore
replaced them by heavy boots, which had
evidently been among the contents of the
parcel. Next she caught up her skirt and
fastened it around her waist SO as to leave
the lower part of her legs free
She rose and putting each foot success
sively on the seat fastened Il strong leather
pad over each knee.
She placed her shoes in her pocket and
again let down the window a little.
1t had come on to snow, and large flakes
were blown into the carriage
In my crampcd position the cold was
numbing me, and almost fancicd there
was a look of compassion in her eyes as
for IA second she turned toward me But
she was bound ON action and had no time
to spare.
Taking under her short mantle the ar
ticle she had placed on the seat of the car
riage, she opened the door on the near side
and stepped out on the footbOard.
The express was running on the extreme
rails of the railroad. A ditch Ourdered the
way at not more than foot from the out
side rail. As l have said, snow was falling
in large flakes.
From outside she closed the carriage
door, and her face disappeared from the
window.
suddenly the train jolted, as trains run
ming at express speed occasionally do and
shortly after loud explosion struck my
ear. l remembered no more till conscious
ness came back to me with "a sense of acute
pain. The train had reached Grove, por-
ter had looked into the carriage where l
was, assistance had been summoned and
was being freed from my bondage
1t was some time before l could give an
account of the incidents of my eventful
journey, and even then my recital was re-
ceived with some skepticism. No trace of a
woman could be found on the line, and
surely ne could not have escaped unin-
jured, in spite of her knee pads
''Who had the engaged saloon?" asked
"The Russian ambassador " was the re-
ply.
"Thc-e was an explosion, " asked. at
might have been nihilistic plot-the wo-
man was foreigner"
well, if she was she was blown to
pieces by her own bomb"
When the snow cleared away a place
was discovered in the hedge on the outside
of the ditch where the wood had been evil
IDENTIFY blown away and blasted, but not
the smallest trace of the mysterious wo-
man was ever discovered.
was sure l had been drugged by means
of the cigarette and that the fair plotter
was fully prepared not to be interrupted
in her scheme if any one at the last mo-
ment got into the carriage she had selected
l concluded that the nonsuccess of her
diabolical plan had been happily brought
about by the jolt of the train, which had
caused her to lose her footing as she crept
along the footboard to hurl the bomb into
tho carriage occupied by the Russian en-
bassador, and that it had really been a
case of "the engineer being hoisted by his
own petard. London Spare Moments.