Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-04-28

-AsAAA RadC6 4ucto WeEO q IcW ES5upAo
on the platform when the train rushed
through. 1t seemed to pass like a whirl-
wind, yet notwithstanding in that mo
n1enf two things happened. The gentle
man in the corner Of the carriage start
ed in his seat and flung himself half O1t
ct the window, with q sudden roar
which lost itself in the tunnel into
which the train Immediately plunged.
There was an awful minute in that tun-
mel for the servant thought his master
had taken q fit, and there was no Light
to sec what commissions he might have
fallen into while at the same time he
fought furiously against the mans eff
forts to loose his wrappings and place
him in a recumbent position. pouring
out oaths and pretestations He had roe
taken fit, but when the train emerged
into the light he was as near to it as
posible--pcrpled red in his face and
shouting with rage and pain.
stop tho train! Stop the train ~ he
shouted. do yophear, you fellow, stop
the train! Ring the bell or whatever it
is. Break the id thing! Stop the
trainv
''Sir, sir, if you will only be quiet. I
will get your msdicine.in moment y!
Medicine. indeed!" cried the mas.
ter Indignantly. and every furious name
that he could think of mounted to his
lips-fool, idiot. ass, swine-there was
no end to his epithets. II tell you l
saw her, Isaw her!" he shouted. "Stop
the train! Stop the trainp'
On the other hand, among tho few
Insignificant persons. peasants and 9TH
ers. who had been standing on the plat
form at st. Honorat when the Rapide
dashed past, there had been q woman
and a child. The woman was not a
peasant. She was very simply dressed
in black, with ORG of tho small bonuets
which We're few years ago so distinc-
lively English, and with an air which
corresponded to that simple couture.
She was young and yet had the air Of
responsibility and motherhood which
marks u woman who is no longer in the
first chapter Of life. The child, boy of
or 10. standing close by her side. had
seized her hcnd just Us the train ap-
pearod impatient}y to call her attention
to something else, but by some strange
spell of attraction or coincidence. her
eyes feed upon that window out of
which tko equity traveller was looking.
She saw him us he saw her aud fell
back, dragging the boy with her as if
she would have sunk into the ground.
1t was only moment, and the Rapide
was gone, screaming and roaring into
the tunnel, making too much noise with
the rush and sweep of its going 10 per-
NIT the shout of the passenger to be
heard.
Ten years, ten long years, during
which life had undergone so many
changes! They all seemed to fly away
in a moment. and tho girl who had ;,r-
rived at the little station of St. Honofa!
alcno, II fugitive, elated and intoxicated
with her freedom, suddenly felt herself
again the little Janey who had emanci-
pated herself so strangely. Though she
had for long TING been frightened by
every train that passed and every stran-
ger who came near, that feeling had
faded away years ago. She had never
been disturbed, had never heard single
voice cut Of the silence calling to her.
No doubt efforts had been made TO
find her, and advertisements put iu the
papers and all that, but she had never
seen an English paper. nor spoken to an
Englishman, nor heard of anything
that had gone on in what she still called
home" for years. So she Could not
know what had happened, however
much might have happened in tho way
of search for her, and all her fears
had quieted down. She was not afraid
of being found or even Of being looked
for any more.
And in tho corrso OF these years ev-
erything had changed Her baby had
been born, her forlorn state had called
forth great pity, great remark and criti-
cism in the village where she had found
refuge; great censuro also, for the fact
of her marriage was not believed BY
everybody. But she was go lonely, so
modest and SO friendly that the poor
little English stranger was soon for
given. Perhaps her simple neighbors
were glad to find that prim English
woman, supposed to stand so fiercely On
her virtue, was in reality SO fallible-or
perhaps pity put all other sentiment out
of court. She told her real story to the
priest when the boy was baptized, and