The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-04

gazing about stupidity. The surround
ings were familiar enough. An ordl-
nary passenger coach, journeying
swiftly along through the sweet air of
a summer morning. A lot OF strange
people about: Ray in the place beside
me, reading his paper.
IF there was such u plot afoot here
he was saying, 1T seems to have slipped
up without any aid of ours. 1t is
pretty bad business though, anyway.
] asked him what, and he looked at
me curiously.
what Is the matter with you? You've
been queer ever since last night" he re-
turned, peevishly. and pointed to a
huge headline in his paper. i looked,
and read these words:
THE Assassination Of President Sadi-
Carnot." For moment my head reeled
and the words danced unmeaningly be-
fore my eyes. and then mist seemed to
unfold itself from my brain, and re-
membrance Of the affair had Just been
through with came back to me. | un-
butoned my coat. and saw that ! was
still in evening dress.
j had no little difficulty i'm persuad-
ing Ray to tell me what had occurred.
and in convincing him that / had no
recollection of it. Finally, however, he
told me this:
AS he had been directed, he waited
1or MS cue from me before arresting the
TWO men who were i'm his charge. and he
had seen what took place between
the illustrious guest Madam of the
white shoulders and myself When she
accepted my arm, she had turned for an
instant to nod and smile at the Russian
attache, who was also watching closely
Upon Rays quiet demand for surren-
der. which had immediately followed.
this man had followed him to the car
riage without word. The other came
as quietly. They then had waited there
some five minutes when l appeared,
with Madam leaning upon my arm.
She had expressed great surprise at
finding the two men there and under ar
rest. and had demanded an explanation
from me. | had offered her the most
abject apologies, and had ordered Ray
to at once release his prisoners. I had
assured him that the affair. from begin
ming to end. was gigantic mistake.
that the track we had followed was en-
tirely a wrong one. that we had offered
untold insult to three innocent people.
He had no course but to credit my word.
/ had then proceeded to assist Madam
with great care into her carriage. and
she had driven rapidly away. the men
following in another coupe. We hast
ened afterwards, Ray. the man who had
come down with us and myself, to the
station, where i had purchased. with no
further explanations to my companions.
three tickets to Boston, which place we
were now nearing The third man had
made himself comfortable In the smok-
ing car, as there was no sleeper attached
to the train, while Ray had sat all night
beside me. During this time | had sat
with wide-open eyes. staring straight
before me, apparently lost In thought.
and until now ne had not ventured to
disturb me.
And so the beginning of my first case
came to its end.
Letters fortnight later from my
friend, the London detective. told me
that attempts upon the lives OF men
in certain other European cities had
been made at the same time. but. with
the exception of that in which the
French president fell. all had been dis
covered and met in time.
] resigned my position at the Office.
and have since been devoting most of
my time to trying, upon my own re-