The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1896-12-05

II
work Q had felt strangely tired for
several days., and as passed the first
class carriage next my own third
glanced at it with the passing wish
that / was going to perform the journey
home upon its comfortable cushions
An old gentleman was snugly en-
sconced in the corner seat with small
black bag on his knees; as 1 passed, ]
thought he seemed particularly So
licitous about the security of that bag.
As seated myself in the third-class
compartment 1 observed another man,
tall and thin, hurry up to the carriage
where the old gentleman was seated
and take the vacant place opposite to
him; then the train started and leaned
my aching head against the hard back
of the carriage and tried to doze a little.
l awoke as the train entered the tun-
mel; l felt too weary to amuse myself
with my usual "note-taking'-but as l
glanced listlessly on the tunnel wall l
observed that tall shadow was bend.
ing over that of the old gentleman and
apparently arranging something over
or around the upper part of his figure.
II suppose they are father and son,
and the son is wrapping up his father
in his rug against the draughts," I
thought, lazily, for strange lassitude
seemed weighing me down, mentally
and physically. Then the train gave a
sudden jerk and the tall figure flung
out its left hand against the carriage
door as if to steady itself, and l noted
that this hand had a curious deformity
One finger lacking from it, the third
finger having apparently been removed
at the second joint.
| got out at the next station as usual,
and managed to crawl home; but the
succeeding days and nights were blanks
to me for week or more. / alarmed
my elderly cousin, Tabitha, who shares
my little home, by going off into a
dead faint Immediately / entered my
house; and it was found that / was
sickening with a kind of low fever,
which kept me in bed for some time
and from which l believe should never
have recovered but for Tables careful
nursing. had been working much too
hard for some considerable period and
had been careless-as lonely women are
apt to become-in the matter of diet
and exposure to weather; and at over so
one cannot "chance" ones meals and sit
repeatedly in wet clothing without suf-
fering for ones folly at last.
However, I gradually pulled round"
as the doctor said, and was promoted to
the sofa in the sitting-room for a por-
ton of the day. Lying there in lux
urious idleness, listened to Tabitha's
detailed account of the beginning of my
illness.
IA fortnight? No; actually over
three weeks ago to-day since you were
taken ill. 1t was on Thursday, the 10th.
l shall always remember the date, be-
cause it was the same day that the MUIR
der took place upon the Great United.
and by the very train you Travelled by,
Harriet"
Cousin Tabitha is the best and kindest
OF women, but has one little weakness
morbid love of reading all the 'shor-
rors,' especially the murders, which are
reported in the newspapers.
Il forgot you know nothing about If.
being too i'll to hear any news" went
on Tabitha, delighted to dwell again ON
the details of crime; and then pro.
ceeded to relate how a certain we'll
known London jeweler had taken a
quantity of valuable ornaments to ex.
hibit to an invalid and aristocratic
customer, who lived little way out of
London, and who wished TO select some
costly presents for prospective
daughter-in-law. Mr.. IS confiden-
tial clerk, who usually accompanied
him on such journeys, was taken sud-
denly i'll, just as the pair were leaving
town, and the jeweler, not liking to
disappoint a valuable land rather
crotchety) customer, set off for old
Lady IS alone.
His GRAND was, of course. known in
the vicinity, and it was supposed that
ne had been followed to the station
and robbed and murdered in the rail-
way, for, on the trains arrival at the
London terminus, the bag of jewelry
was missing, and Mr.. - was found
lying dead, with handkerchief stepped
in chloroform fastened over his face.
The jeweler was an elderly man with
weak heart, and the chloroform, which |
was perhaps only designed to stupefy
him, had killed him. No clew had vet |
been found to the identity of the muir
derer. The guard at the local station |
I'M ~ n |