The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-01-17

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M his fingers. It took
V&G5YS@5SSeA g US couple of min
W. W. utes to find it, and
the train was lost.
'sThree-quarters Of an hour to wait
in this hole" Hinton groaned. 'Better
walk over TO Chorley. The train is
due there at 9.15, we can do it easily. ;"
We did it little too easily; the
train was in sight before we reached
Cherley. We leaped over the ratings
and ran along the line the train passed
us at the signal box, and we overlook
it as it came to stop.
The last carriage was third class !;
a young lady, leaning through the
open window of the end apartment
looked toward us anxiously.
evil you be good enough to open
the door," she asked, as we drew near.
We both stopped. Hinton brushed
past me to render the service; he was
younger than I, his gallantry was
bouDdless, and the present appeal to
it was made by one of singularly pre-
possessing appearance. 1t was not a
common face that smiled down on us.
showing long row Of dazzling teeth,
a white, sensitive nose, an intelligent
forehead from which the hair was
drawn back assertively, and pair of
dark gray eyes, capable of anything
not common figure that stood re-
graceful, simply elegant, and dressed
with faultless taste, and the first ques-
ton that mystifed me was how such a
lady came to be travelling alone in a
third-class carriage and at this early
hour.
She stood at the open door in en-
barrassment that added a charm to her
face. The platform did not extend to
the carriage. The depth of the ground
was considerable, the step awkward.
She put out the neatly booted foot,
and drew it back hastily; all the time
she kept her hands close in her muff,
which made the descent more imrrac-
ticable. With a faint tinge of color
in her pale cheek, and her fine eyes
twinkling with vexation, she said:
''May I ask you to help me? I have
hurt my hands; they are useless
In moment we were on the foot
board, one on each side, helping her
to descend. As glanced along her
arm caught the glimpse Of a blush
black metal inside her sealskin muff
She wore an iron bracelet. Was it an
eccentricity of fashion, or surgical
appliance, wondered.
It was to Hinton she smiled her
sweetest acknowledgment, and when
in parting she bowed to US both, her
eyes rested last and longest upon him.
We stood by the open door watch
ing her as she walked up to the plat
form with a graceful step.
''Now, then, sir, are you going on 90
called the guard, with his whistle
raised.
At that moment the young lady
turned round, and seeing us still stand
ing by the door, smiled bewitchingly,
made a short step forward, turned
again and stopped, fixing her eyes on
Hinton, who was scarlet to the roots
of his hair. It was an invitation that
my fiery young friend was not very
slow to accept.
Il shall come on by the next train.
Jack" said he, and started at once to
rejoin the fascinating lady.
The guard blew his whistle, and I
stepped up mechanically into the car
riage, closing the door, and never
losing sight of my friend and the lady
with the iron bracelet. He had his
hat of, and was speaking to her as the
train whisked me by. They were both
SO pleasantly occupied with each other
that they took no notice of me. /
continued to watch them until the
train was out of the station, and then
I sat down and glanced round to see
if there were any other occupants of
the compartment.
Heavens What was this at the other
end, half on the ground, half on the
seat. I started to my feet and drew
near the dark mass, with growing ter
ror, as l perceived that it was police
officer who lay huddled together, with
one shoulder on the seat and his head
dropped down upon his breast. His
helmet had dropped off. When I
raised his face found it terribly col
orIess, only half the whites of his eyes
were visible through the half closed
lids. There was no sign of any wound,
no blood upon his hands or face. A
white handkerchief lay upon the seat
It seemed to me that the man had
suddenly tainted. tried to raise him
from his supine position, but the dead
weight The was large man) was more
than I could manage.
The carriage was open from end to
end-the compartments simply dlvld-
ed by backs. There was only one
other traveller in the carriage-a navy
in the next but one compartment, with
his back to me, and his head was out
of the window that the short black
pipe he was smoking might not be OBJ
jected to.
called him twice before he heard
me, and then, taking his pipe out and
holding it in the hollow of his hand,
he looked at me in vacant surprise.
"Come over and help me, / cried.
"There's policeman lying here
dead
ga dead policeman he said, his
little eyes rounding with wonder.
eyes, come over and help me lift
him up"
thought me-" he said, his face set