Oxford Democrat., 1897-01-05

this time with JOY, for had regaincd
my courage. aud felt should capture
him.
"'why do you laugh nowf' be said
Hcrcely.
Because you nre making your
cheeks too dark, your eyelids are quite
white, and you have left a rim round
your lipsl' said in N steady voice ~
could command
" Good heavcns' he exclaimed, and
then he said to me. Take the brush and
paint me-.
~ took it and pretended to tremble
as touched his face.
'Fooll' he shrieked. i will not
hurt you--see how tho train rushes-
lose no time!
'Bien, monsieur I replied; 'you
must do as ! tell you then. l caught
up his cloak and put il round him, ns q
barber puts his cloth, aud. telling him
to shut his eyes. began to paint the
lids TIL, next moment transferred the
brush to my left hand. and. with my
right, I took out the stopper from the
chloroform bottle and poured half the
contents on the wadding that had been
round it. Happily il was large piece.
and. dropping the brush, ! pressed 1t
suddenly over his nose and mouth and
saturated it with the ether.
''Thc suddenncss Of the action took
him so much by surprise that for one
second he wasquite quiet, and l dashed
the bottle Of dye right Mt his eyes as he
opened them, still pressing the pad over
his nose. He was blinded for the mo-
ment. his arms were entangled In the
cloak, and il only the chloroform did its
work and could hold him downl The
agony Of those few seconds will never
be effaced. He tried to reach the knife,
monsieur, hut / kicked il of the seat
away just rs I perceived that his fran.
tic efforts were becoming fainter, and
one more violent struggle On my part
Kept the wadding in its place, and he
succumbed. His head dropped back and
his arms fell powerlessly beside him.
II had 10 knowledge Of tho action Of
anmsthetics. and now dread possessed
me lest had killed him. ! remembered
having heard somewhere that slight
people Of quick brains were specially
susceptible 10 these influences. and /
thought perhaps l should only take q
dead body into Toulon.
"He looked so ghastly, with the
streaks Of paint ON his livid skin. I
placed my hand OH his heart and felt
his wrist Most thankful was to find
pulsation. Then seated myself on
the floor, keeping my fingers on his
wrist and having in my lap the bottle
Of chloroform 10 pour on the pad II /
felt his pulses quicken too much.
II have had many trying journeys,
but never another to match this. / am
not cruel by nature. and, sitting there
during the quarter Of an hour Of the
journey that remained, wondered how
/ could have acted as did. II seemed
as il could not be Marta Leclcrc.
AT length the train slackened, and
then drew up at the platform for exam
lining tickets. Two guards opened the
door. and jumped up and rushed from
the carriage. and in my excitement /
shriekcd: 'Durette! Durette'
"'What of DuretteY' exclaimed tall
man who advanced from the carriage
behind.
4" He is there-it Is bep said and
fninted in tho arms Of the man beside
me. remembered no more till I awoke
in the room Of the superintendent /
found the chief Of the station, some po.
licemen and tho tall man standing
round me.
E" This is Jean Louvain, warder Of
the prison at Tuulop, said the superin.
tenden'. 'Durttte escaped from him
yesterday, aud be was clever enough to
| suspect he would return to Toulon, but
he did not look for him dressed ~ q
woman.
Nor did I expect to find him
caught by u woman. said the deep
voice Of Jean Louvain. And that was
how ! met my husband. London Tit
Bita