The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-11-04

q bodlce, winch i iaceo. Judge how ]
was thinking, monsieur! My hi nds
trembled with excitement, for the train
was rushing on, and it Is ba-ely one
hour between Marseilles and Toulon.
He talked-I suppose he was glad to
speak again after his solitary imprison-
ment-he reassured me kindly. and
said he would not harm me il / obeyed
him, and he made me VOW on the cross
wore that would say no word till he
was out Of sight.
"'And / shall watch your train
away, my sister, he added.
After l had finished dressing him,
went back TO my seat, and then
laughed. He looked furious, and asked
me why / was such a fool. l said his
face was fair woman's. and his hair
dark ones, and he would be noticed
directly. He scowled at me, and said
Idiot but at the same time he brought
from his bag a bottle of dye and n
brush, and began to color his hands.
The stuff would not run, and he shook
the bottle violently. but it came in
Jumps. I want some spirit he said,
viciously. and he swore-oh, monsieur,
so awfully.
Il trembled really this time, for it
was so fearful TO be shut up with such
n wretch! Then an inspiration came
to me, and said: See. have no cog
nae. but take medicine sometimes
which is spirit and l poured some of
the ether into his bottle and shook it.
1t ran beautifully, became a clear,
brown liquid; he scarcely looked a
thank you but rapidly painted his
hands, using his left as cleverly as his
right; then he tried his face - and
then l laughed again, this time with
joy, for | had rcgained my courage,
and | felt should capture him.
why do you laugh now?' he said,
fiercely.
because you are making your
checks too dark, your eyelids are white,
and you have left a rim around your
lips ! said, in rs steady a voice as /
could command.
"'Good heavens.' he exclaimed, and
then he said to me: Take this brush
and paint me-
II took it, and pretended to tremble
as l touched his face.
"'Fool!' he shrieked. L will not
hurt you-See how the train rushes-
lose no tme!'
"Bien, monsieur replied; you
must do as l tell you, then caught
up his cloak and put it around him, as
barber puts his cloth, and, telling
him TO shut his eyes, began to paint
the lids The next moment I trans
ferred the brush to my left hand, and
with my right / took out the stopper
from the chloroform bottle, and poured
half the contents on the wadding that
had been around it. Happily, it was a
large piece, and, dropping the brush, !
pressed it suddenly over his nose and
mouth, and saturated it with the ether.
"The suddenness of the action took
him so much by surprise that for one Sec
ondhe was quite quiet, and dashed the
bottle of dye right at his eyes as he
opened them, still pressing the pad over
his nose. He was blinded for the mo-
ment. his arms were tangled in the cloak,
and il only the chloroform did its work,
and could hold him down! The agony
of those few seconds will never be
eifaced. He tried to reach the knife,
monsieur, but / kicked it Off the seat
away, just rs 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.
Il had no knowledge of the action of
and now dread possessed
me lest had killed him. remembered
having heard somewhere that slight peo-
pie of quick brains were specially sus-
ceptible TO these influences, and |
thought perhaps I should only take a
dead body into Toulon.
HE looked so ghastly with the streaks
of paint on his livid skin. placed my
44'. llt VII MS iICdI l. tSl!N ltlJ Ills NIISN
most thankful was to find pulsation.
Then seated myself on the floor, keep
in" my fingers on his wrist and having
in my lap the bottle of chloroform to
pour on the pad if 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-it seemed as
If could not be Marta Leclerc.
"At length the train slackened, and
then drew up at the platform for exam
ining tickets. Two guards opened the
door, and jumped up and rushed from
the carriage: and in my excitement, l
shrieked: 'Durette. Durette.'
What of Durette?' exclaimed tall
man. who advanced from the carriage
behind.
"'He is there-it is he!' said, and
tainted in the arms of the man beside
me. | remembered no more till ] awoke
in the room of the superintendent. !