The record-union., 1898-05-08

lA4e ulHDiinS OF the tram.
| My heart was beating wildly. What
could have happened? Something
dreadful. had no doubt-in all proba
bility, something. tragically criminal.
listened inteRtlyin the hope OF hearing
some sound Of a reassuring. natpre-a q
laugh. snatch of song, a few words
| of friendly conversation or even OF
angry alteration would have been well
come. But the minutes passed and
continued silence confirmed and
strengthened my fears.
AS l sat thus, all unnerVed, staring
| before me, / imagined that my eye
caught a slight movement in the handle
| of the carriage door at the opposite
| end of the compartment. With pc
culiar sensation about the roots Of my
hair l shrank further back in my cor
ner and gazed in terror at the phenOm-
| enon. Now | saw the handle slowly
| but Enthusiastically, describe a half-turn
the door swung open, and barehead
| ed man climbed hastily into the COM
partment. Although he was hatless
and the wind had blown his hair over
his eyes, I was not surprised to identi-
| fy him instantly as the sallow faced
man who had peered into the COM
partment as the train was starting
from H. AS soon as he saw me he
sprang back with a yell, and l thought
he would have fallen out through the
| open doorway on to the track, but he
saved himself in time by throwing out
both hands and clutching the parcel
racks. Having recovered his equilib-
| rum he shut the door and sat down.
He appeared to be terribly agitated and
| trembled all over. The sallOWneSs of
| MS cOuntenance had become CHASTITY in
its intensity, and his eyes, which he
kept fixing alternately on my face and
| on the ground, were dlated with fear.
How did you come here?" he ask
ed, in a choking voice.
At first the seeming unreaSOnableness
of this question took me quite aback.
Then l recolected that, seeing the
compartment had been comparatively
empty when he looked in at H,
it was natural that my presence should
puzzle him. Though still intensely hor-
rified, 1 was emboldened by the sight
of his abject terror and managed to
answer him with relative cOmpOsure.
I think I might rather ask you that
question" 1 said. Il have been here
all along"
Yes, yes, of cOurse-pardOn me-" he
muttered in tone of distress. I don't
know what l am saying. I'm upset If
you only knew what a dreadful thing
I've just Scent
Whats the matter?" I asked. with a
hypOcritical assumption of surprise.
In there" he whispered hoarsely,
pointing in the direction of the COM
partment he had recently quilted. "a
man has just committed suicide in
there. 1 couldn't bear to remain beside
him when l found he was dead, 50
came along here"
"Suicide?" l repeated, doubtfully.
Yes, suicide." he cried with fierce
emphasis his manner changing all at
once. The scared look left his eyes, and
he glared at me- Then his vehemence
fell as suddenly as it had risen, and he
continued with a shudder: Ugh! it's
a dreadful thing to see a fellow creature
cut his throat before your very eyes,"
He bent forward and covered his face
with his hands; and l now noticed, for
the first tinfe9S that the mans right
hand was smeared with blood. 1 felt
sick and faiItt, S and exclaimed on the
impulse:
LOOh DIT your mana!
He Strengthened his body with a jerk.
and spreading out his hands, examined
them apprehensively. Perceiving the
condition the right one was in. he
thrust it into his pocket and turned on
me with a froWn.
And what of that?" he snapped eye
ing me suspiciQusly What do you
mean to insinuate?"
"Oh, nothing!" said /. only, if any
doubt should be entertained as to how
the man you speak of met his death,
suspicion may fall on you. Unfortu-
nately, you are in a somewhat awkward
position" Il. p. ....-t
He regarded me keenly for a moment,
and then q cunning look stole into his
face.
We are in an awkward position" he
corrected.
II don't understand you" 1 said stiff
ly.
IF suspicion may fall on me, why
not on you? Don't you see we are in
the same boat?"
Il see nothing of the kind" I replied,
Indignantly, amazed at the mans impu-
dence. .s
We'll, the sooner you do so the bet
ter" he said dOggedly, for we shall
have to put our heads together and
agree upon some line of conduct that
will insure our safety"
Il positively decline to be a party to
any arrangement whatever with you in
the matter" l said sharply. We ocupy
entirely different position in regard to
this affair. You were in the compart-
ment with the man when the-accident
occurred. = l know nothing about it ex-
cept what you yourself have told me,
and what I heard
What did you hear? What do you
mean?' he cried, rising with a bound
and taking a step toward me in
threatening attitude.
Keep off, I commanded, raising my
hand warningly. sit down! l must
say your behavior is most extraordin-
ary.'
He collapsed into his corner again
and for the second time concealed his
face in his hands. I watched him mar
rowly, for his actions were so quick
and his changes of mood so abrupt that
did not know at what moment 1 might
have to defend myself against violence
There was, however, nothing aggressive
in the face which, after short inter-
val, he turned toward me.
For Gods sake" he implCred, don't
be hard on a mani"
1 preserved silence, and still kept
eyeing him warily.
Very we'll" he said decisively, after
another pause, his face hardening
You'll repent it. You say you've trav-
eled in this compartment all the way
fpryI y i- T