Evening journal., 1899-06-29

muitered oaths, and silence again.
The young couple shuddered What
could it mean? Leon tried TO reassure
his trembling companion, but he was
interrupted by the cautious opening of
the next door II was softly closed
again. and than slow and apparently
careful footsteps were heard in the hall
They were lost in the distance. They
ceased. Again all was still.
Soon the young bride was sleeping
salmiy. But not so Leon. Despite him
self, the sinister face OF the English
mans nephew returned TO his recollec-
iion. There was hatred. he thought, in
the glance cast upon the uncle by the
young man when he left him; and then
the roll OF bank notes in the valise.
And the dun. heavy sound but now, like
the fall Of body upon the floor-the
cry--the curses. Such was the train of
thought that ran through Icons mind.
Mechanically he fixed his eyes upon
the door which communicated with the
Englishman's room. There was little
space between the bottom of the door
and the flooring. BY the dim light fall
ing from the partially turncd-down gas,
he could see something forcing its way
under the door. Il seemed, at first, like
that Of a knife blade, for the edge was
thin, and reflected back the light. II
moved slowly toward little blue satin
slipper, which had been thrown care
lessly near the door.
What can IT be?" thought Leon. us
1t a knife? No, for IL has divided into
two parts. And now IT divides again
and yet again. What can IL bel II is
some liquid"
The thing slowly crawled toward the
little blue slipper. 1t encircled its heel.
It stained its front. 1t was liquid. II
was liquid OF strange and unmistuka-
bic color-the color of blood.
For a long time Leon lay and gazed
upon the stained slipper and the red
tSsh stream which encircled it. lie
pictured to himself the corpse lying in
The next room; its discovery the follow
ing morning; the door opening into the
room, Of which the bolts were on his
: side; the blood-stainod slipper. These
things passed through his mind, and n
, cold sweat started out upon him. He
[ attempted TO rise and hide the slipper;
as he did so his wife awoke and started
, with alright as she felt his icy hand.
"What is the matter?n she cried
1 Leon explained to her the terrible
: situation in which they were placed
e He arose and attempted to remove the
r teR-tale stains from the slipper, but II
n was useless.
~. .,.,, i,-,,l,;,rr Aircod,, fl,a sorry
ants were moving around the hotel
I, In few hours the crime would be dis
= covered and the officers of the Law
4 would be upon them.
. "Alnsl" said Leon, "our only hope &
Z this: At eight o'clock the train leave
I. for Paris If the Englishman's bod.
= is not discovered before that time WI
n are safe. We win take the train AM
Is lose ourselves in the great city. Their
~ we shall be safe"
His weeping bride flung herself upo
n his bosom. She felt almost as thoug
10 she had committed the deed.
~ But there yet remained two morta
y hours before the train left. At cdc
10 step in the corridor they trembled wit
g alright. They made their prepare
NJ tions for departure. Icons brid
NJ wished to burn the bloody slipper, bu
NJ he restrained her and concealed it O
r.. his person.
40 Seven o'clock sounded. The hot,
M was alive with bustling servants. Leo
~ forced his wife to take a cup of coffee
e. although she declared that her parche
,o throat refused 10 swallow. They the
s- descended into the waiting-room, an
60 Leon demanded his bill. The host pr'
sented it, and begged his pardon for tn
4 noise of the previous evening. Leo
sa assured him that they had passed a yer
or quiet night.
!. "Wel, I'm glad Of it" said the host
,e however, your neighbor on the lei
'le didn't disturb you much, I'll be boun'
IN He's sleeping like dead man yet"
Leon shuddered. His wife graspe
his arm convulsively.
81 Hes an English MILFORD" continue
ne the host. 'We've got another Englisl
man here, too, who paid his bin an
er left this morning. He gave me an Enl
he lish bank note. hope it's good. Loo
NE at IT, What do you think?n
IN He showed Leon a bank note. On OF
nt corner of it there. was a reddish stat
ut seems TO be a good one" sa
IN Leon, with forced calmness. "Ro
ed long before the train goes?"
- Half an hour yet, replied the hos
ar At this moment a waiter entere
no "Gimme some brandy and soda, quic
or for the English MILFORD, he remarlSe
m 'and send up a chambermaid with
ed mop; he dropped a bottle of port
IRE the floor last night, and the room
%, flooded"
IL To the amazement of both landlo
VIZ and waiter, Leon and his wife sat doy
and laughed until they cried.
he "Order us a good breakfast" !" said
led to the landlords 1--WE won't go until I
OF two o'clock train. Adapted for I
San Francisco Argonaut from I
ng- French of Prosper Merimee.
iii "
~, Tricks in Punctuation.
ter In Atchison the other day a report
the found a crowd Of men on the str,