Mower County transcript., 1900-12-05

She sprang up on, the seat and. placing
her eye at the hole, peered through.
ment as the placing Of dummy copy
where the original had been. Quick as
thought Jennie acted. She slid open the
door quietly and stepped out into the
passage. So intent were the two men on
their work that neither saw her. The
tall man gave the box back to the con-
ductor, then took the letter from be-
tween his knees, holdings it in his right
hand, when Jennie, as if swayed by the
car, lurched against him, and with a
sleight Of hand that would have made
her reputation on a necromantic stage
she jerked the letter from the amazed
and frightened man, at the same mo-
ment allowing the bogus document to
drop ON the floor of the car from her
other hand. The conductor had just
emerged from room A, holding his nose
and looking comical enongh as be stood
there in that position, amazed at the
sudden appa1ition of the. lady. The
Russian struck down the conductor's
fingers with his right hand. and by q
A~ift -notiea Of Tie left eleeed tbo door
Of compartment a. an sof which hap
pened ir tenth of the time taken to
tell It. $3.50, =, 80 +.+'%] ~ - -
sob. pesaon met cried Jennie. I'm
afraid a .slurch OF the car threw me
against You. 49, @s@@ .~>'.s' ~ Ss- x~~ -"s
The Russian, before answering, cast
a look at the floor and saw the large
envelope lying there with it's seal up
permost. He quietly placed his huge
foot upon it, and then said, with an
effort at politeness: s
cit is no matter, madame. am
afraid that I am SO bulky I have taken
up moet of the passage. :s..:< .<-sz-,ss= A E.
''It is very good of yon to excuse
me-" said Jennie. II mexely came out
to ask the conductor If he would make
up my berth. Would you be good
enough to translate that to him?''
The Russian surlily told the conductor
conductor muttered reply, and that
yep]y the Russian translated.
HE will be at your service in a few
moments, madame. He must first make
up the berth of the gentleman in room
A."
With that che retired again into her
compartment, the real letter concealed
in the folds of her dress, the bogus one
on the floor under the Russians foot
She closed the door tightly. Then, taking
care that she was not observed through
either of the holes the conductor had
bored in the partition, she swiftly placed
the important document in deep in
side pocket of her jacket. As general
rule, women have inside pockets in their
capes and outside pockets in their jack
cts, but Jennie, dealing as she did with
many documents IN the course of her
profession, had had this jacket ,espe-
cially made, with its deep and reomy
inside pocket. She sat in a corner of her
sofa wondering what was to be the fate
Of the unfortunate messenger, for in
spite Of the sudden shutting Of the door
by the Russian she caught glimpse
of the man lying face downward on the
floor of his sitting room. She also had
received Whit Of the sweet. heavy gas
which had been used, that seemed now
to be tincturing the whole atmosphere
Of the car. especially in the long. narrow
passage. It is not likely they intended
to kill the man. for his death would
cause an awkward investigation. while
his statement that he had been rendered
insensible might easily be denied. As
she sat there, the silence disturbed only
by the low, soothing rumble OF the train,
she heard the ring of the metal cylinder
against the woodwork Of the next COM
partment, The men were evidently re-
moving their apparatus. A little later
the train slowed, finally coming to a
standstill, and, looking out Of the win.
dow into the darkness, she found they
were stopping at an i'll lighted country
station. Covering the light in the cell
ing again, the better to see outside, her..
self unohseryed. she noted the conductor