The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-16

went one morning to Poissy to see
little house to which I had fallen
heir, and, after breakfast, I took my
keys to the family attorney. AS I was
about to leave the office, the head clerk
called me to his desk and said: There
is also some money coming to you
from your uncle's estate. Six thousand
francs. Here it is.'
The surprise was most agreeable to
me-. l took the blue bills and slipped
them into my pocketbook without
counting them. Because of this delay
had to hurry to get to the station in
time. Fortunately, the train was late.
It pulled in just as l stepped on the
platform. Seeing an empty compart-
ment, as I supposed, / hurriedly en-
tered it.
AS I sat down I saw that 1 was not
alore lady sat in the righ- hand cor
ner Of the seat facing me. drew back
as far as possible in the left-hand cor
ner not because of suspicion, as | had
already forgotten windfall, but in
order to stretch out and reflect at my
ease.
The lady was young, beautiful and
elegant A dark-blue travelling dress
of a correct cut set off her slender,
graceful figure. Masses of golden hair
rippled back under a dark-blue hat,
trimmed with a band of ribbon and
quill. A dainty patent leather shoe
was visible below the hem of her skirt.
A watch with some coquettish trtnkets
hurg from her belt, while a bangled
bracelet on her left wrist indicated
pretty feminine vanity. A gold-handled
umbrella, in it's sheath. leaned against
portiere near her. From my OBJ
se1vation l gained an impression of
sober luxury, trif1e English In It's
rigor newspaper lay on the lady's
lap, and she was reading 1t with such
perfect Inconsistencies of my surveil-
lance that 1 could not even see the
color Of her eyes.
After we had left the Maisons Lafitte
station the thought occurred to me to
read over some letters which had
merely glanced at in the morning.
put my hand in my pocket to get them,
and l felt the pocketbook. feeling of
pleasure came over me at the remen-
brance of my bequest, and l could not
resist a childish desire to handle my
little fortune. took the bills from my
purse and. in the perfect security of
the closed compartment. counted
them without the slightest suspicion
of being watched. The 5000 francs
were there. folded the money up,
put 1t back into the pocketbook, and,
with my usual heedlessness, laid the
purse down beside me with the letters
!
up. one by one, read them. and tossed
them back on the seat.
I was soon made aware, by the vi
bration of the coach, that we had
reached the Asnieres bridge. The
young woman folded up her newspaper
and, without glancing in my direction
began slowly and composedly to un-
lace lace the glove on her right hand.
Finally she drew it e off. We were e
was not the time for removing ones
gloves. Still the act did not impress
me at. the time. I merely admired the
slim, nervous hand, wit its tapering
fingers The girl clasped and un-
clasped them with marvellous agility,
as II they were numb from their
bondage. The shadow Of the great
wall Of the Batignolles soon fell upon
our car, and I noticed that the Ian
tern was not lighted. moment aft.
erward, with confused rumbling OF
wheels and rails. we entered the tun-
mel.