The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1902-11-13

the family attorney. AS l was about
to leave the Office the head clerk called
me to MS desk and said: There Is also
some money coming to you from your
unces 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, l had to
hurry TO get to the station In time. For
tunately, the train was late. 1t pulled
in just as | stepped on the platform.
Seeing an empty compartment, as l sup
posed, / hurriedly entered it.
As | sat down l saw that l was not
alone. A lady sat in the right-hand cor
as far as possible in the left-hand corner,
not because of suspicion, as | had already
forgotten my windfall, but in order to
stretch out and reflect at my ease.
The lady was young, beautiful and ele-
CANT. A dark blue travelling dress of n
correct cut set off her slender, graceful
figure. Masses of golden hair rippled
back under dark-blue felt 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 trinkets hung from
her belt, while bangled bracelet on her
left wrist indicated a pretty feminine
vanity. A gold handled umbrella, in its
sheath, leaned against a portiere near by.
From my observation | gained an impress
sion of sober luxury, a trltie English in
its rigor. A newspaper lay on the lady's
lap, and she was reading it with such
perfect Inconsistencies of my surveil.
lance that | could not even see the color
of her eyes.
After We had left the Maisons LATTE
station the thought occurred to me to
read over some letters which | had mere
ly glanced at in the morning. l put my
hand in my pocket to get them, and |
felt the pocketbook. A feeling of pleasure
came over me at the remembrance of
my bequest, and l could not resist
childish desire to handle my little for
tune I 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. l folded
the money up, put it back into my pocket
book and, with my usual heedlessness,
laid the purse down beside me with the
letters l was going to read. | now took
these up, one by one, read them and
tossed them back on the seat.
] was soon made aware, by the vibra.
ton of the coach, that we had reached
the Asnieres bridge. The young woman
folded up her newspaper and, without
glancng in my direction began slowly
and composedly to unlace the glove on
her right hand. Finally she drew it off.
We were about to reach our destination.
1t was not the time for removing ones
gloves. Still the act did not impress
me at the time. | merely admired the
slim, nervous hand, with its tapering fin
gers. The girl clasped and unclasped them
with marvellous agility, as if they were
numb from their bondage. The shadow
of the great wall of the Batignolles soon
fell upon our car, and ! noticed that the
lantern was not lighted. A moment after.
ward, with confused rumbling of wheels
and rails, we entered the tunnel.
Soon | fancied | heard-the sound was
barely perceptble in the general fracas-
a slight rustling among the papers at my
side Careless as | usually am, it is
wonder that the sound attracted my at
tention, and still more of one that
thought of my pocketbook. By some in
tuition, however, | did so.
Not Intentionally, but with an in
stinctive, rough gesture, of which l
should have been ashamed in the day.
light, l forcibly threw both my hands
over the scattered papers and pressed
them down with all my might. Then, with
- f.1t Iar tha
pile, like an animal in a trap trying to
escape by twisting, turning and pulling
l bore down all the harder. just then
the train whistle shrieked out. The speed
slackened ard we came to q standstill in
the blackness of the tunnel. For mo-
ment | experienced veritable nightmare.
With a rustling and tearing of papers the
struggle continued, silently but fiercely.
After having wriggled and turned des.
perately in every direction, like a stran-
gled reptile, the hand, crushed under my
palms, lay quiet. | saw nothing, heard
nothing, not even breath. l knew, how
ever, that my companion was on the
alert, noting my every movement. Suf-
located by emotion and wearied by the
tension Oh my nerves, waited for the
daylight for deliverance.
After period of time, very short, prob
ably, but the length of which l could not
estimate, the train began to move slow
ly. My relief at this was so great that
my whole being involuntarily relaxed from
its tension. This was evidently expected,
for the hand again tried to free itself,
not by violent jerks this time, but by
strong, steady pulling. l felt it slipping
along, little by little, under the papers.
| imprudently raised my palm bit to get
fresh hold. When | again bore down
l clasped only my pocketbook The hand
had escaped, / knew not when nor how.
l hastily opened the purse, felt that its
contents were there, then put it into my
vest pocket and stupidity crossed my arms
over it.
At last a gray light penetrated into the
compartment, followed by the bright light
of day My first glance was at the lady
opposite. She sat in exactly the same
place, with the same air of naughty in.
difference Nothing about her toilet was
disarranged in the least. Not fold OF
her dress seemed to have been moved
She looked pale, however, and her eyes
were oent on her right hand, as she
slowly laced up her glove. 1t truly seemed