Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-11-19
tracted my attention, and still more
of one that l thought of my pocket
book. BY some intuition, however. l

tfacted my attention, and still more
OF one that thought of my pocket
book. BY some intuition, however. 1
did SO.
Not Intentionally. but with an in
stinctive, rough gesture, of which 1
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 start, felt something more
under the pile, like an animal in trap
trying to escape by twisting. turning
and pulling. bore down all the hard
err. Just then the train whistle Shrek
ed out. The speed slackened and we
came to standstill in the blackness of
the tunnel. For moment, 1 expert
enced a yeritable nightmare. With n
rustling and tearing Of papers. the
struggle continued, silently but fierce
ly.
After having wrlggled and turned
desperately in every direction, like n
strangled reptile, the hand. crushed
under my palms, lay quiet. l saw
nothing, heard nothing, not even n
breath. knew. however, that my
companion was on the alert, noting my
every movement. Suffocated by emo
ton and ywearied by the tension on
my nerves, l waited for the daylight
for deliverance.
/ After period of time, very short,
probably, but the length of which
could not estimate, the train began to
move slowly. My relief Mt this was SO
great That my whole being involuntnri-
lily relaxed from Its tension. This was
F, evidently expected. for the hand again
tried to free itself, not by violent jerks
this time, but by a strong, steady pull
ing. felt it slipping along, little by
little, under the papers. imprudently
raised my palm a bit to get a fresh
hold. When again bore down,
clasped only my pocket-book. The
hand had escaped. knew not when
nor how.
| hastily opened the purse, felt that
its contents We're there. then put 1t
into my vest pocket and stupidity cross
ed my arms over it.
\ AT last 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 Indifference. Nothing
about her toilet was disarranged in
the least. Not fold of her dress SEEM
| nd fo have haan ,nnyod IT,, $780,
paper lay folded In her lap, the gold.
handled umbrella leaned against the
portiere. the patent-leather toe pro.
truded slightly below the hem of her
skirt.
She looked pale, however, and her
eyes were bent on her right hand, MS
she slowly laced up her glove. 1t truly
seemed as IL We're waking from a
dream. And what proof could offer
to the contrary.
The train stopped and the platform
was on my side. The lady rose, drop.
ping the paper from her lap, took her
umbrella. and with perfectly com.
| posed and polite Pardon me, sir.''
| passed in front of me.
Feeling stupid and duped. put out
my arm to detain her. But she was
already on the steps, and noticing my
gesture, she turned half round and for
the first time saw her eyes.
They were as blue as the sky and
4 limpid and beautiful in expression
They gazed Mt me with SO much sur.
prise and candor that was disarmed
completely, and I let her go unmolest.
ed. Had 1t not been for the rumpled
torn papers on the seat beside me, ]
might have been tempted to believe
that the mute but fierce duel in the
dark was merely n hallucination or d
bad dream. = Translated from the
French for the Argonaut.