Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-04-15
IN THE DARK.
A Strange Adventure in a
Railway Compartment.

had fallen heir, and, after break
fast, took my keys to the fam
lily attorney. AS l 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. 1 took the blue bills and slipped
them into my pocketbook without
counting them. Because Of this delay
1 had to hurry to get to the station in
time. Fortunately, the train was late.
1t pulled in just as l stepped on the
platform. Seeing an empty compart-
ment, as 1 supposed, I hurriedly en-
tered it.
AS sat down I saw that was not
alone. A lady sat in the right-hand
corner of the seat facing me. l drew
back 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
elegant. A dark-blue travelling dress of
a correct cut set off her slender, grace
full figure. Masses Of golden hair rip
pied back under a 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 a bangled
bracelet on her left wrist indicated
pretty feminine vanity. A gold
handled umbrella, in its sheath, leaned
against a portiere near her. From my
observations 1 gained an impression
of sober luxury, a trifle English in its
rigor. A newspaper lay on the lady's
lap, and she was reading it with such
perfect unconsciousness of my sur
veillance 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 l had
merely glanced at in the morning. 1
put my hand in my pocket to get them,
and l felt the pocketbook. A feeling
of pleasure came over me at the re-
membrance of my bequest, and 1 could
not resist q childish desire to handle
my little fortune. l took the bills
from my purse and, in the perfect
security of the closed compartment, /
counted Hhem without the slightest
suspicion of being watched The 60OO
francs We're there. folded the money
up, put it back into the pocketbook,
and, with my usual heedlessness, laid
the purse down beside me with the
letters 1 was going to read. l now took
these up, one by one, read them, and
tossed them back ON the seat.
1 was soon made aware, by the vibra-
tion Of the coach, that we had reached
the Asnieres Bridge. The young
woman folded up her newspaper, and,
without glancing in my direction, be-
gan 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.
1 merely admired the slim, nervous
hand, with its tapering fingers. The
girl clasDed and unclasped them with
marvellous agility, as if they were
numb from their bondage. The
shadow of the great wall of the Batig-
nolles soon fell upon our car, and l
noticed that the lantern was not light
ed. A moment afterward, with con-
fused rumbling of wheels and rails,
We entered the tunnel.
Soon | fancied | heard-the sound
was barely perceptible in the general
fracas-a slight rustling among the
papers at my side. Careless as usual
ly am, it is wonder that the sound
attracted my attention, and still more
of one that 1 thought of my pocket
book. By some intuition, however, 1
did So
Not Intentionally, but with an in
stinctive, rough gesture, of which
should have been ashamed in the day
light forcibly threw both my hands
over the scattered papers and pressed
them down with all my might. Then,
with n start, l felt something move
under the pile, like an animal in a
trap trying to escape by twisting, turn
ing and pulling. l bore down all the
harder. Just then the train whistle
shrieked out. The speed slackened and
we came to standstill in the black
ness of the tunnel. For a moment 1
experienced a veritable nightmare.
With a rustling and tearing of papers
the struggle continued, silently but
fercely.
After having wriggled and turned
desperately in every direction, like a
strangled reptile, the hand, crushed
under my palms, lay quiet. 1 saw
nothing, heard nothing-not even a
breath. 1 knew, however, that my
companion was on the alert, noting
my every movement. Suffocated by
emotion and wearied by the tension OF
my nerves, waited for the daylight
Tor deliverance.
After q period Of time, very short,