The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-07-23


peared in any party of these perturbed
discoverers. Why didn't somebody
find a bluecoat and inform him? Sure
ly IL must be OF Importance TO them!
In a blockade at Fourteenth street
our car caught up with the one bearing
the terrifying black and green. Alight.
ing to the pavement dashed forward
and caught 1t just as they started on.
The conductor was in the extreme rear
end and was looking calmly up the
street in the opposite direction from
which the car was travelling, so he was
evidently unaware of the disturbances
arising on the sidewalks. In my undue
agitation I caught his arm with such
force that we came near crashing into
each other head-on.
what in the Devil Is the matter with
this car? Who is that woman?"
"Why-why?"
"Lookl Look out there at those et-
cited men. Don't you see where they're
pointing?"
He faced around and fastened his
eyes on the only other passenger
aboard. Then as the light of discovery
semed TO break over his features he
suddenly became white and purple as
a corpse. He shrank back almost con-
vulsively.
"What is the matter? Speak," i'm
plored.
"Have-have you change for S5?" he
stammered. "Quick!"
I iprkpI ont xxh Of ypDnay Ind
81 just have ten and four ones"
They'll do" he said eagerly, almost
savavgely, thrusting the five into my
hands.
"What! the ten and the onesp" ]
gasped.
"No--just the ones-here!"
A signal came from the Lady and the
man pulled the rope.
While 1 was trying to beat into my
brain why this man had taken four
ones for five the woman had alighted
from the car and was disappearing
down East Ninth street.
"Tell me, who was it?" I yelled.
Somebody shouted Madame Bar
bettel"
Who in seven worlds could be Mad
anne Barbette? I knew almost as much
as did before. However, came to my
senses again and rushed like a wild
man down East Ninth street in search
Of the sinister, lugubrious, city-upset-
ting madame.
As I tore along remembered "the
five dollar bill"
The conductor must have had ii from
Madame Barbette in collecting her
fare. Not having paid any particular
attention to the passenger he had over
looked her identity until / aroused his
especial interest. Then he thought OF
the bill! He was afraid of it! He
would have gotten rid of it at any sacri.
fee! He had palmed 1t off on mel
had been duped-had probably sold my
life for dollar!
Or maybe it was counterfeit-per
haps the madame was the chief and
queen of some notorious swindling
gapg.
hurriedly pulled the thing from my
pocket and held it up to the light-it
appeared faultless in every detail, SC
I tried to think Of some other reason.
The other reason, which was OF long
coming, sent cold chills all over me
Maybe she had some deadly contagior
some horrible, zymotic disease! The
thought paralyzed me!
I stopped policeman, quickly de.
scribing the madam; he hadn't seen
her. ran three blocks farther, look.
ing into stores and buildings, stopped
another bluecoat-if he had seen heI
we could approach her together. He
knew nothing of her.
Then followed futile search for
hours. I haunted every street corner
from Wannamaker's to Chatham
square to no avail Till late in the aft
ernoon 7 hung around Mott and Pell
streets, thinking she might put in an
appearance there, but she never came
in sight.
Sick, tired and disgusted I made my
way home that evening and threw my
self dejectedly on a couch. I had lost
a day, worried myself i'll and discov-
cred nothing-nothing but a name
Madame Barbette.
A morning paper which / had notye
read lay beside me. YEARLY picked il
up and glanced over its pages. My eyes
fell on sensational article with scare
headlines-it had been read that morn
ing, no doubt, by every man and wo'
man in New York but myself. My
blood froze in my veins!
is IT BLACK DEATH?
Madame Barbette, Hopeless Victim oi
T.