Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-06-09

NerIdlnlS not, Hldudll.
You speak FrenchI" she asked In
that language.
| assured her that | did, and after
that we conversed in the French Ian,
guage. l took out some cigarettes and
lighted one to keep her company, but
she insisted on my smoking one of
hers, which, she said, had been made
expressly for her from recipe fur
nished by a member of the suit of the
sultan of Turkey. l threw mine away
and took one of hers. l knew at once
that it contained opium, but how much
or what other drugs | did not know
One thing | did know. | was rapidly
passing into a delightful trance, which
every Whit seemed TO make still more
delightful | saw the woman watching
me, and when she was satisfied that
was powerless she opened hand bag
beside her and took out something
rolled in brown paper, opened ii, took
out a wedge shaped piece Of wood and
seizing my chin, opened my mouth and
gagged me.
This done, she took out timetable
which she scanned, looked at her
watch, cast glance out of the win
dow, then momentarily gave way to q
terrible depression. | judged that she
was obliged TO wait for something, and
on the eve Of some move-one involv.
ing life and death. for instance there
Is nothing like delay TO break one
down. | noticed that we were passing
through thickly settled district and
that as soon as we had passed again
into the country she nerved herself
and prepared for something she was
about to do.
Her first act was to diSrObe. But in
stead OF displaying the undergarments
Of a woman she lay bare mans out
er clothing Her womans attire was
merely a covering, which she threw
out Of the window. Next she took a
glass globe about two inches in diam
eter from her satchel, and the satchel
followed the clothing. Then sheer
rather he for by this time / had made
up my mind that the person was u
young man-cast glance at me which
seemed to satisfy him, took another
look at his watch, peered out at the
passing landscape and after casting up
his eyes and muttering prayer
climbed out of the window and let him.
self down on the footboard.
Had l not been under the influence of
opium l should have been profoundly
moved by all this. AS 1t was II seem
ed but a part Of my dream, and the
moment the singular being passed out
Of ii he was forgotten. | remember be
ing Jared by an explosion. but did not
at the time connect ii with the young
man.
Whatever occurred was huShed up.
When we reached FolkestOne guard
was obliged to carry me on to the
channel boat, and | did not come TO
myself again before we reached
Boulogne. l did not get an oppor-
tunity to interview any Of the passen-
gers. and the whole affair was TO me
something Of Il mystery. Indeed | fan
cied | had dreamed it under the influ-
ence of an opium cigarette. II bomb
was really exploded with a view to kill
ing the Russian official In another com
partment, it failed. My theory, based
on the view that it was real occur
renee, was that the assailant dropped
the bomb before he was ready to ex-
plode it in or under the compartment
oncuriaJ NV tho DuccIau
Two years afterward l was in st.
Petersburg standing in n crowd watch
Ing for the emperor to pass on his way
to review some Of his troops Among
the members OF his staff | saw face
that astonishcd me. | never forget
faces and | certainly could never for
get this one II was the face of the
young man who had drugged me on the
train between Boulogne and Folke-
stone. Happening TO glance down upon
me, he caught my astonished glance,
which doubtless helped him to recoG-
nIze me The cavalcade passed on, and
| returned to my hotel.
That night | was trying vainly to
sleep, for | was troubled about being
recognized as "A nihilist and been rec
ognized by him In the cars suit when
there was a knock on the door, and a
man entered.
There is midnight train for the
border" lie said Get up and take
it"
In an hour | was on the train with
my visitor who saw me into another
country GEORGE \. PARKER.
Dronpcd thr Subject.
Five thousand dollars for a dogr he
exclaimed as ne looGod MP from his
newspaper. Do you believe any one
ever paid any such price. Maria?'
I'm sure / don't know, James" she
returned without stopping her needle
work even for a moment. Does the
paper say that much was paidf"
Yes There's an article on valuable
dogs. and it speaks of one that was
sold for $1,000. | don't believe it,"
"lt may hc true. James" she said
quietly. Some of these well bred ami
mails bring fancy prices, ana there's no
particular reason why the paper should
lie about IT,"
Il know that, Maria. But just think
OF It, Just try to grasp the magnitude
Of that sum in your weak. feminine
mind. You don't seem to realize il.
live thousand dollars for dog why,
hang 1t. Maria that's more than I'm
worth"
81 know il, James, but some are
worth more than others"
She went calmly on with her sewing,
while he fumcd and spluttcrcd for a
moment and then dropped the subject,
especially the weak, feminine mind
part of It, Exchange.