Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-01-13

class Compartment of the Berlin-Paris
express, an elderly man and a young
student, evidently not more than twen-
ty; chatting as il they had known each
other for years and not for only a few
hours. The train stopped at Cologne
and they were idly looking at the de-
parting passengers when the Older SUD
denly turned pale at the sight OF a
beautiful girl with golden hair who
passed by. He soon recovered. how
ever, but as he saw that his companion
looked at him In surprise, he said as
the train started:
You must think it strange that 4
was startled at the sight of that blond
girl, out | will tell o the story and
then you may understand. nave
met her before and the sight of her
now means nothing good.
she was the governess of my sister,
but her hair vas brighter then and h
was still more beautiful and she had
a peculiar red mark on her
which was there by my fault. She
had come from England, and when l
proposed TO her she was not at all sur
prised.
I'm the most natural manner she
told me that she had expected my
proposal. AS soon as we had met the
first time she had known that j would
influence her Wnole life and that III
was fate that she woul accept me,
and so she did, without hesitation,
kissing me full on the lips.
But | soon got tired of her, only
because she loved me too much. !
spoke harsh words to her and she cried.
Once she eXasperated me so that l
picked up Il heavy bronze andle stick
and threw it at her. 1t left a red mark
upon her forehead. Without a word
OF repreach, she looked at me with eyes
q. RIl01 NTH fnav nc a,a1 Iaft tho TnnHD
Without knowing why, a terrible sen
sation of fear came over me. | felt
that something awful was TO happen.
And did anything ~happen?"
While | sat there in the room, still
trembling with fear, | heard voices
outside and my sister Catharine came
rushing in crying that her g~overness
had drowned herself. She had taken
a boat, rowed out on the lake and de-
liberately jumped overheard.
"Of course she was saved?'
'The lake had a whirlpool and a
mysterious outlet, and, though the
whole force of labOrers and servants
looked for her body for two days T.
was never found. / need not tell you
that / was on the verge of despair and
blamed myself for her death. | saw
her every night in my dreams and at
last ever at daytime. and always with
that terrible mark on her white fore
head.
Nobody else knew that there had
been anything between us, so they
We're unable to understand my melan-
choly. which grew worse every day,
and irrestibly drew me toward the lake.
At last my father said that ! must be
sick and insisted that I should make
a long trip and see new people and
new countries. Though / had no de-
sire to so anywhere, l agreed 10 go.
Three days afterward / found myself
OF board an express train. / intended
TO get off at one of the first stations
to visit my aunt before leaving the
country. The train was due there
abeut .a~idaiga1-ana during the evening
l fell asleep
And missed your station" !.
NO, n few minutes before we were
due | woke up n looked around me
TO see il any other passengers had come
IN, and SO doing nearly tainted. Near
the door on the seat opposite me sat
the English girl staring AZ me. The
red mark on her forehead seemed to
have grow larger. The train stopped
at my station, but I did not get out, /
was so paralyzed, and we rolled out
into the dark night. Shortly after
ward the young girl got up, looked at
me in a threatening way and disap-
peared. When the conductor came TO
the window next time i asked him IL
he had seen her. but did not receive
any answer, as his head fell off and
rolled down the e~mbankment."
But how"
"A second afterward we ran into an
other train n all the cars in our train
were smashed into kindling wood. /
was the only passenger who escaped
alive and unhurt, but for a few
bruises, but l felt sure that the girl had
appeared before me TO prevent me
from leaving. my train. hoping that |
would be killed in the accident. Since
then ! have been living in a continual
state OF terror. Every time | see a
~hght-haired girl my heart commences
10 beat as If it would break my ribs,
but weeks passed after the accident
and l did not see her.
zone evening. however, | arrived late
at a Swiss hotel. Nearly all the rooms
We're taken and had TO take q small
bedroom on the rop floor. / had hardly
entered ii when | felt an irresistible
desire to take a walk in the fresh air.
The halls were dark and I lost my way.
/ found an electric button and pressed
ii ~furiously. a chambermaid appeared
m showed me TO my room. When we
had reached il I looked at her. Ii was
the English girl with the terrible mark
on her forehead. She looked at me
too with an angry expression. lifted
her hand t~hreateningly and disappeared
through the door. Like a raadman /
rushed after her. slamming the door
and turned the key, and with my last
remaining strength barricaded 1t
with q heavy wardrobe. I dared not
sleep, but laid down on my bed to walt
for daylight. The hotel was on fire.
HALF dead with terror, ! tried to push
the wardrobe away from the door. but
could not move II an inch. The
thought that / must perish In the
flames almost made me insane. I ran
to the window and jumped without
looking. I landed on a fat waiter who
was killed. the weight OF my falling
body broke his neck.
Il was sick for weeks afterward, and
on the fourth day. just after dusk, a.
] was tossing on my bed. she came
| AGAIN. This dime she wore the dresS