The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1906-12-27

But man WITHOUT nedui 'o"
tured to expostuate. And to enter
moving train-in q tunnell The thing
$ impossible, you know, impossible'
ut happened two years ago, and
was going then (as I am going now
10 Luvinci. a small station just out
side of this tunnel on the Italian side
At that time | was connected with a
Franco-Itanan firm of jewelers. and
as the samples | carried were extreme
ly valuable, made IL point when
travelling by train to always engage an
entire compartment and have the
guard lock me in securely. was,
therefore, quite alone when the affair
of which | am about to tell you oc-
Cured. was. moreover. unusually
careful on this particular occasion, and
kept a loaded revolver lying upon the
seat beside me. Some four months
previously a fellow commercial trav-
eer. who had the misfortune to re-
semble me very closely indeed. had
been murdered in compartment OF
the Lyons express and his murderer,
who was most fortunately captured,
confessed that he had mistaken the
man for me.
"On the morning prior to my start
ing upon the journey of which ] am
now telling you. this murderer had
been guillotined in Paris, and there
was full account of the execution In
all the evening papers. La Presse in
particular giving a very graphic de-
scription of It, think | read II quite
a dozen times that night and a dozen
more the next morning, 'and ! was
reading II again when the train
whizzed suddenly into this tunnel. The
horrible droning of the wheels. com
| bined with the gloom and, perhaps, the
| grewsomeness of the thing | had been
| reading. got on my nerves and when
| heard the door behind me-the
locked door!-open and close with a
| bang | fairly bounded from my seat.
As | faced around. my heart hammer
ing against my ribs as though IL would
beat its way out of me, ! saw standing
before me the shape OF man with
great scoop cut OF. of his coat and
shirt where the collar should have
been. slim. red line running round
his throat. and above that line gray
white dead face with shut eyes and
hanging lips"
"Ach. Lieber Gott."
heard the words Quaver out from
the Germans corner. but ] could not
see his face. for the thick vapor which
the opened window had let in fioatet
between us. humid. yellow, reeking oI
sulphur. looked round at the Cor
nishman. every fiber of my being ting
ling. and something creeping up m!
neck.
Go on" said family You are
sure It wasn't nerves."
"As sure as am that you are sittini
here beside me this minute" he re
piled. Nerves may often make a maI
fancy, that he sees things. but the,
can't make those things talk"
And he talked?"
Yes. As ! faced round and saw
him, his dead lips said quite distinct
ly: Good evening, comrade. W.
travel far and fast II may be morn
ing to you. but II is evening to me-
for ever.' And then, with a wave o
the hand. inviting me to resume m!
seat, he sat down in the corner nea
the window and turned his dead fact
towards me, his eyelids never one,
lifting, and his head. Jared by tn,
movement of the train, rocking un
steadily upon his shoulders. Once h,
put up his hand to steady II, and a
his fingers touched that red line abou
his throat. The trademark OF Mon
: sieur de Paris. he said, with a ghastl.
movement OF the lips which, In liv
J ing man, would have been a smile
He guillotined me at dawn this morn
ing"
The Cornishman stopped short an
saw his eye travel to the window.
; Along the vapor-smeared surface O
the glass faint glow OF light wa
creeping-a light which present.
burst into the compartment with sue
a fierce and binding glare that for a
instant | could see nothing. Then
became conscious that we were out @
the tunnel, and that the German wa
still sitting huddled up In his corne
with gaping lips and wide-opened eye,
The Cornishman rose. lifted hi
portmanteau out of the rack, locke
down at me and-winked.
II reckon I've won that fve-poun
,, note hands down." he said, with
laugh. "Our friend from the Fathe
land never slept wink, nor snored
snore, the whole way through"
well, I'm dashed!' I managed t
,, gasp at last, and pulled my purse int
, view.
mo, don't pay It to me-" he sal
hastily. "Tve won It, l. know. but
send II as a donation to- Dr. Barnardo
home; 1t will do some good there.
!, am sure can trust you to do IL; yo
I. were so willing to pay up like a MAJ
One last word-don't make rash bet
, In future; you will always find som'
body ready to take you up. Goodbye
! Goodbye" I answered, as ! leane
J. out and wrung the hand he extended
a 1T was ripping, and you had me mic,
Z ly. ! say, you know, you ought I
! write for the magazines"
4 lie looked up at me and laughed.
!. II dol" he said, and walked quietl
9 away.