Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-01-27
a Railway Adventure
lOriginal.

musician, with view to earning her
own living. She went all alone on the
train and was alone in the compart-
ment until at one Of the stops a man
got in. The train had 10 sooner start
ed on than he said to Gretchen:
"Fraulein, I'll trouble you for your
clothes.'
Gretchen looked at the man, not IN
derstanding what he meant.
"Your clothes, and be in a hurry
Take them off. I'm going to put
them on and you shall put on mine"
Before Gretchen could be made to
understand that he was in earnest
he was obliged to threaten her, and
even then the taking off Of her outer
clothing before man was so obnox-
ious to her that she did it very slowly,
The man was twice her age, but not
much taller, being small and wiry. He
put On Gretchen's dress, hat-he could
not get on her shoes,-and minor
articles, compelling her to put on his
own clothes. Then he took out of a
satchel a number Of cosmetics and
began to make himself up for a wo-
man. He also took out a mustache
and, giving it to Gretchen, ordered her
to stick it Oh to her upper lip.
Gretchen, who had never before been
out in the world without a maid, was
Of course terror stricken. She obeyed
the man mechanically, expecting every
moment that he might find it to his
interest to murder her. After they
had changed apparel he said to her:
Little girl, if you do what l want
you to do, I'll not hurt you. The next
station will be B. and l expect to leave
the train there. If l decide not to
and any one gets into this compart-
ment, you must pretend that you are
young man. If you don't, I'll kill
your
When the train stopped at B. the
man was about to get out when he
caught sight Of policeman standing
right where he must be passed. The
man hesitated and decided not to risk
it. He covered back in the car and
remained there while the train was
at a standstill. Just before it moved
off young man in a students cap
got into the compartment. Then the
guard locked the door and the train
moved off.
The student was evidently in an
amiable mood-most students are-and
as soon as he was seated took out a
cigarette and, turning to the criminal
whom he supposed was a woman,
asked if she objected to smoking The
man replied in SO coarse a voice that
the student smiled, and, permission
being granted, he offered Gretchen a
cigarette. She was about to decline
when a glance from the criminal
warned her to accept, and, taking the
cigarette, the student held a match
while she lit it. The student insisted
on opening a conversation with her. AT
the first sound of her voice he looked
at her surprised and smiled again.
"You two had better change your
clotheS," he said. The woman has
the voice Of man, while the man
has the voice of woman"
Poor Gretchen now began to show
signs of sickness, and the student
asked what was the matter. Gretchen
admitted that it must be the cigarette,
since he could not think Of anything
else to cause the trouble
poor little boy" said the student
you should be at home with your
mother"
Taking her head in his arms, he
playfully pulled it down on to his
breast The criminal, not relishing this
close proximity and fearing the girl
might communicate with the student
said:
Let the boy alone"
What business is it of yours? 2" asked
the student haughtily. One would sup
pose the boy to be a girl. I'll hug him
if like"
With that he seized Gretchen and
pulled her face down onto his chest so
vigorously that when he released her
her mustache had fallen off.
"Well, well!' said the astonished stu
dent whats this? Are you trying
to escape from justice in disguise?"
That's it." cried the criminal. "He
must be thief
The student looked at the blushing.
innocent face of the girl, end. noticing
that her hair had partly slipped from
under her hat where the criminal had
placed it, took hold Of a coil and pulled
it down over Gretchen's shoulder.
You're a girl he said, that's GER
tain. Now, how about your" he added.
looking at the other.
"A manw And, whipping out a re-
volver, he attempted to cover the stu
dent, but the latter, who was a re-
nowned member Of the dueling corps
at his university, quick as lightning
knocked up his weapon, and in the
scuffle that followed the criminal, be-
ing encountered with skirts, was over
powered and lost his revolver