The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-01-23


sank. and tbe smile slid down bis
cheek and vanished-eit was the plain
unvarnishsd truth. and It happened as
told you-Whilst we we're scuddins
along through this Inferno-likeA dark
ness. Just as tie train Is doing now
"But a man without a head" I Yen'
tured to expostulata And to enter
moving train-ln a tunnel. The thing
is impossible. you know impossiDiet
1T happened two years ago. and
was going then Gas I am going now
to Luvinci. a small station just out
side Of this tunnel on the Italian side
At that time I was connected with
Franco-Itanan firm Of jewelers. and
as the samples ! carried were extreme
" valuable, made It a 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 anair
Of which | am about to tell you oc-
Cured. / was, moreover. unusually
careful on this particular occasion, and
kept loaded revolver lying upon the
seat beside me. Some four months
previously. a fellow commercial trav-
eler, VINO had the misfortune 70 re-
sembl0 me very closely indeed. had
been murdered IN a compartment OF
the Lyons express. and his murderer.
who was most fortunately captured,
confessed tIat be 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
seen guilIotined in Paris, and there
was a full account OF the execution IN
all the evening papers. La Presse In
particular giving a very graphic de-
scriptlon OF it. think read it quite
dozen times that night and dozen
more the next morning, and ! was
reading it 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 doorl-open and close with a
bang, ! fairly bounded from my seat.
AS I faced around. my heart hammer
ing against my ribs as though II would
beat It's way out of me. / saw standing
before me the shape Of man with
d great scoop cut out Of his coat and
shirt where the collar should have
been, a slim. red line running round
his throat. and above that line q gray
white dead face with shut eyes ard
hanging lips"
~Achl Lieber Gott."
heard the words Quaver out from
the Germans corner out | could not
see his face. for the thick vapor which
the opened window had let in foated
between us. humid. yellow. reeking Of
sulphur. / looked round at the Cor
nishman. every fiber Of my being ting
ling and something creeping up my
neck.
60 on. said family. "You are
sure it'wasn't nerves?"
"As sure as am that yon are sitting
here beside me this minute" he re-
piled. Nerves may often make man
fancy that be sees things. but they
can't make those things talk"
And be talked"
"Yes. As l faced round and saw
min, his dead lips said quite distinct
": Good evening. comrade. We
travel far and fast It may be morn
ing to you. but It is evening 70 me-
for everl' And then, with wave or
the hand, inviting me 70 resume my
seat. he sat down IN the corner near
the window and turned HIS dead face
towards me, his eyellds never once
lifting. and his head. Jared hy the
movement OF the train. rocking I'M
steadily upon his shoulders Once DO
put UP his hand 70 steady II. and az
his fingers touched that red line about
his throat. The trademark OF Mon
sieur de Paris he said. with a CHASTITY
movement OF the lips which. IN Nv
sng man, would have been smile.
He guillotined me At dawn this morn
ing"
The Cornishman stopped short and
I saw his eye travel 70 the widow.
Along the vapor-smeared surface or
the glass faint glow Of light was
creeplng-a light which presently
burst into the compartment with such
fierce and binding glare that for an
instant / could see nothing Then |
became conscious that we we're out of
the tunnel. and that the German vas
still sitting huddled up II his corner
With gaping lips and wide-opened eyes
The cornishman rose, lifted his
portmanteau ont Of the yaek. looked
down at me and--winked
Il reckon I've won that fve-pound
note hands down. be said with a
liaugh. Our friend from the Father
land never slept a wink. nor snorod
shore. the whole way through"
well. IN dashsdl" ! managed to
gasp at last. and pulled my purse into
view.
mo. don't pay It to me-" he said
hastily. eTve won It, know. but
send It as donatloa TO Or. Barnardo's
home; twill do some gaod there. I
am sure / can trust you II do II; You