The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-11

ll
herself with her thoughts to shut out
tho present sorrow of the separa-
ton.
She travelled alone for a long time
but when the train was leaving one
OF the stations the name of which
she had not noticed, a tall woman en-
tered the compartment. Olive was
struck by her great height as she
brushed past and took her seat at
the father end OF the carriage. and
saw also that she was closely yelled.
She paid no more heed for time,
burying her face in the magazine she
was trying to read. But. when she
glanced up presently she found the
woman was staring hard at her.
Quite unaccustomed to travelling
alone, this Disconnected her, and she
dropped her eyes again on to the
ma gnzine.
The woman laughed: and the voice
was SO unnaturally deep that invol-
uHtdtl'S fAJllNe SldHCcu up again.
You needn't look at me as IL you
thought l was man." said the wo-
man. sepaking with slight foreign
accent.
Il beg your pardon, did not mean
| to look at YOU" replied Olive.
"Oh. you may. don't care" and
with that the veil was pushed up.
| 1t was no woman. The face was
/ clean shaven and the signs of the
beard Were plain and unmistakable
Thoroughly alarmed now. Olive was
seemed to enjoy her confusion and
dismay. He laughed again.
At that moment she caught sight
! OF the communication cord and rose
to stop the train.
NO you don't" cried the fellow
/! roughly. as he pulled her back and
4 thrust her into her seat again. Keep
STILL ] tell you. You'd better" he
added with an oath, at tho same time
whipping out a small revolver and
] level!ing 1t point-blank at her head.
At that instant. with shriil whis-
tie. the train dashed into a tunnel,
and then Olive felt the mans fingers
close round her throat.
CHAPTER. TX.
InPeril OF Her Life.
i BITTERLY Olive regretted that she hes,
refused to allow ia X to accompany
lie all the way to Sheffield, as she
.cli her assallant's hole tighten on .lar
t,lrat. That was her first conscious
thought. @Her rext was the flashing
instinct that her best plan was to APP
sca: to faint
l'ile iuffaln was a fellow of grea.
strength, and although Olive herself
was a very muscular girl. 1t was use
less to think Of struggling with him
a If she; was to have any chance at all
in n tussle, it could only be later on
when perhaps she might be able tc
take him by surprise.
She was intensely alarmed; for she
recognized that she was In real peri
even OF losing her life. But she re.
tanned her presence of mind and abil.
ity to think clearly. If the mans OBJ
ject were no more than robbery sht
would offer no sort Of resistance. Ht
might take every thing she possessed
T without any trouble.
She relaxed all her muscles, there
fore. let her head fall forward on hi:
w-ist. aid lollsI to one side ns : f !,
e Ceol faint.
lie let her fall e,ld relaxed his Sri,
OH her throat. but stood close besi'i,
lier l.ti' the tr;i.l emerged from ~
tunnel, using the time to search e
\
or her money and everything of van:c
? tossing it all on tho seat behind he:.
, w hen the daylight came again h
= lcni over her to azure himself tina
shn was not shamming. And the ordea
!. was hard one. Not content wit
i merely staring into her eyes and lift
e ing her head and arms in turn, III
pushed up her eyelids watching ther
I jealousy as Olive let them fall agai
| I, or,jp ba1 l,a
;. arms between his STRONG finger an
thanh. and at last drew out his poke
d Ek,.ifc. and, holding up one Of her Ids
made as IL to jab 1T into the eye.
y The manner In which she stood TIL
t terrible test appeared at. first to satlsf
U him. but after a moments thought. II
% thrust the blade into the soft flesh {
9 her upper arm.
G Olive bore even this without flincl
ing; and the fellow was convinced 6
last. With a grunt of satisfaction i
It sat down on the seat opposite he
y ana counted up the money he ha
d taken, and examined the few valus
1t bles. The only thing of any rel
$. worth was the engagement ring whic
,e Jack had given her; and lie gave al
f. other grunt as he put 1t into Il
% rocket.
owe had fallen in position fro
~ WHICH Sis WAS dpIS. W Ns'NSi't
y movements through her nearly close
Sc lius, and she saw that he had put II
Of revolver down in the seat next
., hiln.
~ His sat for some minutes thin's'r
80 irtcntly, and watching his victim
: closely as a cat watches a mouse.
II she could bit manage to get =
81 revolver She would soon turn tt
q tables, was olives thought, She Knc
~ how to use 1t perfectly. More thu
- once in the old days out in the Arge
~ tine she had accompanied her faith
- into some rough places, and she hi
p, bren carefully taught how to shD
,'s straight and quickly
, ;, But he sat right opposite her, al
~ the least movement on her part Won
40 bring him again upon her in a. stru
"a gle In which she would not stal
he the slightest chance 1t was like t
q I punishment of Tantalus to see thel
we'll within reach, the means OF safe
i and yet be unable to use It,
H. Presently, however, the man turn