The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-10-15
IN A rUNN Ell.

kAsA4FA3AaE1
amounting 10 5000, which / was An
too much Of q hurry % count Hap
ply for me. the $40 express for Paris
was late arriving. and / had tims %
spring into compartment that |
thought was empty.
A lady, however. was there before !
me b the corner to the right. THIS !
lady was not only young, but very |
pretty, elegant and dressed In perfect |
taste. Presently she took up a paper
folded on her lap and began to read.
Meanwhile we were rapidly ap-
preaching the station Of MaiSons-LA-
Cite, when all at once the notion
struck me to read again some letters
had about me and that I hAd only
glanced at In the hurry Of my morn
ing departure.
l put my hand In my pocket then
and drew out in loose heap the bum
die OF papers and letters and among
them my pocketbook.
took up the pocketbook. therefore,
drew out the notes and In the absolute
security of that narrow. shut in car
rage counted them slowly, compla-
Gently, without the slightest fear OF
being spied on. With my accustomed
carelessness In everything / did laid
the pOcketbook down on the seat be-
side me, along with the handful Of let
tiers that proposed to read.
A sharp rattle Of iron made me look
up brusquely. Was It really possible
we were already passing Asnieres?
The young woman. too, had been
drawn By the noise from her immObll-
ity. She folded up her paper. then
drew or her glove.
But now the shadow Of the great
wall OF the Batignolles was falling In
to the wagon, already gray with the
coming twilight, and l saw that the
lantern was not lighted. A moment
more and we rushed into the Asnieres
tunnel.
Immediately was conscious OF q
slight rustling sound, almost impercep-
tIble In that fracas OF rafting iron, a
sort Of light rubbing or scratching
an ong the papers lying on the seat be-
SHE me.
Absentminded az am, there were q
hundred chances to one against my no
ticing so slight a thing. Nevertheless,
be 1t a supernatural warning or latent
suspicion, l instantly thought Of my
pocketboOk, and instantly, too. with
out reflection, threw myself forward
my two hands spread out wide upon
my scattered papers. and leaned heavi
ly upon them.
My heart gave one great plunge and
seemed to stop beating, for felt q
once under those sheets OF paper thai
had seized upon sOmething-sOme
thing that, like a bear in a trap. sought
to be free, writing, struggling, claw
: ing, twisting.
Just then the train whistled again, I
whistle Of distress, Of inquiry maybe
! relaxed its speed and came to a stop II
the black night Of the tunnel, and
there in that pitchy darkness, for SONS
seconds at least, l lived through th,
! crisis Of a verItable nightmare.
How long 1t went ON l never knew
] never will knOw-but presently tina
hand, after doubling itself with tn
e vain but tortured tOssings Of q captiv
: servant-that hand-crushed remOrse
{ Iezsly under my own two palms, grey
{ still and stirred no more. like a thin
3 that n dead.
And all this while l saw nothing
heard nothing, not even q Btghtn
Z breath from the owner Of that band
e though l perfectly cOmprehended tha
= she to whom the hand belonged wa
simply crafty; that she was hiding be
I time merely; that in that black obecuri
+ II even she eyed me treacheroualy.
/ At last the train began to move o
once more. The relief experienced 9
II started was 80 great that involuE
. tarily my entire being seemed to reAa
from its strain.
II She was watching for exactly tha
'e moment, for instantly that hand va
y stirring again, struggling again 70 D
q free, not In fits and starts this TIM
but In a steady recoil. tenhcsOus. vigoi
4 Gus. into which was thrown al tn =
naming energy.
le felt 1t through the papers. slipplnl
l gliding, escaping me, little By ntfAe. I
= get a better purchase ON II moved n
y palms slightly, and-the hand wa
gone. / grasped only my pochetbool
ar l opened II feverishly, learned By fee
Re ing that the bills were sG1n ther
D. thrust It into the breast Oe my CO
70 and folded my arms upOA T. 1hen
U. breathed freely.
% The darkness now was growing lea
a. the street light beginning 70 enter q
compartment
ID Naturally my first glance leaped
that young woman's face. Shs wHs
IN the same place In the same attttut
& Of naughty uncOncsrn. EOhAng vi
ou deranged about her toilet; net n 60
u Of her robe seemed 70 havo stirre
IN The paper still lay folded up0n b
to lap; the umbrella stood 10 beMoe b
ut against the door. Only che was paAz
and win eyes axsd On har WF@t-0
a bruised and abrnded Faght wWa@G ~
Us knew very well-ahs was roaAemg b
~ glove. dexteroualy a. eNcr, bot vi