The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1908-01-08


watched the girl across the aisle with |
a new interest. coupled with growing |
mystifcation
She turned the toy over and over |
held it to her cheek and lips. her face
instinct with passionate yearning. then
slowly and timidly drew the string
back and forth, producing succession
of short, jerky, rasping sounds, which
she gradually tempered and softened.
Finally, firing of watching her, | re-
sumed my pastime of drumming with
my fingers. Instantly she stopped. re-
garded me eagerly, then, sadly shak-
ing her head, dropped her crude play
thing in her lap.
What was the girl trying to do? 4
look into her set. tense face secuted the
idea of anything so trivial as fiirta-
ton. When / stopped drumming she
resumed her performance; when |
drummed she was quiet, listening in
tently, but with evident disappoint-
ment Giving up the riddle at last,
leaned back. with folded arms. Imme-
diately. with a most inexplicable look
toward her father and toward me, the
girl across the aisle resumed, with an
air of desperate determination, the
same unvarying iteration of sounds
and pauses until the performance be-
came almost intolerable. Indeed. it
was getting upon my nerves, and was
contemplating an appeal to her father
when | stumbled into the light. Her
maneuyer was making its way not up
on my nerves alone, but upon an inner
consciousness. slowly responding to
the magic code. began to follow and
analyze that rhythmical succession of
sounds and pauses until l was able to
recognize, distinguish and translate
them The girl across the aisle was
communicating through her crude play
thing telegraph messages to me.
Noting my expression. she stopped,
then flashed a significant glance to-
ward her father. Obeying her IN
spoken injunction, l busted myself
with a book. but in a moment she was
at work again, and her message read:
81 am trying to speak to you. Do
you understands"
My response was to cast bewilder
her face from me toward the window,
but l was on the alert for the next
message.
"Drum with your fingers on the arm
Of your seat as you did before. | can
read that Don't look at me-"
Here was the last link in the riddle.
l raped:
81 understand you. How can help
you?"
She appeared not to notice me. sit
ting with her hands relaxed, apparent
ly lost in reverie. But another mes
sage soon followed.
This man who pretends l am crazy
is not my father nor an old man-only
twenty-seven. Read again."
/ raped YES" keeping my eyes on
my book. Then her improvised tele-
graph spoke again.
HE robbed my father, abducted me
and will force me to marry him as
soon as he is safe from capture. He
threatens to kill me if l try to es-
cape or betray him. His name is Jere-
my Saunders. Have you understood?'
Had L? If ever l needed nerve it
was then. On my return home, de-
feated, baffied, l found myself by a
the aisle, so near that l could touch
him, yet so secure in his disguise that
he could mock me to my face, sat my
quarry. while to this girl, his prisoner,
had come the heaven sent inspiration
we both needed.
Steadying my fingers by an effort, /
raped:
eyes. Your name next. Will aid
you with my life"
Il am Almo Osgood," she responded.
''The woman is Saunders sister We
alight at Rochester, and unless help
comes quickly am lost"
| consulted my time table. We would
reach Rochester in an hour.
do you fear arrest and temporary
detention?" raped.
81 fear nothing that will free me
from this man." was the prompt re-
spouse.
Every good.'' 1 replied. eff in mortal
power l will free you. Say no more
! 1t is risking too much"
AS | raped the last words Saunders
flung down his paper.
BE done with that Internal dinn be
exclaimed. 1T is past all endurance
"Yesr' said the girl YEARLY. "The
tune won't come, and I'm sleepyw She
lay back. with closed eyes.
about timer l calculated. "Wil
you have d cigar with me in the smol1
err? I'm feeling a bit dotty myself"
Thanks. no. | dare not leave the
girl This is the first outing for three
weeks, and l swear it will be the last
81 don't blame you. Well I'll have
a smoke and dispose of this thing"
took the toy gently from her lap. ''St
long"
Passing through the train to tn