The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1908-08-26

| III OOU uduc, SlSu tue pdSSpOTt
and let me co."
"PordOn, monsieur; my signature
will not make good the passport Mon
sieur must new passport obtain from
his legate."
"A new one! 1t will take hours
days-to do that. and he will be out of
my reach by morning"
Monsieur, it is the law"
The law! Shall this man be allowed
to rob me of my dearest possession.
while the law binds me here hand
and foot? Must l delay for a needless
sheet of paper while every minute
takes him nearer the sea coast and
farther from me? Can't you see my
cause is honest? Can't you understand
that I am no fugitive-that l want only
to come up with this man? That he
has robbed me, and these fOrmalities
that help to cover his fight are an out
rage against justice!"
| Pardon, monsieur; if the gentleman
has robbed you. it is best for you tc
wait here and let the law-the Off
Gals. mOnsieur-seek him"
| 1.-The law again.
| "Yes, monsieur"
Then l have lost her forever" The
traveller, who for some ten minutes
had been pleading with the courteous
official to honor his expired passport
and allow him to cross from France
into Spain, sank down upon a chair
in the private quarters of the French
railway station and buried his face
in his hands.
Lost her, monsieur" the official
questioned. with a new show of inter
est. rs it LADY,"
"Yes!" the other groaned He has
robbed me of my wife,"
And the LADY,"
rs with him.
Pardon again, monsieur; the gen.
tleman you seek jOurneyed alone. All,
monsieur is mistaken! He need not
despair! Take courage! The gentle
man journeyed alone!"
mo. say. She is with him-and as
helpless as the dead"
Monsieur"
Il say. yes-she is with him"
IN spirit, MONSIEUR
In body"
will monsieur explain to the Off
Gals how the gentleman has robbed
him of his wife? We have the tele-
graph and may the gentleman detain
before he reaches the sea coast. But
if monsieur will listen, he will learn
how the gentleman was not accom-
panied by a lady, nor by a servant at
tended"
THE lady is dead" came the amaz-
ing reply.
Dead. monsieur" exclaimed the Of
fetal. "Ah." A doubt as to the others
sanity seemed to strike the French
man ard he looked about uneasily.
viii monsieur read to pass the
time?" he questioned.
Read" The American traveller
laubhed an unpleasant laugh. Then
his smOthered impotence broke out.
Cant l follow him on foot without
a passport"
mo. monsieur; not into territory
Spanish"
May death stop him them" the 9TH
er cried with uplifted hands.
The Frenchman's suspicious deep |
ened; but, courteous even to a mad |
man, he only begged the other to have |
patience.
Yes. I know you think I rave" the
American broke in, passionately: land |
you would think me mad if told you
the whole truth. Yet I say he has
robbed me of my wife and she is with
him in person. You, yourself, saw
her."
Pardon, monsieur; I saw her not"
did he not wear great diamond
upon his hand?'
Monsieur is right"
"Tben-'
1T was a pool of light, monsieur"
continued the Frenchman. "Ah. it is
monsieur's jewel. and so lovely that he
calls it his wife,"
1T is my wife," came the amazing
reply.
For a moment the other was wholly
Then he questioned: |
Has monsieur welded jewel?'
"No-I have welded no jewel That
stone, / say, is no jewel. it is wom-
Amy wife-fesh and blood, All,
honor the passport and let me co."
Before the Frenchman could an
swer the sudden changing of bell.
a hiss of escaping steam and the rum
80 v-hnnIc hoard rvffhnvt | ,
Both men rushed to the door and out
upon the platform. An engine with
three passenger coaches attached 4,
drew into the station from the wrong {
direction and contrary to official time. ;
What was wrong? The men were
soon to learn. Two coaches from the
rear of the train which had drawn out t.;
Of the station about half an hour be-
fore had broken from their couplings s
and been wrecked and. a high French {
official being among the number in s
jured, the engineer had reversed his
engine and returned for surgical aid
into French territory.
Despite the tragic nature of this re- ,
turn, the American gave a cry of joy Z
and began searching among the pas
sengers for the fugitive-the false
friend who had robbed him of his 9
ring.
That friend was not to be found
among the living. nor among the in
jured, and four of the five dead had r
already been removed from the rear
coach to the station! Would the fifth t