The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-27
The EVENING STORY
The Tale the Ashes Told.
(By Homer Cartwright.O

(By Homer Cartwright)
Thousands of men throughout the
world are each day patiently seeking in
the labyrinthine ways of evidence the
proof or disproof of some poor wretch
guilt, the penalty of whose conviction
perhaps is death; and the life of a
man may be lost or saved by a thread,
slender, yet so Undertaking and sure
that 1t holds inevitable truth in its
meshes. Sometimes there is only a tiny
seed of truth, but a grain of gold out
values ten of dross.
A man occupied the rear end COM
partment in train bound north from
Lucerne. He was leaning leisurely
against the door-frame watching the
crowding throng in the station, as the
train took on it's burden preparatory
for the journey.
He was powerfully built, and even in
this attitude of repose he betrayed the
tense control with which he dominated
the abundant energy which pervaded
him. He was an American.
The train was about to start when
the traveller noticed a woman strug-
Cling through the crowd toward it.
She had scarcely reached the rear end
when the train started, and the Amer
lcan, jumping down, caught her bag
gage and assisted her to mount to the
compartment which he was occupying.
When they had recovered their COM
posture and he had slowed away her
baggage, he remarked that she was
young, richly dressed in a sweeping
fur-lined ulster and jaunty travelling
hat, which seemed hauntingly familiar
to him. She was Enthusiastically French.
Oh, he remembered her standing OPP
posite to him at Monte Carlo on the
night of his fortunate play, when the
croupier had put into his hands the
returns of his lucky hazard. He also
remembered the expression of hatred
and aVidity from the eyes across the
table as he turned to leave Presently
in md
"Oh, monsieur je vous remercii Vous
mavez Sauvei"
Though he caught the meaning of her
words in her smile and gesture, he only
bowed his acquiescence and settled
back to read his paper. She sighed and
glanced at him from time to time, but
his attention was soon absorbed and
silence reigned except for the rumble
aside the paper to draw out and light
a cigar, but she was gazing intently
out into the closing darkness.
Then suddenly she spoke in English:
Monsieur, give to me 5000 francs
The American looked up question
ingly.
monsieur, give me 5000 francs,'' she
repeated, calmly looking directly into
his eyes. He returned her look fxedly.
Madam, you are mistaken. am an
American traveller. We have never
met before"
But monsieur will give to me the
money" she said, this time with I'M
mistakable menace in her voice.
He did not answer her at once. Evil
IDENTIFY this was not a case of mistaken
identity; 1T was a threat. But how
could this mite of a woman carry out
the menace she implied in her per-
sistent demand and eloquent gesture.
His hand clasped the butt Of his re-
volver as he answered.
f'And if will not?"
''Then will scream she answered
simply.
He smiled at his own credulity. The
woman was mad. But this idea was
quickly dispelled by the look of des-
perate determination she fixed upon
him as she said:
''I will gives to monsieur three min
utes.''
They sat doggedly facing each other.
she watching the hands of a tiny
watch, he vainly conjecturing her next
move. The train began to slow up for
the next station. The three minutes
Then she deliberately threw aside
her watch, tore her hat from her head,
disheveled her hair till it streamed in
wild disorder over her shoulders and
even dug her nails into her cheek till
the blood smeared her face. Mean
while she threw open the window and
screamed: "a MOL A MOL Help, re
stifled groans. The American leaned
back in his seat and waited, the only
evidence of his excitement was in the
furious putting of his cigar between
his set teeth.
Before the train had come to a stop
in the station the gendarmes had
boarded, and the accused man faced
four revolvers. Still he waited, a
frown of perplexity on his brow, while
the woman gave the officers a hurried
account of her struggle and held up to
them the portemonnaie which, she
averred, he had not been able to wrest
= \ fIn troll in a al
the station.
The case looked clear. The Ameri-
can rose to accompany the gendarmes
as their prisoner, when suddenly he
stopped and motioned them aside with
a gesture so convincing that they
loosed their rough hold and stood
back
He took the cigar from between his
teeth. The ashes clinging to its end
were an inch long.-(Copyrighte
1909. BY Associated Literary Press.)