Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-08-13

headache, as told them, as because
l wanted to get away from their so
ciety. My cousins marked devotion
became painful to me. Then, too, the /
attentions. and constant watchfulness
OF the disagreeable DOCTOR became !
most distasteful. |
We had been sitting on the OBJ |
servstion platform, and it was late in |
the afternoon, when l said was going |
to lie down, and the two men got up to |
go into the smoker. In spite of my |
protests, Mrs Chambray insisted upon
following me in, to see that was per
fectly comfortable. She fused around
me, covering me up and offering smell
ing salts and eau de cologne for my
head. let her fuss, thinking that was
the quickest way to get rid of her. l
closed my eyes, and she said she
would go out to the observation plat
form. lay still for awhile, thinking
about her and how much wanted to
get rid of her. She acted as If she
had been engaged to stay with me for
ever, and it suddenly became very
plain to me that l ought to have
talk with her and tell her that should
need her services no longer after this
journey was over. It might make a
difference TO her If she knew it at
once, and perhaps now would be as
good time to talk as any, for she was
probably alone out on the platform. I
got up and made a few little changes
IN my dress, for 1t would soon be time
fp int fhn fnir 7
out to the observation platform, but
she was not there. The chairs were
all empty, so l chose the one next to
the railing, away from the car door,
and sat down to wait for her, think
ing we would soon be back
We were going SO fast, through
a pretty bit of country. 1t was dusky
and restful out there, so leaned back
! and closed my eyes. Presently
heard voices approaching, above the
rumble of the train, and, peeping
around the doorway, / saw Mrs Cham
| bray, Richard, ard the doctor coming
! from the other car. l kept quiet, hop
I ing they would not come out, and they
/ did not. They settled down near the
door, and ordered the porter to put
up table for them to play cards
THE train began to slow down, and
| finally came to halt for a longer time
on a sidetrack, waiting for another
train to pass. l heard Richard ask
where was. Mrs. Chambray said
laughingly that l was safely asleep.
Then, before l realized it, they began
to talk about me. 1t happened there
| were no other passengers in the car.
Richard asked Mrs. Chambray if she
thought had any suspicion that was
not on the right train, and she said,
Not the slightest and then by de-
grees there foated to me through the
open door the most diabolical plot
had ever heard of. ! gathered from il
that we were on the way to Philadel-
phia, would reach there in a little
while, and would then proceed to a
place near Washington, where the doc,
tor had a private insane asylum, and
where l was to be shut up. They were
would make me unconscious when
was taken of the train. II they could
not get me to take it for the headache
had talked about, Mrs. Chambray
was to manage to get it into my food
or give 1t to me when asleep. Mrs
Chambray, it seems. had not known
the entire plot before leaving Europe
and this was their first chance of tell
ing her. They thought / was safely il
my compartment, asleep, and she hat
|, gone into the other car to give the sig
nal as soon as she thought she had me
where would not get up again for {
while.
They had arranged every detail
Richard had been using as models the
letters l had written him for the las
three years, and had constructed a Sc
OF love letters from me to him, in per
feet imitation of my handwriting
They compared the letters and real
snatches of the sentences aloud. Tit
letters referred constantly to our be
ing married as soon as l should return
from abroad, and some of them spok
of the money as belonging to US both
and that now it would come TO its owl
without any further trouble.
They even exhibited a marriag
certificate, which, from what they said
must have been made out with GU
,, names, and Mrs. Chambray and tn
doctor signed their names as witness
, es. As nearly as l could make out
they were going to use this as evi
dence that Richard was my husband
that he had the right to administe
my estate during the time that 1 wa
incapable. They had even arrange
that a young woman who was hope
lessly insane should take my plac
when the executors of the estate cam
to see me, IL they took the trouble Z
do that. AS it was some years sine
either Of them had seen me, they coul
easily have been deceived. And TO
their help Mrs. Chambray and the doc
tor were to receive a handsome sun
81 could scarcely believe my ears a
first Il seemed to me that must b
mistaken, that they could not be tall
ing about me. But my name was mer
toned again and again. and as eac
link In the horrible plot was mad
plain to me, my terror grew so grea
| that was on tNe verge ~ rushin