The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-02-09
CHAPTER v
The Hand in the Aisle.


The man whose interest in the pas
senger in Section Three of the last
sleeper was most definite and under
standable and, therefore, most openly
acute, was Conductor COnnery. Con-
merry had passed through the Pullman
several times during the morning, had
seen the hand which hung out into
the aisle from between the curtains );
but the only definite thought that
came to him was that Dorne was a
sound sleeper
Nearly all the passengers had now
breakfasted. Connery, therefore, took
a seat in the diner, breakfasted lei
surely and after finishing, walked
back through the train. Dorne by
now must be up, and might wish to
see the conductor
AS COnnery entered the last sleeper
his gaze fell on the dial of pointers
which, communicating with the push
buttons in the different berths, tell
the porter which section is calling him,
and he saw that while all the other
arrows were pointing upward, the ar
row marked SO" was pointing down.
arrow dendting his berth-or at least
was awake and had recently rung his
bell
,COnnery looked in upon the porter,
who was cleaning up the washroom
section Three's getting up?" he
asked.
mo, Mistah Connery-not yet" the
porter answered.
"What did he ring for?' Connery
looked to the dial, and the porter
came out of the Mushroom and looked
at it also.
$50 the lan's sake. I didn't hear
no ring. Mistah Connery. 1t mus have
been when I was out on the plat
form"
Answer it, then" Connery directed.
As the negro started to obey, Con-
merry followed him into the open car.
He could see over the negro's Shout
der the hand sticking out into the
aisle, and this time, at sight of it,
Connery started violently. If Dorne
had rung, he must have moved; a man
who is awake does not let his hand
hang out in the aisle. Yet the hand
had not moved. The long, sensitive
fingers fell in precisely the same posi-
ton as before, stiffiy separated a
little one from another; they had not
changed their position at all.
"Wait !" Connery seized the porter
by the arm. "Tll answer it myself
He dismissed the negro and waited
until he had gone. He looked about
and assured himself that the car ex-
cept for himself and the man lying
behind the curtains of Section Three.
was empty. Walking briskly as
though he were carelessly passing up
the aisle, he brushed hard against the
hand and looked back, exclaiming an
apology for his carelessness.
The hand fell back heavily, inertly.
and resumed its former position and
hung as white and lifeless as before.
No response to the apology came from
behind the curtains: the man in the
berth had not reused. Connery rushed
back to the curtains and touched the
hand with his fingers. 1t was cold
He seized the hand and felt ii all
over; then, gasping, he parted the cur
tains and looked into the BERTH He
stared; his breath whistled out; his
shoulders jerked, and he drew back,
instinctively pressing his two clenched
hands against his chest and the pocket
which held President Jarvis order.
The man in the berth was lying on
his right side facing the aisle; the left
side of his face was thus exposed !; /
and Ii had been crushed in by a VIC
lent blow from some heavy weapon
which, too blunt to cut the skin and
bring blood, had fractured the cheek
bone and bludgeoned the temple. The
proof of murderOus violence was so
main that the conductor. as he saw
he face in the light, recoiled with !
staring eyes, white with horror