Year: 1878

vas cNIucuLiE COillilOl iItl III III


Sunday clothes. His shirt was soilet
and limp with perspiration. His clothe
we're dark and badly made; 50 we're hi


boots, and he was covered with dust


My first look told me this much. TIL,
man seemed about thirty, and was shor
land stout. He had bull-neck, round
powerful shoulders, large, thick, ret
hands, now swollen by the heat, fiat


ugly nails, heavy fist, legs short ant
/; thick; everything about him showed
great bodily strength. He had light
dirty-brown hair, cut short, and combet
down to two points on the temples
bristly whiskers, no moustache, and the
ruddy complexion of man accustomed
to be much in the open air. His fore
head was low, his nose broad, his moutf
wide, though the lips were thin ant
closely compressed, so that the line o
the jaw bone was visible. His eyes were
: light, keen. and disagreeable, and were
all the time looking furtively and fierce
ly around him.


. AS soon as he was seated he cast 6
rapid glance at his travelling compan
ions; then, satisfied probably by wha
he saw, he pulled out of his POCKET q
plaid cotton handkerchief, and drawing
a long breath, wiped the perspiration
from his forehead. | then remarked
that the fore finger and middle finger oi
his right hand was tied up IN piece ol
fine cambria, lady's handkerchief ap
parently. On the palm of the hand
there was dried blood stain. Those
two fingers had evidently been lately
hurt. A few minutes after he unfas
tened his long black cravat, and drew
several long breaths, like one who has
just been taking some violent exercise
and is glad to rest after it is done
Then by a sudden movement of his
hand he pushed back the round hat he
wore, stretched his two legs apart, leaned
both his hands upon his thighs, and,
bending down his head and looking
straight before him, seemed absorbed in
profound reflection.


The young Russian had not failed TO
cast ON the newcomer the same scru-
tinizing glance he had bestowed on me.
This individual appeared indeed to in
terest him extremely, for whilst single
steady look had sufficed to make him
acquainted with my person, he had
turned half round towards his left hand
neighbor, and was looking at him with
fixed attention as if he wanted to en-
grave forever on his memory the vulgar
and unpleasing features of our new
companion.


The man who was the object of this
persistent attention did not notice it for
some time. He was too much absorbed
in his own reflections to observe what
was going on around him. But sudden
ly, as the train held up as it approached
Abbeville, he raised his head and looked
out of the window. His eyes then met
those of the young Russian, whose face
Immediately wore painful look of
embarrassment The brow of our
eighth traveller was puckered into a
frown, and his face grew red with anger
as he said in a rough tone,-


"What are you looking q. me for? Do
you know me? What do you want?"


1 could not help feeling that these
questions were perfectly justiiiable,
since had been tempted shortly before
to say the same thing TO my opposite
neighbor. The manner however in
which the Russian gentleman FASTENED
to reply gave me new impression in his
favor.


81 beg a thousand pardons." ne said,
in low voice and very gently; Il as
sure you | had no intention of being
indiscreet."


The Verton man growled out some
unintelligible reply; then he rose, and
merely saying, II beg your pardon" he
pushed between me and the Russian to
look out of the carriage window in the
side of the station. After a moment he
returned to his own seat; but hardly had
the train stopped than he sprang out,
and with his right hand clinching some
thing in his pocket, looked eagerly
around him. The platform was empty.
Except a few railroad men, there was
only one gendarme, who. with an indif-
ferent air. was walking down beside the
train, throwing careless glance into
each of the carriages Whan he got
opposite to ours it happenad that he
paused moment. Then distinctly saw
the hand of my unpleasant travelling
companion tighten its grasp on some
thing he held concealed. The genddrme
walked on. Just as the train was begin
ming to move off our traveller got back
into the carriage, though he remained
standing up few moments between
the Russian an myself. II was not until
the train was under a fnll head of steam
that he sat down again in his place.


The Russion had got out book, and
was making believe to read, but his
mind was not upon its pages, and from
time to time l saw him looking at his
left hand neighbor. His face wore an
expression of great perplexity; he had
the air of one who is trying to solve a
difficult problem. Once our eyes met.
His seemed toask my help; they seemed
to SAX, Help me to understand all this" !"
| began myself to be puzzled. AT
Amiens, where / found myself at the
refreshment stand, next to the young
Russian, l asked him if he had any
knowledge of the traveller from Verton,
whom he was looking at so persistently.


"No, never saw him before" he said
politely, in a tone which seemed to in
vite me to continue the conversation,
"but there is something about him which
attracts me-"


@Ma fir exclaimed with a laugh,
Il did not expect that answer. A less
attractive face it seems 10 me l never
saw. think him repulsive. He looks
as if he had escaped from the galleys"


True; it is horrid face, a repulsive
face-bnt very strange one" Here
the young Russian had nervous shiver.


"Will you allow me to offer you piece
of advice?" / continued.


Pray do'


well, think it would be wise Of you
to give up looking at or thinking Of your
neighbor. Without intending it you
might get involved in something disa-
greeable. He does not look like man
pleasant to deal with he certainly is no
gentleman. Did you observe the i'm
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