Year: 1878




my name. He was Count Boris Stach-
ovitch, and lived in Paris in the Avenue
: Friedland.


How small the world is, after all -
he observed. "Did you never notice how
| man of certain age, if he has been a
good deal in various countries, always
finds out some link that unites him to
every one he becomes acquainted with:
Halfan hour ago you were a total strang-
er to me. The few words We have al
ready exchanged have shown me that
one ofmy cousins is a friend of yours
; and that | went to school with one oi
your relations 1t dose not surprise me
1t is always SO l would lay any bel
that if we're to chat for half an hour
with your English neighbor, who is
snoring so melodioIsly, it would turn
out tha. he and have acquaintances in
common. All, it is indeed little
world have often asked myself how
anybody in it can hope TO hide his iden-
tity. Not very long ago | had quite a
curious conversation on that subject
with one Of the heads of the secret po-
lice. He was a man of great experience;
he had captured hundreds of thieves
and murderers. Amongst other things
he told me, The authors ofmany crimes
are not discovered, and those who have
committed them manage to escape; but
not one person in a thousand who has
had crime brought home to him can
long keep out of reach. Sooner or later,
however he may disguise himself, into
whatever hole he may crawl to hide him
self, we track him. Blood shed by a
murderer never can be hid. When We
get upon scent We are quite certain
never to lose it. The world"


Here our conversation was interrupt
ed. Stachovitch was speaking loud
enough for me TO hear opposite to him,
and of course his words we're heard by
the man from Verton, who sat beside
him. Suddenly this man rose, and, as
he had done at Abbeville and Amienc,
pushed between us to see out of the
window. Then, before we had time to
stop him, he flung open the door, and
sprang out upon the narrow tootboard
which runs all along the outside of the
railroad carriage.


We looked at each other in astonish-
ment. AS We did so the man sprang off
on to the track. 1 leaned out of the
window. saw him leap forward, with
his arms spread out, and fall downward.
A moment after he was hidden by a
garden wall that we were passing.


The Russian turned pale. The four
Frenchmen left off talking, and looked
anxiously at me. The Englishman, who
had woke up at last, was cropping for his
railway rug that the man from Verton
had pushed under the seat.


What does it all mean?" said Stacho
witch.


could only shrug my shoulders. l
had no idea as to the meaning OF the
affair. But it was soon to be explained



| TO us.


We were drawing near Paris, and the
train begun to diminish itsspeed. When
we were about fifty yards from the sta
ton it stopped. Two railroad officials,
who were waiting for us at the side of
the track, jumped on the train, and,
passing by the window of each carriage,
cried out, as the locomotive slowly went
ON again, Keep your seats, nlessieurs
les r0augeust' Half minute later we
were in the station.


There was not soul upon the plat
form. But saw two gentlemen come
out of the office of the station master,
followed BY one of the chief railroad Of
ficials. One had the ribbon of the Leg
ION of Honor in his button hole. They
stepped briskly up TO the train, and
paused few moments before the door
of each compartment. They soon reached
ours. The gentleman with the ribbon
in this button hole, put his head in at
the window, cast sharp glance at each
of us, and said,-


Has any one quilted this carriage
,ince The train left Verton?'


lie spoke 10 me, as / was nearest 10
him, but one Of tn four Frenchmen an
swered first, and related rapidly all he
knew of the eighth traveller, who had
Joined us at Verton, and who had jumped
off the train before it reached st Denis.
Monsieur" he said, pointing to me,
@can probably tell you the exact spot, for
it was out of the door on his side that
the fellow, who was an i'll looking rascal,
made his escape


The head agent of police-we all knew
him TO be such-then begged me to de-
scribe the missing traveller. 1 was able
to give him the information he wanted,
for l had carefully observed the man.


As spoke he nodded his head several
times, as if satisfied.


There can be no doubt of it," he said,
when l had finished "it was he. Mon
sieur. be so good as to come with me"


gathered together my things, and
got out. Stachovitch got out after me.
The railroad officials shouted paris all
passengers to leave the trainl7 And while
the platform was being filled with travel
ers and porters, turned( still accompan-
led by the young Russian) into the Of
fee of the master of transportation. An
order was Immediately given for special
train, and in a few minutes found my
self in luggage car, in the company of
the agent of police, his companion, an
active young man about thirty two gen
darn,es, and the young Russia 1, who cb-
tained permission to go with US after the
agent had heard of the brief alteration
that had taken place between him and
the man from Verton. l had already
mentioned what believed to be the spot
where the fellow had jumped from the
train, and added that was sure / could
find it exactly.


As we went along the agent told me
that the Baronne de Massieux, widow
living alone with her daughter in
country house near Boulogne, had been
murdered the night before, and that her
coachman, a man named Bechouard,
was suspected of the murder.


about an hour ago" said he, I'VE
got description of him by telegraph,
and we should have been in time to
arrest him on this train, if he had not
thought proper to slip off-pre'ldre la
clefdes ehamps-before the train reached
Paris. Jtwon't do him any good, how
ever. He cannot be far off, and We