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I TENNIS AND CROQUET. I

[No title]

jFACTS AND FANCIES. r.

ICARRIAGE ACCIDENT AT NEATH…

WELSH CAPTAIN KILLED.I

FISHING, I

[No title]

I Here and There.

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DEVELOPMENT OF THE POHT TALBOl…

BOATING FATALITIES.I

WHAT IS A VEMENT P I

DEATH OF A SWANSEA CAPTAINI

fiRE AT APONTYPRIDDCOLLlERY…

MOVEMENTS OF LOCAL VESSELS.…

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HORRIBLE DEATH. -

THE MYSl ERY OF A PULLMAN…

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THE MYSl ERY OF A PULLMAN CAR. It was time for the Western express to feave the Bonaventure Station at Montreal, (t was winter, the season was particularly Mustery, the travellers were few, and only me Pullman was attached to the train. The 5rst passenger to get on the car was an Jnvalid gentleman, attended by his servant. He was so utterly helpless that his arrival created quite a commotion. A group of 3urious spectators gathered to watch him lifted on the negro porters and two train hands were pressed the service. With ■■•> the serv i ce. With some difficulty he A at length settled in his berth. This Mr Rathbon, from the accounts given of him by his attendant, appeared to be an object worthy of commiseration. He was an English gentleman of fortune and position, who had been terribly injured in a railway accident he was paralysed and almost blind, his eyes being screened from the light by a large green silk shade, and he con- stantly suffered excruciating agonies from his shattered ruwv^s. He was travelling for his healtfri had been some time in Montreal, wild was now going West. >■ The other passengers consisted of two sotamercir.l travellers a young girl of six- teen going to Toronto to school Frank Carter, a y^ung lawyer from Montreal, who was going up to attend his sister's wedding 4nd a very handsome and majestic English woman, attended by a younger lady. The aider woman appeared to be about thirty, was dressed with simple elegance, her furs being superb. Her companion was an sscessively pretty young English girl. Frank Carter, the lawyer, recognised the oair, having often seen them at the Windsor fiotel. where Mrs Mervyu had spent some months. Nothing was known of her except that she lived luxuriously and avoided making any acquaintances. Tliij lady re- served for herself an entire section, her companion. Miss Travers, sleeping in a berth above that occupied by the young girl. Mr Rathbon had the next section, his servant being located directly opposite. above one of the commercials. After the train left Cornwall the lights were turned out, and absolute quiet reigned in the Pull- man. It was a tempestuous night, the wind raved and howlei, the snow drifted into massive banks and peaked drifts, the engine moved slowly. The gray winter's morning had broadened into daylight when Miss Alice Travers awakened. She rather won- dered that Mrs Mervyn, who suffered greatly from insomnia, had not called her. In the meanwhile, one of the commercials, who was dressing, was engaged in a vigorous umrcli for a boot, and feeling his hand come in contact with something slimy on the floor, sprang upright—his hand covered with blood. I Miss Travers drew back the curtains, Mrs Mervyn lay quite still. IShe was iressed in a crimson dressing-gown, pro- fusely trimmed with lace a heavy fur-lined mantle was thrown over her. As Miss Travers touched her, involuntarily a sharp cry broke from her lips, which instantly aroused all the occupants of the car. Good God she is dead cried the girl, excitedly. Ri,hr, through the heart of the dead woman ran a sharp, slender poniard. Ap- parently she had died without a struggle the expression of her face was perfectly calm. Conductor, porter, passengers, all gathered around. Horror was imprinted upon the spectators' faces; each one regarded the other with suspicion a terrible crime had been committed in their midst, and who was the murderer ? The conductor at once telegraphed to the police at Toronto, and Mr Rathbon was so overcome by the terrible circumstance that he was seized with violent convulsions, his cries and groans adding not a little to the horror of the scene. Would you like me to telegraph to your friends ?" Mr Carter inquired of Miss Travers, who had appeared quite stunned by the terrible shock. I have no friends on this side of the Atlantic. I am an orphan "nd entirely alone in the world. Ctrter was a kind hearted, chivalrous fellow. He was deeply touched by the poor givl's forlorn position. SY ou must allow me for the first time to assume the place of a friend," he said earnestly. My mother and sister live in Toronto. They are the warmest hearted people in the world, and they will be glad to show you every kindness." Two detectives boarded the train at Park- dale, a suburb of Toronto. Orders were given that no one should leave the car before it had been thoroughly searched. The negro porter, nearly beside himself with hyste l al excitement, shouted voluble pro- testations of innocence the sick man lay in a deathlike lethargy of exhaustion. There was not an inch of the Pullman that was not thoroughly examined, as wel is the per- sonal effects of the passengers, which mostly consisted of toilet bags, shawl straps, and railway rugs, and the most diligent scrutiny failed to reveal the:slightet clue to the mys- tery. There was no trace of a struggle the bedclothes were not even disarranged. On the arrival of the tram at Toronto, the body of the murdered woman was removed to a hotel in the vicinity of the Union Station, where an inquest was immediately held, the passengers, still under sur- veillance, being all required to attend. Miss Travers was the first witness. She had been Mrs Mervyn's companion for nearly a year. The orphan daughter of an Enghsh clergyman, she had come to the United States in search of employment, and in answer to an advertisement for a travell- ing companion had applied to Mrs Mervyn, at that time boarding at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York. The relations between them had always been of the most pleasant description. Mrs Mervyn appeared to be wealthy, was extremely liberal, but her companion had no idea from what sources her employer's income was derived. Her habits were regular she made no acquaint- ances wrote few letters, and always posted them herself, scarcely ever received one. She was excessively reticent, never alluded to her past, and never spoke of friends or connections. She was very nervous and suspicious the witness fancied that she was haunted by a constant dread had suspected that Mrs Mervyn indulged in opium, but was not positive of the fact was of the opinion that the murder must have been committed for robbery. There was a small leather satchel,of which Mrs Mervyn always took charge herself, missing. A number of costly rings were missed from the dead woman's lingers. Under her dress the lady always wore a necklace. She herself had assured Miss Travers that the ornaments were paste, and valuable only for the associations attached to them, but from their size and lustre the witness had concluded that they were valu- able jewels. Had slept soundly all night could form no suspicion of any one. The conductor and porter gave testimony that they had passed through the car fre- quently during the night bad seen nothing to arouse suspicion. Miriam Somers had awakened once during the night had looked out, and fancied that the curtains of Mrs Mervyn's section moved saw a tall form dressed in a cloak like the one she had seen on that lady had naturally concluded that it was the lady herself could not be positive that it was not a dream had not heard Miss Traversa move all night. John Bames. servant to Mr Rathbon. deposed that twice during the night he had risen to see if his master required his ser- vices, and each time, finding that gentleman sleeping quietly, had returned to his rest had heard nothing to alarm him during the night. He had been in his present position three months had been engaged by Mr Rathbon because that gentleman's former attendant was ill, and obliged to return to England; his employer had made many friends in Montreal when free from pain was very sociable was a kind and liberal master. There were no papers or letters in Mrs MervyD's trunks that could furnish. the slightest clue to her identity. If suspicion touched any one it was Miss Travers, but nothing could be proved against her. A verdict of murder against some person or persons unKnown was brought in. Later, it was found out that the sum of ten thousand dollars was lodged to Mrs Mervyn's credit in the Bank of Montreal, but the most searching inquiries failed to obtain auy information regarding her antecedents or connections. Miss Travers found herself a stranger in a strange land, utterly desolate under most tinrina circumstances. rtarmg the terrible ordeal she behaved with great courage, but w hen it was over, she began really to feel the effects of the shock. Her bewilderment was illuminated by flashes of consternation. She found herself without power to anticipate, much less decide, what was to come next. In this emergency young Carter showed himself a true friend. He brought his mother to visit the desolate girl, and the old "lady invited Miss Travers to make her own house her home as long as it suited her to do so. • • • > It had been Alice Travers's intencion at once to seek a new situation. When she announced her determination, Mrs Carter, a kind, motherly soul, who had taken a violent fancy to the English girl, made her a proposal. Since her daughter's marriage the old lady had decided upon making her home with her son in Montreal. She was in delicate health, and required a good deal of attention-would Miss Travers remain as her companion 'i She would be treated in all respects like a daughter. For two years Alice lived in the Carters' pleasant home, and in the serenity, of a tranquil existence somewhat recovered from the effect of the tragic occurrences of the past. Frank Carter, who from the first had been greatly attracted by the gentle girl, had decided upon asking her to become his wife, when a new character appeared upon the scene, abruptly shattering the young man's hopes of happiness, and moulding the fate of Alice in a fashion directly opposed to anything that she had ever imagined. A French Capitalist, who had come to Canada for the purpose of finding profitable investments, had business relations with Frank Carter, and in that way established a sort of intimacy with the famiiy. This Leon de Lery was said to have made an enormous fortune in South America. He brought excellent letters of introduction, and being an accomplished man of the world, clever, brilliant, fascinating, was much courted by both English and French society in Montreal. The surprise of his friends was very great when it was announced that the French millionaire was about to marry Mrs Carter's companion. The engagement was a short one, and the turn of Fortune's wheel, which suddenly elevated the penni- less English girl to a lofty pinnacle of worldly success, seemed very extraordinary. Monsieur le Lery was the most ardent of lovers, the most indulgent and considerate of husbands. Alice's new existence appeared like a ftliry tale she had only to form a wish, instantly to have it realised. I am a genuine Cinderella. Shall I awaken some day to find myself in the ashes 1" she once exclaimed, merrily. The first frown which she had yet seen darkened her husband's brow. The true philosophy is to accept the good of the moment," he replied, somewhat coldly. A few days after, hunting in a cabinet belonging to her husband for an account which she wished to settle, Madame de Lery found a ring. She carried it to the light and examined it curiously. She turned white as ashes. It was a ruby of great size, and exactly like one worn con- stantly by Mrs Mervyn. She sought her husband, crying, impulsively— Leon, the sight of this ring has quite upset me. Is it yours De Lery stretched his hand out for the jewel. Certainly." Then, as he listened to her explanations, he smiled indulgently. Your imagination has played you a trick, little wife. It would require keener eyes than yours to detect the dillerences in stones of equal size and weight." Alice was silent. An unpleasant impres- sion still lingered on her mind. Madame de Lery's grand ball was decidedly the social event of the season indeed, it was said that so splendid an entertainment had never before been given in Montreal, he blonde English beauty of the hostess was heightened by her exquisite Parisian toilet. Her husband regarded her with an air of satisfied pride. My queen, you only require the glim- mer of jewels to render you perfect." He opened a jewel-case and clasped a necklace of sparkling diamonds around her slender throat. Many an aristocratic dame in Europe would sell her soul for such diamonds as those he exclaimed proudly. Alice grew white to the lips a convulsive shudder shook her from head to foot; it was on her lips to say that she hated diamonds, the recollections connected with them were so unpleasant but it seemed such an un- gracious manner in which to receive the princely ift that she retained sumcient seif- control to keep silent. In the pre-occupation which her duties as hostess entailed upon her Madame de Lery failed to notice the absence of her husband from the room. Later, when the guests had departed, looking around the deserted rooms, still odorous with flowers and bril- liant with lights, she remembered that she had not seen him since early in the evening. None of the servants could give any informa- tion concerning him. Tired and perplexed, the lady retired to her own room. As she was replacing her jewels in their case she found, pinned to the satin lining, a tiny scrap of paper containing the following lines :— Dearest; A:ice,—Fate, wh-ch no man can contro!, obliges me to leave you. If I should not return within a week never waste a thought on I do not blame myself for having sought your love; I have made you happy and have endeavoured to secure your future. For your own sake as well as mine I earnestly conjure you to make no effort to penetrate the mystery of my disappearance. Trust nobody bub the Carters, who will be good friends to you. Believe me, dear, I have loved you truly since the tirst moment my eyes rasted upon your sweet face. Yours, L. DB L." At first Alice utterly failed to realise the situation. Her first idea was that a practical joke was intended but that was so entirely at variance with her husband's character that she instantly dismissed the suspicion. The strangeness of it all smote her heart with a deeper pang than the hour's horror had yet given her. She had suddenly come to a dead pause. Past and future were dis- sociated by this dreadful event. Htd her husband suddenly been stricken with mad- ness ? Was it a cruel hoax ? An instinctive longing for some one to stand by her in this emergency came over the forlorn and deso- late creature. Early next morning she sought Mrs Carter. Days freighted with pain and anxiety; passed on, but time brought no solution of the mystery. Monsieur de Lery's conduct was inexplicable. His pecuniary affairs were in perfect order. Should he never return, his wife would be handsomely provided for. Perhaps a month later, Frank Carter visited New York on busines. While there, he was thrown into contact with a clever American detective, who was at the time much elated by the capture he had lately made of a gang of crooks," the most skil- ful criminals he declared, who had ever entered the United States. Old countrymen, all of them," he insisted. We don't produce that kind here. If it had not been for a woman's jealousy we should never have caught them at all. We missed the leader, the sharpest crook it has ever been my fortune to hear of. When he found he was trapped, he just dis- appeared as though he had sunk into the earth. He belonged to a good English family, and had had a good university edu- cation. He trained a band of criminals, for- gers, counterfeiters, burglars, reigned over them like a king. Devil Dick he was called, because he seemed to have the devil's own luck. He bad a positive genius for what actors term making up,' and the cool auda- city of the fellow was something marvellous. Once, dressed as a workman, with a basket of tools on his arm, he walked into the Capitalists' Bank in New York, and throw- ing the basket upon the floor, stood upon it, coolly sweeping off 5,000 dollars before the teller's eyes, and disappeared before the bank official had recovered from his con- sternation. You must have heard of the Pullman-car murder, committed between Montreal and Toronto ? It made a great?, sensation. I happened to be on the very car." Then you will be interested in hearing that we have at last found a clue to the mystery. Mrs Mervyn had for years been a member of this very gang. I believe my- self that she was Devil Dick's lawful wife she certainly was the only one who ever ventured to defy his authority. He was a handsome fellow, irresistible with women, and with a decided weakness for a pretty face, and his wife was furiously jealous. A very clever robbery had been carried out at the Hotel de Calliere, in Paris. The Duchess de Calliere was robbed of diamonds worth eighty thousand dollars. The jewels were ?vea Wto this womau?a keewg. aud after a violent quarrel with her husband she disappeared with them. He tracked her all over the world. You remember the invalid, Mr Rathbon ? That was no less than Devil Dick himself. His presence in Montreal was signalled by a series of the most daring and successful burglaries. Devil Dick punished his wife's treachery, and re- covered possession of the jewels. The con- ductor and one of the train hands were members of his gang. The jewels once secured, they passed them to a confederate outside, at one of the way-stations. We caught five of these feHows they all deserve hanging, but I don't know if they will get it; I have a conviction that we will never take Devil Dick alive. Handsome fellow, isn't he?" As Carter looked down upon the photo- graph, he turned pale and sick in the delicate, almost effeminate features, the languid, supercilious smile, he instantly re- cognised Leon de Lery. He never told Alice of the discovery he I had made he knew it would only add to her pain. The following spring, when the ice on the Saint Lawrence broke up. a body, I recognised by the watch and the clothes as being that of Leon do Lery. was brought to the surface by the spring freshets so Devil Dick was reverently buried, wept and mourned for as though he had been the best of men. Even after Alice became Frank Carter's happy wife, she still cherished a tender memory of her first love.

I LOCAL AMUSEMENTS,I

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY.

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