THE FELLOW-PASSENGER 287 



respect. Little did I dream that within the 

 next quarter of an hour I was to become the 

 unwilling witness of one of those grim and 

 mysterious tragedies which, common enough as 

 they are, alas ! in this tragic world of ours, but 

 seldom fall within the orbit of a private citizen's 

 personal experience. 



After leaving Hatfield I had settled myself 

 down to the perusal of a spirited and delightful 

 article on " House Flies as Disseminators of 

 Disease," contributed by an eminent zoologist 

 to Family Snippets (a periodical which, as I 

 think I have already mentioned, is essentially 

 a Journal for the Home), when a fresh move- 

 ment on the part of my fellow-passenger caused 

 me to look up. The blood froze in my veins as I 

 watched him swiftly but cautiously creeping 

 towards the open carriage- window; my heart 

 almost stopped beating as he suddenly sprang 

 upon the window-sill and put one leg over it 

 into the void beyond. With an exclamation of 

 dismay I flung down my copy of Family Snippets 

 and rushed towards the would-be suicide. Alas ! 

 I was too late. As I reached him he jumped 

 out, and I instinctively closed my eyes and 

 rammed my fingers into my ears to prevent 

 myself from seeing or hearing the poor fellow 

 fall with a sickening thud upon the line. 



For a moment I was dazed and stupefied by 



