the color from her face, and held her rooted to the spot
where she stood!

* * * * *

About nine o'clock of that same morning, a woman might have been seen
walking swiftly down Murray street, in the direction of the Hudson River,
to the wharf occupied by the Fall River steamers.

She was tall and quite stout, but had a finely proportioned figure, and
she walked with a brisk, elastic tread, which betrayed great energy and
resolution.

She was dressed in deep mourning, her clothing being made of the finest
material, and fitting her perfectly.

A heavy crape vail covered her head and partially enveloped her figure,
effectually concealing her features, and yet a close observer would have
said that she had a lovely profile, and would have noticed, also, that
her hair was a decided red.

She appeared to be in a hurry, looking neither to the right nor left, nor
abating her pace in the least until she reached the dock where the Fall
River boat, Puritan, had but a little while previous poured forth
her freight of humanity and merchandise.

As she came opposite the gang-plank a low whistle caused her to look up.

A man stationed on the saloon deck, and evidently watching for some one,
made a signal, and with a nod of recognition, the woman passed on board
and up the stairs to the grand saloon, where a man met her and slipped a
key into her hand, then turned and walked away without uttering a word.

"Two hundred and one," she muttered, and walked deliberately down the
saloon glancing at the figures on the doors of the various staterooms
until she came to No. 201, when she unlocked it and went in.

Ten minutes later the man who had stood on deck as she came aboard,
followed her, entered the stateroom, and locked the door after him.

The two were closeted there for nearly an hour, when the woman in black
came out.

"I shall look for you at three precisely; do not fail me," said a low
voice from behind the door.

"I will not fail you; but keep yourself close," was the equally guarded
response, and then the heavily draped figure glided quickly down stairs
and off the boat.

She crossed West street, passed on to Chambers, and turned to walk toward
Broadway, passing, as she did so, a group of three or four men who were
standing at the corner.

One of them gave a slight start as her garments brushed by him, took a
step forward for a second look at her, then he quietly broke away from
the