The Shasta courier., 1865-06-17
NUMBER l6.
Beware of PickpOckets.

A lady travelling by the land route between
New York and Boston, was unfortunate
enough to lose her purse, containing a con-
siderable amount of money, which was un-
doubtedly appropriated by gentlemanly
person who occupied the seat next her, but
who left during the time the train was pass
ing through the long tunnel going into New
York city, having managed to pick the lady's
pocket during that time undetected, as half
an hour previous the purse was known to be
safe.
In recounting her loss to friend.. who was
soon after to make the same journey, the
danger of gentlemanly appearing men occu-
pylng the next seat to unprotected females,
ana, IN fact, the danger of trusting to APP
pearances at all was strongly dealt upon.
The new tourist was particularly caution
ed to beware on going through the tunnel at
New York, and being thoroughly admonish-
ed. concluded to keep her pocketbook grasp
ed in her hand, during that perilous passage
The lady started. Sure enough, o gentle
manly looking parsonage on the arrival of
the train at Springfield, solicited permission
to fill the unoccupied seat beside the fair trav-
eller, which, according to the rules of travel,
could not be refused. The strangers man
ners were those of gentlemanly ease, (pick-
pockets in novels always are), his costume
was plain, serviceable, and adapted for trav-
elling. He was polite he offered the lady
his newspaper-it was coldly declined; he
volunteered a few remarks. which received
only chilling monosyliabic responses. In
fact, he made no progress whatever in be-
coming better acquainted with his neighbor,
and evidently giving it up in despair, occu-
pied himself with his newspaper and a cheap
novel. The lady had almost forgotten her
travelling companion, as well as the advice
of her friend, when the recollection of both
suddenly flashed upon her as the train enter
ed the Cimmerian darkness of the tunnel
She fumbled for her pocket, but the finding
of lady's pocket amid the folds of her dress
is often matter of difficulty, and now in the
impenetrable darkness seemed doubiy So
Nervously she felt in the direction where
she supposed that appendage was, till at last
the aperture was reached and her hand
thrust in to grasp and hold her pocket book
till the train should again emerge into day
light, when horror Of horrors, she encounter.
ed the gentleman's hand in her pocket
Whether to scream for assistance, to seize
| the intruder, or in fact what to do she scarce
ly knew; however, acting upon sudden
resolution, she seized the hand and held on,
determined to show the villain detected in
the very act on emerging to the light
The train rolled slowly-so slowly that it
seemed as if the end of that terrible tunnel
would never be reached-she clutched the
intruding hand with frmer grasp, which
made no special effort to relieve itself, proba-
bly, knowing how useless would be the. strug-
gle, or else as both were ungloved, feeling
content to rest in the soft warm clasp that
encircled it. AT length, however, the train
emerged into daylight, which found the lady
and gentleman anxiously looking toward
each other, the lady's face wearing a fright
ened, anxious expression, and the gentle
mans curious and puzzled one as he gazed
into the startled eyes of his companion.
Sir" she began Indignantly, tightening
her grasp, when, CHANGING to cast her eyes
down, she found, oh terrible circumstance,
her hand in the outside pocket Of his coat,
desperately grasping his hand, which it en-
countered.
The lady was covered with confusion at
| this unlocked for turn in affairs, and the gen
| tleman, who was a man of discrimination,
saw the encounter was accidental and that
each had probably received pickpocket i'm
pressions Of each other from it. Mutual ex-
plantations at length ensued, and cards were
exchanged.-N. 7. Express.