The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-11-27

coat, and hat. Moreover, he had not Tor.
gotten to draw down the blinds. lie had,
however, | discovered, taken my purse
with him, and had forgotten to leave his
own behind. Between yawniHg and ana.
thcmatising, few more moments passed
away. Suddenly heard the sharp, shrill
whistles, and then the deep groaning Ol
the brake. Into my friends trousers !
tried TO jump; but, alas either in my
confusion | put the wrong leg in, or poked
it between the lining and the cloth, or the
wretch had played me a schoolbOy's trick,
and had fastened up the lining oI his neither
garments.
The train was stopping-O, horror Of
horrors! cxtricated my leg from the
confoundcd trap, and rushed to the win
dow. The train had stopped! | verify
believe that from that moment my lirst
gray hfirs began to appear. With desper-
ate tHnaCity, in a state Of almost perfect
nudity, | hung on to the door and win.
dow. Good gracious! a scurrying Of steps
outside. Who is coming intOmy carriagei I
An old lady, who will scream and give me
into custody2 A young lady, who will
iantl A Iather of a family, who will kick
me down the PLATFORM A ticket.collcc.
tor who will All! ah! ah-h-h there
is hand on the outside moving the handle
of the door! Oh, the agony oil those Sec
onds! | would rather be hanged. | would
rather be torn asundcr by wild horses, !
would rather live for SIX times my natural
term of existence with six scOlding, fault
finding wives, than 60 through the agony
of those moments again! Pen cannot de-
scribe what suffered. Beads Of perspira-
ton raced down my poor, cold, Shivering
leatures-my hair stood on end, my teeth
Chattered; but to the door and window
my hands Clung, with strength OF grasp
that Policeman A-plus Policeman d could
hardly have overcome without bearing my
fingers from their sockets.
\ hell, guards whistle, and an engine
shrek Ilurrah we start again. ! am
saved d-Saved-savcd! | feel desperately
faint, but in time recover.
Slred, indeed Poor wretch little
knew what was in store for me. Slowly
and deliberately ! dressed myself in my
cx.iricnd's clothes. Unnccustomed to be
dCcked in gorgeous array, began, with
hall.collected senses, to think what figure
looked.
"Hallo what's that I What is the
train stopping again for so soon !"
was well acquainted with the line, and
knew that the express ought not to stop
at the next station. Some accident, !
thought.
"'rickcts, tickets all ready here"
What on earth Is the meaning Of all
this Z | draw out my friends ticket. Ills
is only to F.. nm going to London.
Never mind, It is Ofno consequence; can
pay the difference. All, but then have
no purse. Nimporic, can draw check
Mt Paddington, and wait till it is cnshcd.
The door was opened, and I beheld the
guard, Stationmaster, and two policemen.
Gan right snid one Of the latter to the
station master, "this IS our man; directly
he is out of the carriage the train may 90"
"All rrong,n said |. "You have made
mistakc-I have no intention Of getting
out here. am going on to town."
never saw policeman on duty laugh
before; but over the stern, hirsute face ol
W. (Which stands for Willie Constabu-
lary-No. ll72, there paSeCd something
like grim smile, as he rcplicd-"lt Is Of
no Use, my man-you must come out at
once; YOU are fairly caught. If you obey
us, and accompany us quietly, VIC will give
you no necessary pain; but il you hesitate
or resist for one moment, we snail at once
put these on"
As he spoke, he got oil the step Of the
carriage, and held up before my bcwil-
dcrcd gaze pair Of handouts, which ratified
mCst ominously. Good gracious! what
could be the joke in all this Z Mcchani-
cally, | did what ! suppose Others would
have done. got out of the carriage, The
train moved on. | assumed stern indigna-
tion. though III at ease.
"Now then said |, "what the dickens
do you mean by all this "
"Comc, come, my man, your swagger
won't do with us. You must comealong,"
was the answer ormy guardians.
"But what am charged wi:h7 What
do you want nc for ~
"Well, that is good joke, and you are
cool hand,n replied W. Q. ll72. " But
now, business Is business, my man. We
arc bound to take you up, and you arc
bound to come with us, quietly il you will,
| II not" Here he again held up the
handouts. "You are charged with forging
check Tor E970 on the Sandstone Bank ;
and with half killing, if not actually mur-
dcring, p. c. Smith, of the SomeEetshirc
force. We are going to take you to the
lookup; and tomorrow you will have to
appear before the magistrates. am obliged
to caution you that you need not say any
thing; and that if you do say anything to
commit yourself, it will be brought up rs
evidence against YOU"
Good Heavens! And so | was forger
and murderer!
Wcll-but," said |, these are not M
own clothes. A gentleman in the carriage
Changcd clothes with me; or, rather, he
lett Inc alOne-ahcm naked; and put
on his clothes, and then you came, and
and Confomd it, you don't think |
am hc2"
] "Ol no, Aul W. I. lliG' you AN
him-not bit of it.; you are yourself
Well, you must think us green, to try and
palm that nlT on uS.n
And Immediately there arose a subducd
official chuckle.
Ere long it came to pass that was
obliged quietly to accompany my caPtors
to the police station. Mr.. Inspector booked
the charge, whereby il seemed that really
was lorger and all-but murderer ltwa,
quite in vain that protested and vowed
that | was not the forging murderer IN
question, but Edward Fitzgerald, Of Sunny
Villa, near Sandstone. was cut short in
nv protcStatlOns with: