The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-01-30


This was said to me by Davis, detec-
tive officer whom l knew pretty well by
now having had good bit to do with him
about this Warwickshire robbery
1t is no use," said before we started
"the train was searched as you may say,
at Rugby. Every passenger has undergone
a close scrutiny, can tell you. What
causes such scientific preparation for us
here?'
"a telegraph received ten minutes ago."
he answered. "It seems that two of the
thieves we are dodging are in this train in
clever DISCUSSES. We have had pretty full
particulars, though the discovery was not
made until yon left the junction. Have
you noticed"-he dropped his voice little
here-"a young lady and gentleman to-
gether in either carriageg'
felt bit of an odd catching in my
breath as he spoke. "No,' said, hastily.
"No young lady and gentleman belonging
together but there may be plenty in the
train. What if there are, though? There
was no yonng lady Or gentleman among the
robbers ~
"Among the robbers" rejoined Davis,
with suppressed enjoyment, "was wo-
man who'd make herself into anything
and you must own that gentleman with
a dark, long beard isn't bad for lady
known to us pretty well by her thick red
hair and cut on her upper lip"
"But the young lady?" I asked, cogita-
ting this
"Ah! the young lady. True enough !;
well, what should you say, now, if told
you she grew out of that boy with the
closely-cut dark hair that we are after ?"
"Come along and we'll see," he replied.
did come along, feeling very stupidity
glad there was all the train to search
before we could reach the carriage at the
other end where sat the girl whom had,
in way, taken under my protection.
"When are we to be allowed to leave
this train pray? Call me cab," cried
the deaf old lady, plaintively, as we reach
ed her carriage, and found her gazing out
in most evident and utter ignorance Of all
that was going on around her. 81 am
locked in, ga'ad. Do you hear?
hear, you, sharp enough. 1 only wish
ed she could hear me as readily. Davis
stood aside watching while l unlocked her
door and helped her down. Then seeing
her helplessness, and her countless pack
ages, he beckoned a porter to her, winl1ing
| nv o1,r 70 1,,e ntI
able shilling.
Carriage after carriage we examined and
though Davis detected no thief, he turned
away only more and more hopefully from
each. He was so sure they were shere and
that escape was impossible. We reached
the last carriage in the line, and now my
heart beat in the oldest manner possible.
sis this compartment empty, then p"
asked Davis, while my fingers were actual
ly shaking as put my key in the door of
the centre one. empty and dark?"
" Even if it had been empty it would not
have been left dark, muttered, looking
in. "Hallo what's came to the lamp?''
might well ask what was come to the
lamp, for the compartment was as dark as
if it never had been lighted yet had l not
myself stood and watched the lighted lamp
put in at Rugby? And-the carriage was
empty too
"Why was this ?" asked the detective,
turning sharply upon me. "Why was not
the lamp lighted?"
But the lamp aoas lighted, and burning
now as sensibly as the others-if we could
but have seen it. AS we soon discovered,
the glass covered by kind of tarpaulin,
intensly black and strongly adhesive and
the carriage was as completely dark as if
no lamp had been there at all. The per-
plexity of Davis face was as great as my
own, when told him who had travelled
here. "They couldn't have left the train
here, at any rate" he said and knew
that as well as he did. f .e lr aa
But you have guessed the end. During
those few minutes that we stopped on the
line, the two thieves -darkened the lamp
even after had left them, and using their
own key--had left the carriage under cover
of the darkness managing their escape in
their black dresses out in the blackness of
the night as cleverly as they had managed
their theft and subsequent concealment.
But how could they have depended on this
unusual delay--this exquisite opportunity
given them ir the utter darkness, close to
the city, yet at no station? WhenI offlc-
tally made my deposition, and explained
the cause of our stoppage, something of the
truth seemed to break upon us all but it
wasn't for good while that II settled into