The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-01-11

S.NS
had incurred penalty of five pounds,
but he couldn't, though he bawled it at
her until the poor old thing-perhaps
mortified at having taken so much trou-
BILE for nothing; perhaps overcome by
her hunger; perhaps frightened at the
commotion she saw though didn't hear
sank back in her seat in strong fit of
Mysteries, and let the shillings and six
pences roll out of her lap and settle un-
der the seats.
1t seemed to me long time before we
started on again, but ! suppose it was
only six or seven minutes delay after
all. 1 expect 1 should have waited to
explain the stoppage to the pretty young
girl of whom 1 considered myself sort
OF protector but, as I said, she was at
the very opposite end of the train, and
was in haste now. There must have
been good laugh in several of the car
risges where the cause OF our stoppage
got whispered about. As for me, when
l got back into my van, solitary as it
was, I chuckled over it until we stopped
at Chalk Farm to take tickets.
1t seemed to me that the train was
taken into custody as soon as it stopped
here.
"Of course you have the carriage doors
all locked, and I'll go down with you
while you open them one by one. My
men are in possession of the platform"
This was said to me by Davis, detec-
tive officer whom knew pretty well
now, having had good bit to do with
him about this Warwickshire robbery.
60 1t is no use," said, before we start
ed, 1.-THE train was searched, as you may
say, at Rugby. Every passenger has un-
dergone close scrutiny, l can tell you.
What causes such scientific preparation
for us here"
"a telegram received ten minutes
ago." he answered. cit seems that two
OF the thieves we are lodging are in this
train in clever disguises. We have had
pretty full particulars, though the dis
covery wasn't made until after you left
the junction. Have you noticed -
he dropped his voice little here" a
young lady and gentleman together in
either carriage I"
felt bit of an odd catching in my
breath as he spoke. "No," 1 said, quite
in hurry. ."No young lady and gen.
tlemen belonging together; but there
may be plenty in the train. What if
there are, thought There was no young
lady or gentleman among the robbers p
Among the robbers" rejoined Davis,
with suppressed enjoyment, was wo-
man who'd make herself into anything
and you must own that g. gentleman
with dark, long beard isn't bad for a
lady known to US pretty well by her
thick red hair and cut on her upper
lip"
"But the young lady ?" 1 asked, CO.
gitating this.
"Ah! the young lady. True enough
we'll, what should you say now, if l told
you she grew out of that boy with the
closely-cut, dark hair that we ere af-
teri"
1 remembered the pretty plaits and
the loose, falling hair. 1 remembered
the bewilderment in the eyes which en-
tirely hid their natural expression, and
didn't answer this at all.
81 wish l had as good chance OF
catching the old fellow as I have oi
catching the woman and the boy" con-
tinued Davis, as we moved slowly past
the locked luggage van. 81 know they re
here, and that 1 shall recognize them un-
der any disguise; but we've no clue yet
to the older rascal. It's most aggrava-
ting that, by some means, we've lost
sight of the biggest rogue Of all. Come
along"
l did come along, feeling very stupid
ly glad that there was all the train to
coo roh hafora ,pa oo,,lI raoob xho&
riage 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
reached her carriage, and found her gaz-
ing out in most evident and utter ignor-
ance of all that was going on around
her. al am locked in, ga'ad. Do you
hearW
l heard; aye, sharp enough. I only
wished she could hear me as readily
Davis stood aside watching while un-
locked her door and helped her down.
Then, seeing her helplessness, and her
countless packages, he beckoned por-
ter to her, winking expressively to call
his attention to probable shilling.
Carriage after carriage we examined
and though Davis detected no thief, he
turned away only more and more hope
fully from each. He was SO sure they
were there, and that escape was impossi-
BILE. We reached the last carriage in the
line, and now my heart beat in the
oldest manner possible.
"Is this compartment empty, then ?'
asked Davis, while my fingers were &C.
tually shaking as l put my key in the
door of the centre one. Empty and
dark ?"
"Even ifit had been empty it wouldn't
have been left dark," 1 muttered, looking
in. "Hallo what's come TO the lamp I"
l might well ask what was come to
the lamp, for the compartment was as
dark as if it had never been lighted
yet had not I myself stood and watched
the lighted lamp put in it at Rugby Z
And-the carriage was empty, too
"Why was this 7" asked the detective,
turning sharply upon me. "Why was
not the lamp lighted 2"
But the lamp aoas lighted, and burn
ing now as ssnsibly as the others-if we
could but have seen it. As we soon dis
covered, the glass was covered by kind
of tarpaulin, intensely black and strong
ly adhesive, and the carriage was as
completely dark as if no lamp had been
there at all. The perplexity in 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.