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

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guarded her treasures with face of con-
centrated anxiety, and thoughts en-
crossed by possible fees.
ga'ad ?" she asked, peering sharply in
to my face with her'half- closed eyes, as
if she found it difficult to distinguish
me even through her spectacles.
From her whole attitude guessed her
to be deaf, but never guessed hOao deaf
until, after yelling my answer SO loud
that the engine-driver must have heard
| it eighteen carriages of, she still remain
ed stonily waiting for it.
"Deaf as dozen posts" said the de-
tective, aloud, giving the old lady an
expressive little nod in the direction of
the train.
Slow train 7" she asked, in that
plaintive tone which the very deaf often
use.
Mail !" shouted, putting my
mouth as close to her check as fancied
she would like.
ale !" she shrieked back at me, the
spectacles shaking little on her thin
nose. "Why should you want ale for
listening to civil questions that you are
paid to answer? Ale, indeed 1 be-
lieve railway men think Of nothing
else."
Then she shook her head apgrily and
waddled off, looking as acid an old party
as should ever try to avoid. In at
every door she peered through her gilt
tering glasses, the two porters following
her, until she made stop before an
empty second-class carriage near my
van, and with much labor and assist
ance got herself and her packages into
it.
When passed, a few minutes after
ward, she was standing in the doorway,
effectually barring the door to any other
passenger by her own unattractive ap-
pearance there, and prolonging with an
evident relish the anxiety of the obse-
quious porters. / fancy that though
the purse she fumbled in was large, the
coin she wanted was but small, for 1
passed on and left her still searching
and still asking questions of the men,
but hearing nothing either of their re-
plies or of the loud asides in which they
indulged to each other. I had reached
the other end of the train, and was just
about making my way back to my own
van, when the young lady had before
noticed went slowly in front of me to-
ward the empty first-class compartment
near which l stood.
Am right for Euston ?" she asked
me gently, rs she hesitsted at the door.
All right, Miss" 1 said, taking the
door from her, aid standing while she
got in. "Any luggage ?" For from
that very moment took her in sort
Of way into my charge because she was
SO thoroughly alone, you see, not having
any friends there even to see her off.
"No luggage, thank you." she an
swered, putting her little leather satchel
Ting herself in the corner furthest from
the open door. "Do we stop anywhere
between here and London ?"
"Don't stop Ggain, Miss, except for a
few minutes to take tickets" Then l
looked at her as much as to say, a" You're
all right, because I'm the guard" and
shut the door.
suppose that, without exactly being
aware of it, kept sort of watch over
this carriage, for saw plainly enough a
lazy young gentleman, who persistently
kept hsvering about it and looking in.
His inquisitive eyes had of course caught
sight of the pretty face in there alone,
aud 1 could see that he was making up
his mind to join her but he seemed do
ing it in most careless and languid
manner. He was no gentleman for
that reason, said to myself, yet his
dress was handsome, and the hand that
played with his long, dark beard was
small and fashionably gloved. Glancing
still into the far corner of that one first
class apartment, he fingered until the
last moment was come then, quite
leisurely, he walked up to the door,
opened it, entered the carriage, and in
an instant the door was banged to be-
hind him. Without the least hesitation
1 went up to the window, and stood near
it while the lamp was fitted in the COM
partment. The gentleman was standing
up within. drawing on dark overcoat |;
that young lady in the distant corner
was looking from the window as if even
the half darkness was better to look at
deal at the failure of my scheme for her
comfort, went on to my van, beside
which the detective waited for me.
"No go, you see," he muttered Grossly,
"and yet it seemed to me 80 likely that
they'd take this train"
81 don't see how it should seem like
ly," answered, for hadn't gone with
him in the idea. at doesn't seem to
me very likely that three such skillful
thieves as you are lodging, who did
their work in this neighborhood SO
cleverly two nights ago, should leave
the station eny night by the very train
which the Police watch with double
suspicion"
doesn't it ?" he echoed, with a most
satirical knowingness. perhaps you
haven't yet got it quite clear in your
mind how they will leave the town for
it's sure enoug that they haven't left it
up to now. That they'll be in hurry
to leave it is sure enough, too, for this
isn't the sort of place they'll care to hide
in longer than necessary. Well, what's
the hardest place for us to track them
in ?-London. And what's the easiest
place for them to get on sea from P
London. Then naturally enough to
London they'll want to go. Isn't this a
fast train, and shouldn't you choose a
fast train if you were running away
from the Police 2"
l didn't tell him what sort of train
l should choose, because hadn't quite
made up in my mind and he was look
ing cross enough for anything in that
last glimpse caught of him.
Having nothing better to do, l Won
dered a good deal how these thieves
Ia