The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-01-22
now THEY ESCAPED.

The train was Whiting to leave the sta
tion. There bad been robberies on the
line, and detective wns eagerly watching
the faces of the passengers, hoping to catch
the thieves. |, the guard, was watching
things generally. Presently | caught my
self watching girl whostoOd alone at some
distance. [ wished could have gone
straight to her, and put her into one-the
most comlortable-of the line Of carriages
at which she gazed so timidly. Just US |
hesitated, very remarkable figure elbow.
ed lis way to me stout, grandly-dressed
old lady, painting painfully, and almost
piercing me with pair of restless, half
opened eyes that looked out through the
gold-rimmed Spectacles perched on her
sharp nose. Two porters followed her, Ia
den with bags, clOaks, umbrellas and flow
ors-the only flowers IN the station, ex-
pcct, that winter n!ght-and one Of the
men winked at me over her head, while
the other guarded her treasures witha lace
ol concentrated anxiety and thoughts en-
crossed by possible fees. 49,,
"This Is the London train, is It ga'ad z"
she asked, pecring sh'rply iato my face
with her haif.closed eyes, as II she found ii
difficult to distinguish me even through
her spectacles.
From her whole attitude guessed her to
he deaf, but Ineyer guessed how deaf until,
after yelling my answer 50 loud that the
engine driver must have heard It eighteen
carriages of, she still remained stonily
waiting for It.
The she shook her head angrily and wad.
died of, looking us acid an old party as
should ever try to avoid Inat every door
she pcered through her gllttenng glasses,
the two porters following her, until she
made stop before an empty second-class
carriage near my van, and with much labor
and assistance got herself and ter packages
into 1t.
When passed few minutes afterward,
she was standing in the doorway, ciiectually
barring the door to any other passenger by
her own unattractive appearance there, and
prolongiug with an evident relish the anxi-
ETY. Of the obstquious porteH. The young
and pretty lady bad taken seat in Tor
ward carriage.
suppose that, without exactly being
aware Of it, ! kept a sort Of watch over this
carriage, for ! saw plainly enough lazy
Young gentleman who pcfsistently kept
lowering about il and looking in. His in
0uisitiye eyes hnd Of course caught sight Of
the pretty face in there alone, and could
see that he was making up his mind TO join
her; but he seemed doing 1t in most care
les AMI languid manner. He was no gentle
man 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 gloyed. Glancing stillinto
the far corner Of that one iirst-class COM
partment, he fingered until the last mo-
mcnt 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 behind him. Without the least
hesitation went up to the window, and
stood near Il while the lamp was fitted in
the compartment. The gentleman was
standing up within, drawing on dark over
coat; the young lady in the distant corner
was looking from the window rs II even the
half darkness was better to look ut than
this companion. Mortified good deal at
the larure of my scheme for her comfort,
went on to my van, beside which the de
tectivc waited Tor me.
"No 90, you see,n he muttered Grossly,
"and vet Il seemed to me so likely that
they'd take this train.n
al don't see how Il should seem likely,n
answered, for hadn't gone with him ia
the idea. at doesn't seem to INC very
likely that three such skillful thieves as
YOU are dodging, who did their work in
this ncighborhaod so cleverly two nights
ago, should leave the station any night by
the very train which the police watchwith
double suspicion"
Having nothing better to do, ! wondered
good deal how these thieves could arrange
their getting away while the walls were
covered with the description of them, and
every official on the line was up III it,
There was no doubt about their being three
very dexterous lSnaAcs, but then our dCtec-
tive force was very dexterous too, though
they weren't knaveS land do believe the
greater dexterity Is generally on the knav-
ish sideJ, and so It was odd that the de-
scriptiOn still was Ineffective and the offer
ed reward unclaimed. read over again
the bill in my pocket which described the
robbers. "Edward CApon, alias Captain
Winter, alias John Pearson, alias DR..
Grow; a thickset, active man, Of middle
height, and about liity years Of age with
thick iron.gray hair aud whiskers, dark
gray eyes, and an aquilint nose. Mary ca
pom, his wife, tall woman Of forty; with
handsome fair face, quantity of very