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

ueAJerlJy IL Senerdlly Oh Jne AudNlsu
side,) and 80 it was odd that the descrip-
ton still was Ineffective and the offered
reward unclaimed. 1 read over again
the bill in my pocket which described
the robbers. Edward Capron, alias
Captain Winter. alias John Pearson,
alias DR.. Grow thickset, active man,
of middle height, and about fifty years
of age with thick iron-gray hair and
whiskers, dark gray eyes and an aquiline
nose. Mary Capron, his wife, tall
woman of forty with handsome, fair
face, a quantity of very red hair, and q
cut across her under lip. Edward
Capron, their son, slightly built youth
of not more than fifteen or SIXTEEN"
Though, for the matter of that, 1 thought
he might have had cunning enough for
twice his age,) "with closely cut black
hair, light gray eyes, and delicate fea-
lures"
We all knew this description well
enough, and for two days had kept our
eyes open, hoping to identify them
among the passengers. But our scrutiny
had been all in vain; and as the train
rushed on, felt how disappointed the
Police at Euston would be when we ar
rived again without even tidings of them.
I was soon tired of this subject, and
went back to worrying myself about the
sad-looking, yellow-haired GIRL who had
so evidently wished to travel alone, and
had been SO successfully foiled in the at
tempt by that intrusive fop with the
handsome beard. Foolishly kept on
thinking Of her, until as we were dash
ing almost like lightning through the
wind and darkness, only fifteen or
twenty minutes from Chalk Farm, the
bell in my van rang out with sharp
and sudden summons never wondered
for a moment who had pulled the cord.
lnstinctively I knew, and-it was the
carriage furthest from my van I left
my place almost breathlessly as the en-
CINE slackened speed, and fastening
along the footboard, hesitated at no win
dow until reached the one from which
l felt quite sure that frightened young
face would be looking out. My heart
literally beat in dread as stopped, and
looked into the carriage. What did l
see? Only the two passengers buried
in their separate corners. The young
lady raised her head from the book she
held, and looked up at me astonished-
childishly and wonderingly astonished.
HAS anything happened to the
train I" she asked timidly.
The gentleman reused himself leisure
ly from q seemingly snlg nap. "What
on earth has stopped us in this hole ?"
he said, rising, and pushing his hand
some face and his long beard past me at
the window.
1t was only too evident that the alarm
had not been given from this carriage ;
yet the feeling had been such a certainty
to me that it was loLg before felt quite
convinced to the contrary and went
on along the foot-board to otker car
riages very much more slowly than l had
gone first to that one. Utter darkness
surrounded US outside, but from the
lamplit compartments eager heads were
thrust, searching for the reason of this
unexpected stoppage. No one owned to
having summoned me until reached
that second class carriage near my own
van, (Which I had hastened past before),
where the fidgety, deaf old lady who had
amused me at Rugby sat alone. I had
no need to look in and question her.
Her head was quite out of the window,
and, though she had her back to the
light and couldn't see her face, her
voice was cool enough to show that che
was not overpowered by fear.
"What time you've been coming"
she said. "Where is it 2"
where's WHAT"
But though 1 yelled the question with
all my might and main, believe 1
might Just as hopefully have questioned
the telegraph post which stood beside
ms, and have expected an answer along
the wires.
"Where's the small luncheon basket ?"
she inquired, pulling out her long purse
with great fussiness. "a small luncheon
basket, my good man, and make haste !"
Shall l ever forget the sharp expectau-
cy of the old lady's eyes as they looked
into mine, first over, then under, then
through her glittering, gold-rimmed
spectaclesY What surprised me most
particularly was the fact of her decidedly
not being, as any one might suppose, a
raving lunatic.
"Be quick with the small luncheon
basket, please" she said, resignedly sit
ting down, and pouring the contents Of
her purse out into her lap; "I'm as hun
cry as I can be-"
I suppose that when she looked up at
me from the silver she was counting, she
saw my utter bewilderment. I didn't
try now to make her hear, for knew it
to be hopeless-for she raised her voice
suddenly to shrill pitch of peevishness,
and pointed with one shaking hand to
the wall of the carriage.
"Look there! Doesn't it say Small
luncheon baskets. Pull down the cord
l want small luncheon basket, so
pulled down the cord. Make haste and
get it me, or I'll report you to the man
ager."
Seeing now that she was almost "a
blind as she was deaf, began to under
stand what she meant. On the spot to
which she pointed above the seat oppo-
site her two papers were posted in line !;
one the advertisement of "Small lunch
con baskets" supplied at Rugby, the
other, the company's directions for sum-
moning the guard and stopping the
train in cases of danger. AS they hap
pened to be placed, the large letters did
read as she had said:
"SMALL LUNCHEON BASKETS. PULL
DOWN THE CORD"
While was gazing from her to the
bills, getting over bit of my astonish-
ment, and she was giving me every now
and then sharp touch on the shoulder
to recall me to my duty and hasten me
with her refreshment, we were Joined by
one of the directors, who happened to be
going up to town by the express. But