The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-02-21

/ as she was deaf, l began to understand
! what she meant. On the spot to which
! she pointed above the seat opposite her
| two papers were posted in a line; one the
! advertisement of "Small luncheon bas-
kets" supplied at Rugby, the other, the
| company's directions for summoning the
guard and stopping the train in cases of
danger. AS they happened to be placed,
/ the large letters did read as she had said:
! "SMALL LUNCHEON BASKETS.
Pull DOWN TIE Cord
| While I was gazing from her to the bills,
getting over bit Of my establishment, and
she was giving me every now and then a
| sharp touch on the shoulder to recall me
! to my duty and hasten me with her re-
| freshment, we were Joined by one of the
directors, who happened to be going up to
| town by the express. But his just and
natural wrath-loud as it was-never NOV
ed the hungry old lady, no, not in the
slightest degree. She never heard one
word of it, and only mildly insisted, in the
waiting for her small luncheon basket.
| With a fierce parting shot, the director
| tried to make her understand that she had
incurred a penalty Of five pounds, but he
the poor old thins-perhaps mortified at
having taken so much trouble for nothing;
perhaps overcome by her hunger; perhaps
frightened at the commoton she saw
though didn't hear-sank back in her seat
in strong fit of Mysteries, and let the shil-
| lings and SIX perces roll out of her lap and
settle under the seats.
! 1t seemed to me a long time before we
started on again, but l suppose it was only
a six or seven minutes delay after all. l
expect | should have waited to explain the
stoppage to the pretty young girl of whom
| considered myself sort of protector;
but, as l said, she was at the very oppo-
site end Of the train, and l was in haste
now. There must have been good laugh
in several of the carriages where the cause
of our stoppage got whispered about. As
|
tary as it was, | chuckled over it until we
stopped at Chalk Farm to take tickets.
| 1t scenes 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, a detec-
tive officer whom l knew pretty well now,
having had good bit to do with him
about this Warwickshire robbery.
"It is DO use," l said, before we start
ed, "the train was searched, as you may
say, at Rugby. Every passenger has un-
dergone a close scrutiny l can tell you.
What causes such scientific preparation for
us here"
A telegram received ten minutes ago.
he answered. 1t seems that two of the
thieves we are donging are in this train in
clever DISCUSSES. We have had pretty full
particulars, though the discovery wasn't
made until after you left the junction.
Have you noticed he dropped his voice
little here-"a young lady and gentle
man together in either carrage?"
l felt a bit of an odd catching in my
breath as he spoke. "No,' l said, quite
in a hurry. Ono young lady and gentle
man belonging together; but there may be
plenty in the train. What if there are,
though? There was no young lady or
| gentleman among the robbers?"
Among the robbers rejoined Davis,
with suppressed enjoyment, twas woman
who'd make herself into anything; and
| you must own that a gentleman with a
dark, long beard isn't bad for a lady known
to us pretty we'll by her thick red hair and
a cut on her upper lip"
" But the young lady?" l asked, cogita-
ting this.
"Ah the young lady. True enough;
well, what would you say now, if l told
you she grew out of that boy with the
closely-cut, dark hair that we are after 90
remembered the pretty plants and the
loose, falling hair. l remembered the be
wilderment in the eyes which entirely hid
their natural expression, and l didn't
answer this at all.
| 81 wish had as good chance of catch
ing the old fellow as | have of catching
the woman and the boy" continued Davis
as we moved slowly past the locked lug
gage van. 81 know they're here, and
that shall rec ognze them under any dis
guise; but we've no clue yet to the older
rascal. It's most aggravating that, by
some means, we've lost sight of the big
gest rogue of all. Come along"
did come along, feeling very stupidity
glad that there was all the train to search
before we could reach that carriage at the
other end where sat the girl whom l had,
in way, taken under my protection.
"When are we to be allowed to leave this
train, prayo Call me a cab" cried the
deaf old lady, plaintively, as we reache d
her carriage, and found her gazing out in
most evident and utter ignorance of all
that was going on around her /" l am
locked in, ga'ad. Do you hear?''
heard; aye, sharp enough. I only
wished she could hear me as readily
Davis stood outside watching while l un-
locked her door and helped her down.
Then, seeing her helplessness, and her
countless packages, he beckoned porter
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 imposs-
bic. We reached the last carriage in the
line, and now my heart beat in the oldest
manner possible.
ais this compartment empty, then ,"
asked Davis, while my fingers were actual
ly shaking as | put my key in the door of
the centre one. Empty and dark ,"
Given if it had been empty it wouldn't
have been left dark" l muttered, looking
| in. "Hallo what's come of the lamp?'