Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-06-03

LIZ was simply because his evil, snaky
eye, wandering carelessly over the pas
sengers, bounced on the unconscious old
lady. "You will bear watching, y
thought the younger woman. Then she
talked warningly of thieves and pick
pockets, at which the old lady looked
simply bewildered.
The train rushed into tunnel, dark,
chilly hole that seemed to open yawn-
ing mouth, in itself stationary and soul
less, to ingulf life and molten. A tiuv
blue flame cracked; the old lady had
lighted bit of tallow- candle, using her
hand for candlestick
git scared in these tunnels" she
said, and held the candle so that Ruth
and herself were framed in a vivid
radiance.
The former, keeping her eyes stead
lastly fixed on the snaky young man
seated behind, detected stealthy move
ment Of his hand toward the old lady's
neck, where hung the family gold beads.
Il sudden draught (emanating from the
snaky young man) f1ared out the candle
a scuttie and rush ensued amidst con-
fused EXPLANATIONS, and Miss Mayhem
launched into active combat with the
foe.
"Thievesw she shrieked.
ooh, murdern gasped the old lady,
first receiving blow over the head that
crushed her bonnet away, and then feel
ing as if great many shawls mad
tumbled over her
What is the matter?" echoed on all
sides in the terrible darkness.
"Oh, oh" screamed Ruth again
The wretch! The scamp! Help me
to hold him. He is twisting my hand
horribly"
"Let me CO." growled the snaky
young man, and, giving himself a ser,
pentine screw, adroitly eluded the merry
Gus clutch of his captor's fingers.
He's gone! Do catch him." she
painted.
The widest cOmmotion ensued. Every
body else feeling that it devolved upon
each as men and brothers to do some
Ling, and succeeding only in creating
inextricable confusion. None of the pas.
sengers had the vaguest idea what had
happened. Each man grappled with his
neighbOr, suspecting him of some deadly
vjllainy in that obscure night.
Il have got him." cried a cheerful,
voice from the door, proceeding from a
stout and valiant traveller, who, indeed
held IN an iron grip a slender, writing
form that Indignantly rebelled against
his assault. But when light dawned to
a comforting brightness again the stout
gentleman was found to hold captive an
innocent and much-injured newspaper
and popcorn boy, who had entered the
car just in the nick of time to be made
prisoner, while the thief slid noiselessly
away to vanish forever Then each pas.
senger was morally certain that the thief
had crept past A5m while he was pursu
ing the respectable gentleman opposite,
and the newsboy was surest of all that
he had been propelled into their midst
by some unseen power on the platform
The inevitable result of so much excite
ment was a chilling doubt if Miss Nav
heW's alarm had not been only a woman's
scare after ali.
Look at her for yourselves" she said
Indignantly, reading skepticism on every
side.
The old lady's appearance was Ger.
tainly dilapidated and battered, while
her beautiful beads were lying in he1
lap. Ruth replaced them preparatory
to her getting out at the crowded termi
nus where she changed cars. The old
lady f1uttered away almost before the
train had stopped, and when they had
gone fully five minutes Miss MAYHEM
ratified the beads on the floor with a sud
den crash. The thief had weakened the
clasp in his efforts to secure them.
Something must be done. In vain she
appealed to selfish men; they were not
going to lose their places. Much good
but vague advice was volunteered about
keeping the necklace until she could for
ward it some time, which she cut short
with a decisive:
" [ will go myself"
The emergency required prompt action,
and she was equal to the emergency.
Without moments hesitation she rushed
out.
How long do we stop?" she inquired
of brakeman, who exhaled hot oil from
his very countenance.
Twenty minutes" replied the brake
man, surely melted by the Evil One.
Where, oh, where will that brakeman
go when he dies? Was his conscience
deadened as well as his outer ear by the
din of his life; or did he view with indif-
ference the possibility of any future state
being worse than the pandemonium of
his present existence? Our traveller was
beset by crowd of clamorous hackmen
DESTROYS of driving her out of her wits, if
not to the end Of the earth. Escaping
this snare, she fell into another of babies
and dusty parents. How many tender
innocents she upset in her haste, thus in
creasing the general uproar, Ruth,