Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-09-26
An Old Offender.
BY CAPT. CHARLES HOWARD.

When Carl Binkley, the private de.
tective Of the Macacheeek air line COM
pany led Courtney Tenney TO the altar,
he shaved his face until no hirsute ap-
pendage, save a fine blonde moustache
remained thereon. This whim pre-
vented his recognition by several ac-
qusintances OH the day of his wedding,
and he and his bride enjoyed more than
one outburst of merriment at their eX-
pense.
The wedding tour planned by "Bink, ~
as the employees and officers of the road
familiarly called him, promised to
prove quite extensive, and the directors
placed palace car at his disposal.
But he preferred, ana so did his
bride, to travel like the rest of the peo-
pie, and so on the afternoon of the we'd
ding day, they stepped on board Of the
train amid the good-byes of a host of
relatives and friends. They expected
to reach their destination at one O'Clock
on the following morning, and for the
sake of Courtney who had horror of
sleeping coaches, the bridegroom re-
fused an offered favor from Scott, the
conductor.
AS the train rolled westward, the sun
sank to rest, and the night stars peeped
out again in the sky. 1t was beauti-
full mid-Autumn night, and the cool
breeze ever and anon blew the yellow
leaves against the windows of the
coaches.
"Carl, what if an old offender should
board the train-I mean a man for whom
you have been looking?"
The detective looked down into the
smiling face of his newly made wife and
smiled himself.
swell, l don't know what | would
do, Courtney" he answered.; "but l
suppose 1 would arrest him, take him
TO prison, and let you finish your we'd
ding tour alone"
"How jolly that would be-" Court
ney laughed, 81 really wish such an
event would occur. | should be rid of
you at least for time, and I'd have the
iolliest wedding tour ever written Of"
.'Pd like to see you roughing it alone
with your three trunks and groomless"
replied Carl, as the brakeman opened
the door and shouted Bloomfield" at
the top Of his lungs.
At the almost deserted station of the
inland town the train stopped long
enough to permit two men TO board 1t,
and seat themselves in the car that bore
the newly welded.
The new passengers were tolerably
well dressed, and passingly good look
ing. They occupied one seat a short
distance behind the detective, and
almost directly beneath the lamp that
afforded miserable light.
A detective is constantly watching
human faces, and after awhile he reads
them as he would an open book. Thus
IT was with Carl Binkley.
When the two men entered the car
his eyes were turned upon them, and
followed them to their seat.
By and by the conductor collected
their fare, and the detective followed
him from the car.
"where are those fellows goingf"
he asked.
ITO Terre Haute," was the reply.
"Do they strike you unfavorably
Moderately so," said Blink. "Send |
q man in to trim the lamp above them"
Then the detective returned to his
bride, who thought that something |
strange was going on, and minute |
later a brakeman entered and proceeded |
to trim the light In the coach. ~
Binkley did not appear TO watch the
two men; but nevertheless his eyes |
were upon them, and before they moved |
back into a shadier seat ne had spotted
one, if not both.
Courtney, am afraid your wish is
about to come true" he whispered TO
his wife.
She looked up surprised at the solem-
nifty of his manner.
"why, Carl?" ~
Gan old offender has boarded the
train," he replied, 'and it is my duty
to attend TO him. am certain of my
man, though have not seen him for
two years, and his face, smooth then, is
bearded now. Jack Hawk has re.
peatedly committed depredations on our
line, and we can send him to the peni-
tentiary with ease. But you see, Court
ney, you must catch a man before you
hang him, and according to this truism
Jack has escaped punishment. | must
attend to him, save the company fur
ther losses, and put several hundred !