Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-05-27

ly being, as any one might suppose, a
raving lunatic.
"Be quick with the small luncheon
basket, please" she said, resignedly
sitting down, and pouring the contents
of her purse into her lap, Il am as
hungry as [ can be-"
Isuppose that when she looked up at
me from the silver she was counting
she saw my utter bewilderment-I did
not try to make her hear, for l knew it
to be suseless-for she raised her voice
suddenly to a shrill pitch of peevish-
ness, and pointed one hand to the wall
of the carriage.
'Look herel Don't it say Small
luncheon baskets. Pull down the cord p
| want small luncheon basket, so
pulled down the cord. Make haste get
it me, or I'll report you to the man.
ayers"
Seeing now that she was almost as
blind as she was deaf | began to under
stand what she meant. On the spot to
which she pointed, over the seat oppo-
site her, two papers were posted in a
line, one ON the advertisement of
Small luncheon baskets" supplied at
Rugby, the other the company's direc-
tons for summoning the guard to stop
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 the
cord"
While l was gazing from her to the
bills, getting over bit of establishment,
and she was giving me every now and
then sharp touch on the shoulder to
recall me to my duty and FASTENED me
with her refreshment, we were Joined
by one of the directors, who happened
But his just and natural wrath, loud as
it was, never moved the hungry old
lady; no, not in the slightest degree.
She never heard one word Of it, and
only mildly insisted in the midst of it
| that she was almost tired of waiting for
| her luncheon basket.
With fierce parting shot the director
tried to make her understand that she
had incurred penalty of 95, but he
couldn't though he bawled it at her I'M
til the poor old thing-perhaps morti-
| fled at having taken so much trouble
for nothing; perhaps frightened at the
cOmmotion she saw though she didn't
| bear it-sank back in her seat in a
fit Of Mysteries, and let shiIlings and six
| pences roll out of her lap and settle
under the seats.
1t seemed TO be long time before
we started on again, but [ suppose it
was only six or seven minutes delay
after all. [ expect should have waited
to explain the stoppage to the pretty
young girl whom [ considered myself
sort of "a protector, but. as said, she
was at the very opposite end of the
train, and [ was in haste now. There
must have been a good laugh in several
of the carriages when the cause of our
stoppage got whispered about.
| It seemed to me that the train was
taken into custody as soon as it was
stopped there.
"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 plat.
FORM"
This was said to me by Davis, de.
tective officer whom [ knew pretty well
by now, having had a good bit to dc
with him about this Warwickshire rob
berry.
ut is no use," I said before we start
ed, "the train was searched, as you may
say, at Rugby. Every passenger has
undergone close scrutiny, L can tell
you. What causes such scientific pre-
parations for us here?"
A telegram received ten minutes
ago." he answered. SIT seems that two
of the thieves We are logging are in this
train in clever DISCUSSES. We have had
pretty full particulars, though the dis
covery wasn't made until after you left
the junction. Have you noticed"-
dropping his voice q little here-"a
young lady and gentleman together in
either carriage?'
[ felt bit of odd catching in my
breath as he spoke. NO." I said, quite
in hurry, "No young lady and gentle.
man together; but there may be plenty
in the train. What if here are, thought
There was no young lady or gentleman
among the robbers !"
among the robbers" rejoined Davis
with suppressed enjoyment "was wo.
man who'd make herself into anything
and you must own that gentleman
with dark long beard isn't bad for a
lady known to us pretty we'll by hel
thick red hair and cut under her hp?'
"But the young lady?" ! asked, cog
itating this.
"Ahl the young lady. True enough
we'll what would you say now, il told
you she grew out of that boy with the
closely cut, black hair that we're after
81 remembered the pretty pIaits anG
the loose falling hair. | remembered
the bewilderment in the eyes which en-
tirely had their natural expression, and
[ didn't answer this at all.
'I wish [ had a good chance of catch
ing the old fellow as 1 have of catch
ing the woman and boy" continued
Davis as we moved slowly past the
locked luggage-van. 81 know they're
here and that shall recognize them
under any disguise; but we've no clue
yet to the other rascal. It's most ae.
gravating that by some means we've
lost sight of the biggest rogue of all.
Come along"
did not come along feeling very
stupidity glad that there was all the
train to search before we could reach
the carriage at the other end, where sat
the girl whom l Fad in a way taken un-
der my protection.
"Wheu are we to be allowed to leave
this train, pray! Call me cab," cried
the deaf old lady, plaintively, as we
reached her carriage, and found her
gazing out in most evident and utter
Ignorance of all that was going on