Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-03-25

l = l.
ly enough lazy young gentleman who
perslstently kept lowering about anG
looking in. His inquisitive eyes, OF
course, caught sight of the pretty fact
in there alone, and could see that ht
was making up his mind to join her, do
ing 1t in a morst careless and languiG
manner. He was no gentleman for that
reason,l said to myself yet his dress wa.
handsome,and the hand that PLAYED with
his long, dark beard was small and fash.
lOnably glOved. CHANGING still into the
far corner of that one first-class com
partment, he fingered until the last mo-
ment was come; then quite leisurely
he walked up to the door, opened it, and
entered the carriage, and in an instant
the door was banged behind him. With.
out the least hesitation 1 went up to
the window and stood near it while the
lamp was fitted in the compartment
The gentleman was standing up within
drawingOn on adark overcoat; the young
! lady In the distant corner was looking
from the window as if even the hall
darkness was better to look at than
this companion. Mortified a good deal
at the failure of my scheme for her
comfort, went on to my van, beside
which the detective waited for me.
mo go, you see," he muttered, Grossly
and yet it seemed to me so likely that
they'd take this train"
"Idon't see how it should seem likely
| answered, for hadn't gone with him
in the idea. at doesn't seem to me very
likely that three such skilled thieves as
you are lodging, who did their work in
the neighborhOod so cleverly two nights
ago, should leave the station any night
by the very train which the police watch
with double suspicion"
doesn't it ?" he echoed, with most
satirical knowingness. Perhaps you
haven't got it clear in your mind how
they will leave the town; for it's sure
enough, too, ~for this isn't the sort of
place they'll care to hide in longer than
necessary. Well, what's the hardest
place,for us to track them in? London
Then, naturally enough, to London
they'll want to go. Isn't this a fast
train, and shouldn't you choose fast
train if you were running away from
the police?'
didn't tell him what sort of a train
l should choose, because l hadn't quite
made up my mind and he was looking
cross enough for anything in that last
glimpse / caught of him.
Having nothing better to do, | won
dered good deal how these thieves
could arrange their getting away while
the walls were covered with descrip-
tiOn of them, and every official on the
line was up in it. There was no doubt
about their being three very dexterous
knaves, but then our detective force was
very dexterous, too, though they weren't
knaves land 1 do believe the greater
dexterity is generally on the knayish
side); and so it was odd that the de-
Scription still was ineffective and the
offered reward unclaimed. / read over
again the bill in my pocket which de-
scribed the robbers: Edward CapOn,
alias Captain Walker, afias John Pear-
son, alias DR.. Crow; thick set, 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 Capon, his wife,
a tall woman of forty, with handsome,
fair face, a quantity of very red hair,
and cut across her upper lip. Edward
CapOn, their son, a slightly built youth
of not more than fifteen OF sixteen"
Though for the matter of that, think
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 scruti-
ny had all been in vain; and as the train
rushed on, felt how disappointed the
police at Euston would be when we ar
rived without even tidings of them.
/ was soon tired of this subject, and
went back to my van worrying myself
about the sad looking, yellOw-haired
girl who had so evidently wished to
travel alone, and had been so successful
ly foiled in the attempt by that intrusive
fOp with the handsome beard. Foolish
ly l kept on thinking of her, until, as
we were dashing almost like lightning
through the wind and darkness, only Is
or &c minutes from Chalk Farm, the
bell in my van rang out with sharp
and sudden summons. pulled the cord.
lnstinctively knew, and-it was the
carriage farthest from my van. l left
my place almost breathlessly us the en-
gine Stacked speed, and fastening along
the foot board, heSitated at no window
until | reached the one from which
felt quite sure that frightened young
face would be looking out. My heart
literally beat in dread as L stopped and
looked into the carriage. What did
see? Only the two passengers buried
in their respective corners. The young
lady raised her head from the book she
held, and looked up at me astOnished-I
and wonderingly astonished.
HAS anything happened to the train ?"
she asked, timidly.
The gentleman reused himself leisure
ly from a seemingly snug 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
mad been given from this carriage; yet
she feeling had been such certainly to |
ne that it was long before / felt con-
ginced to the contrary; and went on
along the footboard to the other car
iages very much more slowly than |
had gone to the first one. Utter dark
ness surrounded US outside, but from
he lamp-lit compartments eager heads
we're thrust, searching for the reason of
his unexpected stoppage. No one own |
ID to having summoned me until l reach |
ID that second-class carriage near my |
,wn van (Which had hastened past be-
'ore), where the fidgety deaf old lady
who had amused me at Rugby sat alone.
had no need to look in and question
ler. Her head was quite out of the
and, though she had her back
% the light, and / couldn't see her face,
Ter voice was cool enough to show that
Ihe was not overpowered by fear.
"What time you've been eomingp
ihe said. Where is it?"
"Where's what?" 49,
But, though 1 yelled the question with
III my might and main, L believe might
ust as hopefully have questioned the
alepranh most which I pould dimlv 600