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

particularly was the fact of her decided
ly not being, as any one might suppose,
a raving lunatic.
BE quick with the small luncheon
basket, please" she said, resignedly sit
ting down, and pouring the contents of
her purse out into her lap, Il am as hun
CRY rs can be-"
L suppose that when she looked up at
me from the silver she was counting she
saw my utter bewilderment-I didn't
try to make her hear, for l knew it to
be useless-for she raised her voice sud-
denly to shrill pitch of peevishness,
and pointed with one hand to the wall
of the carriage.
Look therel Doesn't it say Small
luncheon baskets? Pull down the cord I
l want a small luncheon basket, so /
pulled down the cord. Make haste and
get it for me, or I'll report you to the
manager"
Seeing row that she was almost as
blind as she. was deaf, began to under
stand what she meant. On the spot to
which she pointed, above the seat
oppositeme two papers were posted in
a line, one the advertisement of Small
lugchean baskets, supplied at Rugby,
the other the cOmpany's directions for
summoning the guard to stop the train
in case of danger. As they happened to
be placed: Small Luncheon Baskets.
Pull down the cord
While was gazing from her to the
bills, getting over bit of my astOnish-
ment, and she was giving me every now
and then sharp touch on the shoulder,
to recall me to my duty, and hasten me
with her refreshments, we were joined
by one of the directors. who happened to
be going up town by the express. But
his just and righteous wrath, loud as it
was, never moved the hungry old lady !;
no, not in the slightest degree. She new
er heard one word of it; and not only
mildly insisted i'll the midst of it, that
she was-almOst tired of waiting for her
small luncheon basket.
With fierce parting shot the director
tried to make her understand that she
had incurred penalty of five pounds,
but he couldn't, though he bawled it at
her until the poor old thing-perlaps
mortified at having taken so much trou-
bic for nothing, perhaps frightened at
the commOtiOn she saw though she
didn't hear it-sank back in her seat in
strong fit of Mysteries, and let her shill-
ings and sixpences roll out of her lap
and settle under the seats.
1t seemed to be long time before we
started on again, but l suppose it was
only six or seven minutes delay after
all. l expect l should have waited to
explain the stoppage to the pretty young
girl of whom considered myself sort
of protector, but, as | said, she was at
the very opposite end of the train, and
was in haste now. There must have
been good laugh in several of the car
riages when the cause of our stoppage
got whispered about. As for me, when
l got back into my van, solitary US it
was, / chuckled over it until we stopped
at Chalk Farm to take tickets. 1
1t seemed to me that the train was ia
ken into custody, as soon as it stopped
there.
"Of course you have the carriage
doors all locked, and I'll go down with
yea while yoa open them one by one.
My men are in possession of the plat
FORM"
This was said to me by Davis, de-
tectiye officer whom / knew pretty well
by now, having had good bit to do with
him about this Warwickshire robbery.
at is no use" said before we start
ed, 'the train was searched as you may
say at Rugby. Every passenger has un-
dergone close scrutity, can tell you.
What causes such scientific preparation
for us here?"
"a telegram received ten minutes
ago." he answered. at seems two of
the thieves we are lodging are in this
tr.lir oil Ya hnx
ty full particulars, though the discovery
wasn't made until after you left the
junction. Have you notieed"-he drop
ped his voice little here-'a young la
dy and gentleman together in either
carriage?'
L felt bit of odd catching in my
breath as he spoke. NO." l said, quite
in hurry. NO young lady and gentle
man belonging together; but there may
be plenty of them ON the train. What
if there are, though? There was no
young lady OF gentleman among the
robbersp
among the robbers" rejoined Davis,
with suppressed enjoyment, "was wo-
man who'd make herself into anything;
and you must own that a gentleman
with a dark beard isn't bad for a lady
known to us pretty well by her thick, |
red hair, and cut under her lip"
But the young lady ?" l asked, cogi- |
tating this
"Ahl the young lady. True enough;
we'll, what should you say now, if told |
you she grew out of that boy with the |
closely cut dark hair, that we're after"
l remember the pretty plaits and the
loose falling hair. | remember the be-
wilderment in the eyes which entirely |
hid their natural expression, and didn't |
answer this at ALL
81 wish l had as good chance of
catching the old fellow as / have of
catching the woman and boy" continued
Davis, as we moved slowly past the
locked luggage van. 81 know they are
here, and that l shall recognize them
under any disguise; but we've no clue
to the older rascal. It's most aggrava-
ting that by some means we've lost sight
of the biggest rogue of all. Come along"
/ did come along, feeling very stupid
ly glad that there was all the train to
search before we would reach that car
riage at the other end, where sat the
girl whom had, in way, taken under
my protection.
"When are we to be allowed to leave
this train, pray2 Call me cab,"- cried
the deaf old lady, plaintively, as we
reached the carriage, and found her ga
zing out in most evident and utter ig-
of all that was going on around
her. "I'm locked in, ga'ad. Do you
hear?"
heard; ay, sharp enough. 1 only
wish she could hear meas readily. Da-
Wis stood aside watching while / unlock
ed her door and helped her down. Then,
seeing her helplessness and her count
less packages, he beckoned porter to
her, winking expressively to call his at
tention to probable shilling. 4
Carriage after carriage we examined |
and though Davis detected no thief, he
turned away more and more hopefully !
aoak c..,.a ..-a-, -.