The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1881-02-25


them. and tho side of ,bo coach ,yas
swept by them quite smar,lv osconed
without being touched. bnt not 40 INV
friend. 1 heard An exclamation. tbougbt
rather a srofane one. from his Inns and
on looking toward him saw that ono
of the fagots had struch him over the
left eve making quite n mark upop ,be
pale skin. This incident turned the CON.
versation from the subject of the rob-
berries, and it was not again alluded 70
during the day.
We reached Jowstone shortly oftor
dark, and went at once TO the residence
of Mr.. Stickney. whom found at homo
lie had been ont all dav. and made nil
sorts of efforts TO obtain some cline 70 the
perpetration of the robber;os that wero
being committed but without effect
He said that he could learn notb;no
on which to hang suspicion. Two sbons
had been robbed in his town. but he
could get no clue TO the nernetrators
We consulted together, and finally pro
posed to 90 on in the morning and ace
another detective officer named Gamlit.
who resided about twelve miles distant
in the town of Orton.
This met the view of my host, and SO
we left the matter for the evening On
the following morning we were M early
and as the coach won i'd take us directly
to Gamlit's house. we chose that mode
of conveyance, and repaired at n reason
able hour to the tavern for that pur
pose. When we reached the inn, we
found the old farmer. who had been one
of my fellow passengers on the NIGHT be-
fore, stepping about the door in a state
of excitement He had been robbed of
three hundred pounds. and he was sure
it must have been done in the stage. for
he had slept with his pocket book under
his pillow. He had not thought to loo.
into it when he retired, but he had found
it empty this morning, when he got up.
lie said the wallet had been taken from
his pocket and put back apain-he WAS
sure-he knew it. As soon as he saw
me he was anxious should be searched
OF course | allowed the operation to be
done willingly. After the excitement
was all allayed, | asked him where the
pale young man was that came in the
coach, and was told by the landlord that
he went away soon after the coach
came.
Ny first aim was to satisfy myself that
the old man had been robbed in the stage
coach, and OF this he succeeded in CON
vincing me. After this nv suspicion
rested on the consumptiye man. and if I
found the man | had the rogue. So |
bade the landlord to keep sharp look
out; and also spoke to the driver who
had brought me from Sidney, and who
was now on the point of returning. re
questing him, if he saw ANYTHING of the
pale man, to see that he was secured.
The suspicious individual had only re-
mained at the inn few minutes on the
previous evening, and had then gone
away in gig which had come for him;
but no one could tell what direction he
had taken.
The coach for Orion soon came to .,le
door, and we took our seats inside, the
farmer having determined to remain
where he was until he heard something
about the money. There were two other
passengers inside, and two or three out
side, but they were strangers to me. We
had gone two or three miles when the
driver pulled up before small farm
honse, where woman and trunk were
waiting by the garden gate. The lady
was handed into the coach and took a
seat facing me, and as she turned to
give the driver some directions about the
baggage, she threw her veil over her
bonnet. She was pretty, very pretty, with
rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes. Her
hair hung In glossy brown ringlets over
her neck and shoulders, and was type
OF beauty IN itself. looked at the rosy
cheeks again, and into her dark lustrous
eyes, My gaze was fixed upon this lat
ter. when she caught my glance and
quickly dropped her veil. AT first l felt a
little ashamed at having been caught
staring at her so boldly; but as the face
was hidden from sight, and | had an op
Portunlty Tor rejecting, 1t struck me that
had seen those features before.
Here was a study for me and was
buried in it at once. Where had / seen
that face. whispered to Stickney, and
asked him if he had ever seen her before.
He said he had not, and ioked me for
being so curious about pretty face. We
stopped at a place called Turner's in
the edge of Orion to exchange mails, and
here l jumped out to see the post master
who was an old friend of mine, and as
was returning to the coach the thought
struck me to look at the trunk which had
been last put on and see If any name wa'
on It. 1t was marked with the simple
initials "A NJ. 80 that was all that
gained from that source AS came t.
the coach door l approached from be
hind, and as l cast my eyes up, founC
that the beauty had her veil raised, anC
was looking IN the post office, as though
, anxious 1or the mail to come, that W.
might be OIL. The expression OF ankle
, ty detracted somewhat from her beauty
and as l looked upon her now, seein|
, her lace IN different light, was struc|
with snake. ike cast, which was PEI
t cceptibie IN the whole character OF he
features. was on the point OF with