The Penn's Grove record., 1886-10-09

stranger was either as fond of practical
joking as his beautiful daughter, or
else a daring railway thief. He feared
the latter-yet how eminently sedate
and sober his aspect, while his express
sion was open, albeit somewhat stern.
appearances are against you, my
good sir" said the stranger, speaking
In a subdued tone. 1--WE have no time
to lose. If you will not permit me to
inspect that case, containing, l under
stand, a. valuable diamond necklace, l
shall be obliged to request you to &C
company me and my friend here to the
station-master's Office
81 shall do neither the n nor the
other, Unless there is some grevlous
mistake, your conduct,is positively i'm
pertinent. / decline to r%elinquish this
case, whatever it contains, to any n
but the person who has intrusted 1t to
me. And 1 shall most decidedly not
accompany you anywhere" said the
rector, haughtily, assuming his most
eve clerical air.
1--WE shall see. That necklace be-
longs to the Countess of Airy; you can
see her initials and coronet on the
outside, and"
A sad, Multiplying thought darted
through the rector's mind. The true
fact of the matter was, evidently, that
the beautiful girl was a young Coun-
tess; she vas flying from home, and
this wassnot her father, but perchance
a tyrannical husband. Her young life,
her bright future, her tender heart had
all been sacrificed on the altar of am
bition. What a pitiful story. Per-
chance she was guilty-she loved an
other. But before he could reply the
other continued roughly-''And 1t has
been stolen"
Not by me-" cried the Rev. Septi-
mus, utterly shocked.
'That remains to be proven. Lord
Airy has telegraphed that his wife's
d~ressing-case was opened at the station
this train has just quilted"
The Rev. Septimus turned vislbly
pale.
"But-surely--"
81 regret that we should be under
the necessity of insisting on your CON-
ing with u.s." urged the stranger.
"Then you are not General Ma
rinep"
II am not. My name is Doughty
and l am a member of the detective
force. Here is my card, if you wish to
see IT."
There must be, surely, some terri
bic mistake" stammered the reverend
gentleman, looking about with a scared
gaze for the vanished beauty who had
flown S mysteriOusly. He Scould not
believe that she had totally disappeared,
leaving him in SO painfully embarrass-
ing a situation. 81 will explain"
st happens very awkwardly that the
stolen property is found in your rOs-
session." said Detective Doughty,
touched by his dismay. 81 have no
doubt you will be able to explain mat
tiers. Did you say a young person
handed it to you? Tall, snowy look
ing, dressed up to the mines, laxative,
and plausible as the devil himself.
Something of that kind" answered
the rector, searching hurriedly for his
dressing case In order to produce one
of his cards,
Time presses. The train leaves in
ten minutes. You probably do not
want to have a scene or a %scuffle, :" SAID
the detective gently, but firmly.
The rector mechanically put his hand
to his walstcoat pocket to take out his
watch. With a little cry of alarm he
glanced down-his watch was gone and
the chain hung uselessly. He turned
again, cold with fear, to seek for his
dressing-case; that, too, had gone. 1t
had contained, among its various stores,
some e40 or ESQ in gold.
sally Lightfngers, as we call her
she says her name is Quickly, but she
invents new names every time she
wants an alias-Miss Sally was at the
station and Is suspected of stealing the
necklace" said Mr.. Doughty, watching
the movements of the unhappy traveller
attentively and with some professional
interest. 'If a young woman such as
| describe has been with you and gave
you that necklace, it was Sally in all
likelihood, and she saw me plain
enough, though l couldn't spot her
anywhere, and she was afraid of fall
ing into my clutches, especially as l
want her about another similar af-
fair"
"Oh, horrible, most horrible, 1t was
but too clear; the Rev. Septimus Has
lingdean was now convinced that he
had been most cruelty duped, played
upon by a base, designing, artful
wretch.
''It must be so," he meekly as
sented. ''Is THERE'S there any chance
of my being able to recover my things2"
II can't say. We must dispose OF
this other little business first. 1 quite
believe you have had nothing to do
with the affair beyond what you say,
but 1t is deucedly unlucky for you
Who are you, may l askPn
The unfortunate victim mentioned
his name and place of abode, gathered
his remaining properties together, and
rose, as a martyr might prepare to go
to the stake. Mr.. Doughty made a
sign to N of the porters TO assist, and
a melancholy, almost funeral procession
was formed.
He felt assured he could easily excul-
pate himself and throw off the fright
full lmputatlon of being a common
thief, but the sense of his W mortify-
ing loss, the feeling that he had been
duped like the simplest. Moses PrIm-
rose, was too much to bear with calm
ness.
A gentleman was with the station
master the Earl of Airly. He had
come by the train which had conveyed
the rector and his too-bewitching fell
low-passenger. In a few brief words
Mr.. Doughty explained the state of af-
fairs. The Earl lifted his hat with
kindly courtesy to the hero of the I'M
lucky adventure, who drew forth tile
case containing the necklace.
~ have not the slightest doubt all is
as you say" observed the station mas
ter gravely; "but l must not act on my
own responsibility, sir. l have only
your word. You do not seem to have
any credentials proving that you are
really the Rev. Mr.. Hashngdean, and
we get so imposed upon"
II have letters n my pocket directed
IN ma - nIaadad the Raw Santimug