Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-07-01

| oAAs ~ NO uou AcYS Su0 Pa8S no QImeEzks
ties might have arisen, but he had now
rashly brought upon himself the very
danger he had apprehendcd. Detection
was inevitable, and, what was worse,
the fact of his having nothing to show
was calculated to suggest that his per-
s0nation of another person was IN inn
pudent fraud, without . shadow Of ain
excuse. The train was rapidly APP
preaching its destination, and Mr.. Pet.
tigrew pictured himself being dragged
before magistrate and held up to pub
lie disgrace as railway swindier.
In the midst of these agonizing re-
Elections. Mr.. Pettigrew's glance en-
countered that of his companion, who
seemed, from his manner, to divine
what was passing in his mind.
81 suppose you realize. sir. the awk-
ward fix you have got yourself into"
said the stranger, sharply.
'I-I-what do you meane" gasped
Mr.. Pettigrew.
"You know very well what mean,"
returned the stranger. "You said you
were Mr.. Moss Levi. It is a lie.an
impudent imposture. I am Mr.. Moss
Levi"
"You? circulated Mr.. Pettigrew,
family.
"Yes. sir. 1t is not the first time 1
have been personated upon this line.
The directors have determined to pros
ecute, and the result of my message
will be that you will be taken into Gus.
tody at Plymouth"
"But-bat l had pass" cried Mr..
Pettigrew, transfxed with horror and
CONSERVATION.
"A forgery" said Mr.. Levi, with an
unpleasant laugh; ''you wisely got rid
of it. However, that won't help you
much"
GOOD heavens! You are joking!"
murmured Mr.. Pettigrew. wiping the
perspiration from his brow with a
trembling hand.
you'll see." said Mr.. Levi, omin-
ously.
| "But, sir. it is a mistake. will
| give my real name and address. I can
bring any evidence you like of my re-
spectability." cried Mr.. Pettigrew, in a
frenzied manner.
Il can not anticipate the investiga-
tons of the police" said Mr.. Levi,
cOldly. ''As for your responsibility. at
all events you are travelling without
| ticket, on pretense of being somebody
else. The penalty is month, be-
lieve," he added, in a matter-of-fact
tone.
This cold-blooded way of putting it
was more than Mr.. Pettigrew could
bear. He yielded to veritable panic,
and almost fell upon his knees, implor-
ing Mr.. Levi to assist him.
"The matter is not in my hands,"
said Mr.. Levi. apparently touched by
his companions distress.
II will pay any thing-any thingr'
cried Mr.. Pettigrew, wildly.
IA hundred pounds?" queried Mr..
Levi.
"Eh?" exclaimed Mr.. Pettigrew with
start.
"Give me check for f1OO, and I
will assist you to escape" said Mr..
Levi, with-a sudden change of manner.
''Have you your check-book handy?"
Eyes" said Mr.. Pettigrew, scarcely
understanding.
'.Here are pen and ink" said Mr..
Levi, producing Writing-case. II
will undertake to square the police and
hush the matter up.
''But how?" inquired Mr.. Pettig
staggered by the amount demanded,
yet too terrified and agitated to demur.
Il have a ticket said Mr.. Levi,
producing it. "Take it, and get out
at the next station-the one before
Plymouth. Leave the rest to me-
MIR. Pettigrew was literally terrified
into complying with these terms. He
had no time for reflection, even if he
had been capable of doing so.
The train was already slackening
speed, and before he knew where he
was, he found himself safely landed on
the platform of the station short of
Plymouth, having paid the substantial
sum of flOO as the price of his free
dom.
When he came to think the matter
over calmly afterwards, he began to
suspect that he had been swindled. He
accordingly went on to Plymouth, and
the next day he made inquiries at the
station. but they knew nothing what
ever about the matter, as every passen-
ger by the train he mentioned had de-
livered up ticket in the ordinary way.
1t was clear then to Mr.. Pettigrew that,
although his enterprising fellow-trav.
eler had provided him with ticket in
the manner described. he had taken
the precaution to retain one for his
own use, which had enabled him to es-
cape all unpleasantness. Mr.. Petit
grew, on arriving at this conclusion, at
once telcgraphed to his bankers to stop |
the check; but he received a wire in |
reply stating that it had already been |
cashed. This, in conjunction with |
there having been no difficulty ct Plym-
outh about lost pass, SO clearly
pointed to deliberately planned con-
spiracy that Mr.. Pettigrew, in his viz |
tuous Indignation. did not scruple to
demand an explanation from Captain
Falconer. But the Captain only laughed
at him for his folly, and could with !
difficulty be restrained from telling the |
story to every one in the club; and to
this day Mr.. Pettigrew can not make
up his mind whether Captain Falconer
was party to the transaction or not