Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-01-13
A THANKLESS JOB.

private detective work for parties in the
latter city, and had succeeded SO well that
was both happy and sleepless. This was the
reason | was not in a sleeping car, fast held
In the arms of slumber instead of occupying
seat in the common coach, with my eyes
very wide open and my wits all about me.
| was wide awake, as | have told you, when
the train stopped at a country station on
signal. 1t barely came to a standstill, and
only one passenger got aboard. The car was
pretty well filled and such of the passengers
as had seats alone were stretched out in
sleep. | had sized up every one near me, and
had counted up two honest old farmers,
drover. two milliners, a mechanic and family,
and a house painter who was evidently going
to the city for work No one seemed to
notice the entrance of the new passenger 1t
was in October, and he had on fall over
coat. He carried a heavy valise in one hand,
and he came down the aisle, looking from
right to left, until he finally reached my
seat. | moved to the window as a hint that
| was ready to share it with him, but he hest
tated for a long minute, and looked at me
| sharply three or four times before he finally
sat down. The sachel he placed between his
feet. He had not uttered a word, and after
sitting down he seemed to forget all about
me.
"Helo! but l have found a two legged
| hog" | said to myself after bit II offered
him half my seat of my own free will, and
he seems to be mad because l did not sur
render it all. Old fellow, you are an H. o.
| g., and no mistake Let me look you over a
| bit"
| | leaned back against the window, pre-
| tended to shut my eyes and resume my nap,
and then inventored the fellow. He had a
hard, cruel face on him, and | felt sure he
was a man with little mercy in his heart. l
| had not been looking at him over two minutes
| when | saw that he was taking sly glances at
me, and that he was quite anxious about the
sachel. In the course of five minutes he
tlrned around and gave me thorough look
ing over. and | read in the gesture Of his
hand and the toss OF his head that he said to
himself:
BAH Why should be afraid of himf'
His dress was that Of a barkeeper-rather
fashy. The jewelry he wore gave him away
as well. If he was not barkeeper he was at
least the owner of a saloon, and, from his
build, judged him to be pugilist of more
or less local fame After one general look at
his dress, | began at his collar to make Il
closer inspection. His shirt collar kept work
ing up to annoy him. and said to myself
that the button was gone and he had fastened
it with pin. In his twisting around he
pulled his overcoat back, and | saw that the
top button on his under coat had been pulled
out by violent jerk, leaving hole in the
cloth. The coat was new, and it would take
hearty wrench to pull the button out that
way followed his arm down to his right
hand and across the back of it was a long
scratch 1t fresh scratch, for the
marks of blood still fingered. My eyes
dropped to the strangers right leg, and l saw
that his knee was damp and soiled He had
certainly fallen on the ground / might
have reasoned that he had met with a very
common accident, but | didn't. | said to
myself:
sold fellow, you have locked horns with
somebody to get mussed up this way. 1t is q
scrape you don't want known, for you keep
throwing anxious glances at me. If it was
only an accident you'd get up and fix that
collar, growl a little over the spot on your
l.nee and cuss the railroad company for hay
ing a depot platform unprotected by a rail
ing at the ends. Wonder what you've got il
that sachel, 4 traveller with few clothes
in a Sachcl does not have to keep his foot or
it while everybody around him is asleep
You are no cucumber, old fellow, and you've
got something in there worth watching. III
try a little trick on you"
l had my right hand in my pocket care
fully worked my knife out and as it fell K
the floor | gave start woke up and wen
down to look for it. As | moved my hanC
toward his feet he quickly bent down ant
moved the sachel into the aisle Then wa!
satisfied that my surmises were right. Wa
he burglar, and did the sachel contain hi
kitf 1t was more probable that he was jus