Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-27

Vernon, jumping quickly down, and stamp
ing his feet on the pavement to restore the
circulation in his limbs, which had been
chilled by the long ride in the cold, raw fog,
more suggestive Of November than the. first
week in May. The spring had turned of
cold that year, and the night that Eric
selected for his journey was the coldest and
most unpleasant that late spring had
brought.
He waited while the porter obtained as
sistance and carried his luggage to the plat
form.
mo, shall not want them labeled" he
said, arresting the mans movement "You
can manage me q irst-class to myself, I dare
say, and will have these two portmanteaus
In the carriage with me"
Having settled his arrangements, Eric
lighted a cigar and adjourned to the re-
treshment room, where he called for a
brandy. There was still an hour to wait
before the express was due. But Eric
managed to while away the time by sharp
exercise up and down the long and dreary
platform, with occasional adjournments to
the refreshment room in search of cold
brandies.
At last the train rushed in. There was
ten minutes to wait before the express re-
sumed its journey, but Eric at once took
MS Piace III tne cdrrldSe winch an ooilSinS
porter reserved for his use, with his two
portmanteaus on the seat opposite.
When the train was about to start the
porter, who had mounted guard over the
carriage, touched his cap and remarked,
You will do all right, sir. The passengers
are taking their places.
"Many thanksP' said Eric, sliding q
bulky silver image of Her Majesty into the
mans hand, who touched his cap once more
and, having wished him pleasant journey,
walked away.
| A piercing scream from the engine whistle,
and at the last moment the door fof the car
riage was flung open, and a superior official
stood bowling an entrance to an elderly gen.
tleman with grey hair. and whiskers and
reverend aspect, mufded up from head to
foot, who was accompanied by his man.
servant. A smothered curse rose to Eric's
| lips at the invasion, but it was useless to
protest. He had not engaged the compart-
ment, and the uniform of the official sug-
gested an officer who was above the corrupt
ing influence of "tips." The stranger
seemed to Eric to be troubled with an asth-
matical cough, and in this circumstance he
saw an element of hope.
beg pardon, sir" he said, "this is
smoking carriage, and am afraid my cigar
will annoy YOU"
"Not at all, not at all-smoke myself"
the stranger testify replied, glaring angrily
from under the penthouse of his bushy,
gray eyebrows at this plain hint that his
presence was resented as an intrusion.
Even as he spoke the signal was given,
Another shrill scream from the whistle and
the train was in motion. As it glided out
OF the station the lights on the platform
twinkled family IN the fog and disappeared.
There was no further stop until London was
reached.
The old gentleman colled himself into his
corner and composed himself to sleep, his
servant carefully arranging the rugs over
his knees. This done the valet followed the
example of his master.
The lamp in the carriage burned dimly,
and was rendered more faint by the fog that
penetrated within. The ligdt was too OBJ
scure to read by, and Eric, upon whom his
repeated "nips" had begun to tell. thought
he could not do better than snatch an hours
repose. He flung his cigar away, and in a
few minutes his stertorous breathing pro.
claimed that he was in deep sleep.
, Then strange thing happened. The
elderly gentleman suddenly awoke and
glanced searchingly at the sleeper. Next
he quickly divested himself of his travelling
cap, muffier, coat, wig, and the rest of the
properties" of his disguise, and stood forth
in his own proper charaeter-Doggett, the
detective.
His companion simply took off his coat
and rolled up his shirt sleeves, displaying
the brawny muscles of pair of arms that
would have done credit to prize fighter.
Sound asleep, Joe?" Dogget whispered
below his breath.
ply.
Doggett next drew forth from his pocket
coil of thin, but well-strained rope, a
MANILA, and made it ready for use.
"Now joe" he said.
At the signal, his companion threw him
self upon the sleeping Eric, and pinned him
fast; while Doggett, with marvellous celebrity
coiled the rope round and round, twisting
it this way and turning it that, until, be-
fore Eric could recover from the astonish-
ment and terror into which the sudden at
tack had thrown him, he found himself
bound hand and foot, after the the manner
of the Davenport Brothers, his arms securely
fastened to his side, and his legs fastened as
though they were in the stocks.
II thought had not forgotten the old
trick" said Doggett, with triumphant
chuckle over his exploit. "Now, Joe, out
with his keys, and look alive"
The light was too dim for Eric to recog-
nize his assailants. and he had not the re-
motest suspicion of their real purpose; not
unnaturally concluding that he was the
victim of an audacious railway robbery, and
momentarily expecting that the pair would
shoot him through the carriage door, and
leave him to make his bed on the permanent
way.
But while the two men were busiIy en-
gagged overhauling the contents of his two
portmanteaus, the train, which was rushing
onward at 30 miles an hour, dashed through
Reading station, and the lights on tie plat
form adding something to the illumination
of the carriage lamp, Eric for the first time
caught glimpse of Doggett's well-remem-
bered features.
"Holmesp' he exclaimed, as the station
lamps flashed full on the detectives fase
''Ten thousand devils! Curse youi'
Just then Doggett drew forth from the
second portmanteau the missing will.
"Here it is" he cried, ignoring Eric's
wrath. "The last Will and Testament of
Ralph Eversleigh, of Eversleigh Hall.
Esquire"
VI.
The detectives suspicious had fastened ON