The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-01-10

REINFORCED by an old lady in a very
prim bonnet with brown ribbons, and
bearing luggage in the shape of a
bird-cage, a basket with cat in it, an
umbrella, and very large carpet
sack.
Jorlette had produced another sec
s-oA of pie, and was demolishing il
vigorously. Seemingly he enjoyed it.
Well. 1 suppose even a murderer may
enjoy eating pie.
just as the train began to move the
door opened and a young lady came
hesitatingly forward. You know
what helpless creatures women are on
their feet in a bouncing, swaying
railway car, and this young beauty
was no exception. She tottered and
would have fallen, but I put out my
arm and caught her, at the same time
offering her the unoccupied seat at my
side.
She blushed rosily, thanked me in
the sweetest voice I had ever heard,
and sank down on the cushions, cover
ing my knees with pillows of rufling
and fringing, making me feel-well,
not many removes from the gates of
paradise.
A lovelier face I had never seen.
The skin was clear and fair; the mouth
sweet, sensitive, and a little sad; the
eyes dark and melting, and the beauti-
full dark brown hair, which hung over
her shoulders in the prevailing style,
was soft as floss silk and rippled like
the bosom of meadow brook when it
flows over bed of pebbles.
But so lost was I in contemplating
the charms of this fair creature that
suddenly remembered was not look
ing sharp" as Cathcart had ordered
me, and l turned to regard my unsus-
pecting Jorlette.
If criminal he was very self-pos-
sessed one. He had finished his pie
and was picking his teeth with quill
and furtively regarding his boots,
which, by a peculiar tightness and
stiffness of look, I judged were new
ones. Occasionally he felt of them, as
if perhaps his corns were pinched. and
once was sure he muttered something
like an oath as he rubbed his long,
white fingers over the locality of his
great toe.
There was nothing to be done with
him until we reached Liverpool, I'M
less he attempted to leave the train, so
I might as we'll cultivate the acquaint-
ance of my pretty little seatmate.
She was somewhat shy, but after
awhile managed to overcome my re-
serve, and we chatted pleasantly like
old friends.
She had not been much from home,
and was little timid about travelling
alone. She started nervously every
time the car gave lurch, and I Deem
ed it my duty to put my arm around
the back of the seat to calm her fears.
She had such horror of railway
accidents, she said, after her Aunt
Jane had predicted, before she left
that something dreadful was going to
happen to her; and then she lifted her
large, melting eyes to my face, and 1
drew the arm down from the seat and
let it rest on her shoulder. Men are
the natural protectors of women, you
know.
We talked on various subjects. My
sweet companion was very we'll inform
ed and her language was simple and
we'll chosen. Before I was hardly
aware of it had told her that I was a
detective, and that was making this
journey expressly to help capture Jor-
lette-that notorious Jorlette.
She shuddered and drew little near
err to me.
''Dear me!' she said nervously, cit
must be dangerous business. This
Jorlette, have heard, is desperate
character. Pray, oh, do pray be care
ful!'
And she dropped her voice so near
to a whisper and threw so much ex-
preston into her beautiful eyes that 1
could not resist tenderly pressing the
white hand so nea my own and whis-
pered, am afraid, som ething that
would look absurd on paper.
That was a very delightful trip to
me and think it must have been not
unpleasant to the young lady, for her
cheeks were red and her eyes bright as
we approached the terminus. She was
going to her sister, who lived two or
three miles inland from Liverpool, so
she had to leave me before my journey
was ended.
The train only halted for a moment,
but managed to press a warm kiss
on her lips and to beg her to give me
her address that might call on her.
She smiled archly up int my face. 4
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