Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-01-16

OOAALSb III ~ IL OOO"O $780,
ing luggage in the shape of a bird-cage,
a basket with a cat in it, an umbrella,
and a very large carpet sack.
Jorlette had produced another sec
ton of pie, and was demolishing it Wig
orously. Seemingly he enjoyed it.
Well, | suppose even a murderer may
enjoy eating pie.
Just as the train began to 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 ex-
ception. She tottered and would have
fallen, but [ put outmy 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 | had ever heard,
and sank down on the cushions, cover
ing my knees with pillows of ruf1ing
nd fringing, making me feel-wel1,
not many removes from the gate of
paradise.
A lovelier face l 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 a meadow brook when it
flows over a bed of pebbles.
But so lost was | in contemplating
the charms of this fair creature that l
suddenly remembered [ was not 'look-
inv zIor,> - 90 ILo4Iaor+ hoI orIarol
me, and | turned to regard my unsus-
pecting Jorlette.
If a criminal he was a very self-pos-
sessed one. He had finished his pie
and was picking his teeth with a quill
and furtively regarding his boots,
which, by a peculiar tightness and
stiffness of look, L judged were new
ones. Occasionally he felt of them,
as if perhaps his corns were pinched,
and once | was sure he muttered some
thing 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 l might as well cultivate the ac-
quaintance of my pretty little seat
mate.
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 a little timid about travelling
alone. She started nervously every
time the a gave a 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 a horror of railway &C
cidents, she said, after her Aunt Jane
had predicted, before she left, that
something dreadful was going to hap
pen to her; and then she lifted her
large, melting eyes to my face, and |
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 well in
formed and her language was simple
and well chosen. Before | was hardly
aware of it l 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 a little
nearer to me.
Dear met" she said, ne~rvously, lit
must be dangerous business. This
Jorlette, | have heard, is a desperate
character. Pray, oh, do pray be care
full"
And she dropped her voice so near
to a whisper and threw so much ex-
preston into her beautiful eyes that |
could not resist tenderly pressing the
white hand so near my own and whis-
pered, | am afraid, something that
would look absurd on paper.
That was a very delightful trip to
me and | think it must nave 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
OF three miles inland from Liverpool,
| so she had to leave me before my Jour-
ney was ended.
The train only halted for a moment,
but | managed 10 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 into my face.
Il will drop you a line within a
week, MIR. Dayton" she said, sweet
ly. Let me see-your first nan is
"Alphonse. No. 341 T street,
Liverpool, for the next ten days. Good
by, darling!'' and l kissed her again,
and saw the door close behind her
with a dull feeling of pain inside the
left section of my waistcoat.
But | re~solutely put my pretty un-
known out of my mind and devoted
myself to looking sharp at Jorlette,
who had evidently fallen asleep. Talk
about the uneasiness of a guilty con-
science, indeed!
At Liverpool Mr.. Cathcart stepped
into the car before anyone had left it.
He swept his eye over the occupants
and a look of blank dismay settled on
his face.
"Thunderation," cried he; lis it pos
sible you have let him skip?"
He is there!' said |, triumphantlv,
pointing to my red-headed fellow-pas-
senger.
That" said Cathcart, in a tone of
inetfable contempt. 'Alf, you're a
fool. That man is the Rev. John Pen
nicut, rector of st. Thomas church,
Cumberwall. How do you do, sir?"
shaking hands with the ~pie-eater.
As for me, l was looking around
for a convenient knot-hole to crawl
into, but there seemed to be no such
thing around loose.
Cathcart turned upon me fercely.
"Where in the deuce is Jorlette?" he
eXclaimed. SAVE oalu s.Did | not nrHar