The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-07-04
CHAPTER V.
A REMARKABLE THEFT.


1t is mistake to judge wholly by ap
pearances, for even Jersey mud was not
created in vain. To the gentle, yield.
ing nature of that substance Drane
owed his preservation from serious in
jury when he came tumbling down the
side of the barn. AS it was, the shock
was violent. He dragged himself with
some difficulty to the lee of rock
fence and made a hasty examination,
which convinced him that no bones
were broken. There was soreness in
his throat and lungs which made every
breath he drew seem full of three-cor-
nered files, but on the whole he was in
fair condition and able to walk, which
was fortunate, as no other means of get
ting away were at hand.
Before him was the blazing barn,
now one mass of fire. He reflected with
shudder that perhaps some poor
wretch had perished there, and he be.
gan to reproach himself for having
made no effort to rescue those who had
been his companions in misfortune.
Then the recollection of the way the
flames had leaped up over the hay as
sured him thai ne need not cnarge him.
self with cowardice. He recalled the
fact that he had climbed up on the loft
and that the others had remained be-
low, where doubtless they had been
awakened while the fire smoldered, fill
ing the barn with that smoke which
had nearly been the death of him.
A crowd had now collected about the
barn, and he decided to go down and
mingle with it. He did so, and the first
words he heard were. these: "Some
blamed tramp has set this barn afire.
Every one of 'em found in the county
to-day ought to be put in Jail"
Drane did not wait to discuss the
question. He took hasty and uncere-
monious leave. For half an hour he
plodded through plowed fields, and
climbed fences, till at length he came to
factory of some sort from which sever
al little branch railroad tracks ran to
the main line near by. Freight cars
were being loaded there; and Drane,
watching his chance, got aboard of one
unobserved. On the top of big box
he stretched his weary limbs and fell
asleep.
The train was in motion when he
awoke. 1t ran on for nearly an hour, he
thought, without stopping. Then came
a lot of humping and switching about
followed by a prolonged pause. Listen
ing, he heard a strange sound like the
splash of waves. He crept to the side
of the car and found crevice through
which he peered. To his astonishment
he found that he was sailing on broad
river. A great city lay to the right, and
it did not take him long to discover that
it was New York. Apparently tie me-
tropolis was hard place to get away
from.
The float which bore the freight cars
was pushed against pier. Drane stood
up and stretched his cramped limbs.
This isn't exactly vestibuled palace
car" he thought, "but have at least
come through to New York without
change, as the timetables say" and he
thrust his hands into his empty pockets.
Travel by freight-car without hand
bag has its disadvantages, and among
them is the lack of water, soap and a
chance to brush ones hair. Drane looked
out through the hole in the side of the
car and wondered whether, out of re-
spect to cleanliness, he ought to Jump
into the dock. Then he noted the color
of the water and decided that he ought
not. However, he resolved to give an
imitation of good citizen making his
toilet, so he picked up piece of broken
glass from the floor of the car, and prop
ping it against daub of black paint on
box he combed his hair with his hands,
after which he decided that he was ready
for breakfast But the rolls and coffee
didn't come.
BY the exercise of discretion he es.
capped from the car and from the pier,
and stood again in the streets of New
YORK. Then came more wandering,
more hunger, more perplexity. AT
noon he found himself in park which
looked familiar. He dropped upon a
bench and tried to decide whether it
was the one where he had sat with her,
Then he asked himself frankly whether
he would rather see her at that minute
or sirloin steak with fried potatoes
and cup Of coffee.
~ don't know" he muttered, burying
his face in his hands. Its hard ques.
ton. | must be in love-"
He fixed his eyes on the ground and
wondered why he didn't find half dol
lar there. No doubt there were coins
enough buried in the dust of New York
streets to pay his way to Kansas City,
Why couldn't he find one? He began
to accuse his guardian angel of serious
neglect of duty. She ought at least to
throw enough in his way to get him a
breakfast. He poked around in the
little heaps of rubbish at the ends of
the bench with the toes of his delapi-
dated shoes; but his guardian angel ap-
parently had no change to spare. He
didn't find penny.
The only article which differed from
the general collection was a piece of
pasteboard which looked like theater
check. 1t had evidently been dropped
very recently, for it was scarcely soiled
at all. He remembered, with sudden
start, that restaurants sometimes sold
tickets that were good for meal. With
a hasty hand he snatched the piece of
pasteboard from the ground and read:
''This ticket entities the bearer to one
Turkish bath at Hubbard's, No. 90 West
Twenty-seventh street. An extra
charge for alcohol or electricity"
This is the way that Fate takes advan-