The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-02-07

ndu dCbudlly dLttfShSu ntT' OhS pTO-
longed a hngeri she tapped Arthur on
| the shoulder.
"Young man." she cried, in buzz-saw
tones, aren't you going to give this
poor woman your seat?'
He stared in amaZement over his
glasses.
81 never do" he drawled mot if l
| know myself. What do you take me
forP Stand yourself, if you want to;
you ought to know how by this time.
All, no; I've cut my eye-teeth, old
lady"
He lolled more extendedly than be-
fore; his coat tapped more widely. His
| eyes and nose and chin were eagerly
\ engaged with the details of fashion
able wedding. He saw, he heard moth
ing.
The indignant female gave snort of
| defiance, it may be of warning. HE
1 never does" she muttered. II couldn't
find better subject if l went to Har-
| lem."
| One deft, rapid motion did that spat-
ulated hand mako from the reticule to
the side-pocket of the Tapping coat of
the unconscious Arthur, who was men
tally personating the best man. Then
| she sprang to her feet and gave her seat
to the wan woman, the shawl and the
baby.
More iostlings, more scramblings,
more rollings. Heat and humidity re-
turned from the pursuit and ravaged
the bodies of the vanquished. Arthur
| still stretched himself and read. The
keen, alert business men swayed easily
| with the motion; the wearied women
| exhibited the centrifugal force of each
curve. The gaunt and angular female,
with one hand upraised grasping the
strap, stood as rigid as the Goddess of
| Liberty enlightening the world.
But as the rolling internationally
slackened and the squealSing increased,
she suddenly released her hold and
fumbled through her rcticule then she
uttered series of shril screams, which
startled the alert business men, the
baby in the shawl, the gyrating women
and the locomotive, which hitherto had
deemed itself proficient in that line 1t
recalled Arthur from the wedding
breakfast, where he had been doing the
elegant to an American duchess.
''Oh, Pm robbed, I'm robbed" she
cried "And by that bold, bad man."
And she pointed full the doubly-articu-
lated finger of accusation at the agitated
Mr.. Chumpney.
Immediately there was a confused
din which drowned the squeaking of a
stopping at station The alert bust
ness men, the guards, the station men
pressed forward. The debilitated wom-
en- screamed surprisingly and dropped
their baskets. The beshawled baby
doubled its fists, grew red in the face
like the sun and yelled. The angular
female still vociferated in tin-horn
tones: Its him! Don't let him escape!
Catch him, kill him, the rascal, the
thief Oh, my precious earnings!'
''What have you lost, madam?" in
quired one of the aforesaid representa-
tives of commercial activity.
MY all! My pocllet-booll Oh, don't
let him escape!" she necessarily piped,
like a siren in fog.
Come out of this!'' shouted the
guard. laying a heavy hand on Arthur's
shoulder.
"Oh, the rascal" ''the blackguard,' -
'the thievish jude!'' Search him.
"Oh, he's a slick articler' resounded
upon all sides.
Despite heat and humidity the excited
crowd surged through the aisles and
out upon the platform, following the
important guard, the trembling Arthur,
the spare, swarthy and sibilant female,
and unanimously crying: Search him!
Search him!"
The guard plunged his grimy hand
into the pocket of the widely-happing
coat and drew forth a purse. He held
it above the pressing throng,
That's mine; my ALL" the virgin ac-
cuser cried, reaching her simian finger
an amazing distance toward it.
Excuse me, madam, interposed the
guard. THAT must go with this 'ere
bloke to court, and you with him. There
will be perlice along presently.
seed one come out of the saloon be-
yant." And sure enough, blue-coatec
refugee from English tyranny now
forced his vigorous shoulders through
the crowd.
"Phat's this? Thavin', is it? 1 know
yez well" he calculated, grasping the
collar of the widely-happing coat
"Come along wild mel"
He took the purse in his other hand
which flourished the club of authority
He dragged his victim through the jeer
ing throng, down the stairs, followed
by the angular female, who stall1ed aft
er them like one of the Fates released
temporarily from the thread factory.
The squealling increased and dwin
died, the rolling began. Attended 10y
heat and humidity, the alert business
men, the wan woman, the baby and the
shawl hastened away, as if dreading the
vengeance of a score of irate trains
which had been thus delayed by crime
and its punishment.
In the meantime, what had become
of the arrogance which had so com
: pletely enveloped Arthur upon his en-
trance into the train? At the frs
word Of accusation it had faded away
like a tissue-paper suit in a tropica
storm, The four years rolled back
, Again he was a barefooted boy at tn,
corners, afraid of his own shadow
, blushing for very shame of his own eX
istence. He could not speak; his teetl
! chartered from trembling: his fac
famed as though those fork-lile finger
had ralled it: the horns OF his immacu
late collar dropped, starchless, like hi
; backbone. His broad, black sasl
seemed an emblem of mourning for hi
own demise. He shrank in terror from
the crowd. Would they kill him? Wei
! | come the Tombs, the Island Sing Sing