Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-12-08

parently have an occupation In life
the rescung of pretty young women. 1t
does not promise to be remunerative,
yet if thanks were coin would be rich
tonight
Tho incidents of the evening had
stirred him from his gloomy thoughts,
and his mind reverted to the episode of
the early afternoon, bringing the fair
young face with violet eyes and cluster
ing golden culs before him In what
direction his thoughts strayed may be
judged from tho remark he muttered
aloud rs he turned into Broadway.
at was "A sunbeam shot athwart
darl: life. and rs unattainable as the sun
Itself"
Arriving in front of Days theater,
upon Il sudden impulse he turned in
and bought II ticket. Though the cur
tain was up the play had not progressed
FAR into the first lrt when he found him
self comfortably seated
/ PassiOnatcly fond OF the drama, be
WAS soon engrossed III the brightness of
the dialogue and the skill Of the sterling
tavorites, Rchan and Lewis.
immediately il front Of him sat gen
tleman with whom he had Il slight ac-
quaintance. Beside this acquaintance,
evidently his companion, sat young
man whose cOuntenance he noted was
the most attractive he had ever seen in
man. Somewhat plump and fair, good
humor, Intelligence and refinement
reigned III it. He further noted that
the Young man was endowed with "A
4
been BESTOWED upon one Of the other
sex, FIR it was pure golden, fine, soft,
silky and curly From time to time, IN
interest in the play Tagged, Dorison
turned to look at that kindly, winsome
face. remarhiug how ariless and re-
sponsive it was without losing particle
Of mauliness.
Yet" he commented. "slch face.
take it, would win more with men than
/ with women"
BY and by the young man who had
thus attracted his attention threw his
arm over the back Of the seat, permit
ting it to hang Imply behind him.
Dorison started violently He turned
pale and feeling of sickening faintness
swept over him Had not all faces been
intent upon the stage his marked ayita-
ton must have attracted the attention
Of all about him /. trembed in every
limb.
There was the hand he had been bid
den to seek.
Not only was it the hand with prOmi-
hent joints and knuclles and with dis.
proportionately long thumb, but it was
incased by the mate of the very glove he
had that morning examined
1t was the same in color, in quality, in
form and in the popularity Of its make
Like that one. it fitted in every part of
the hand that wore it perfectly.
For a moment or two everything swan
before his eyes Ile seized the arms of
his seat to prevent himself from falling
The sensation, as powerful as it was,
llssed away and he got himself under
better control. He studied the hand
and glove. There could be no mistake.
The opportunity for close examination
was ample before the young man with
drew his hand.
From this moment the drama on the
stage lost all interest for INN He now
was concerned in a tragedy before whose
dread events the plny happenings of the
comedy paled into insigniticauce He
studied the face IF the young man with
new interest and from another point of
view
1T is the hand and the glove" he said
TO himself, but it is difficult to believe
that that face could have been concerned
in such awful work.
Yet, while he expressed this thought,
he did not falter in his belief that the
murderer Of Mrs Parish and her dlugh-
ter sat before him. For Il brief moment
he contemplated the wild idea of de-
nouncing the man there and then. This
was due to the strength Of Cathcart'S
theorlzing Though the old detective
would have laughed at Dorisons certain
ty, he could not have failed 10 have been
complimented by this sincere testimony
to the power of his reasoning
What Dorison did determine to do was
to wait until the play WAS done and fol
low the young man, with view Of dis
covering who he WAS. lie grew 80 in
patient for the curtain to fab. and 50
nervous over the Slow progress the
comedy made that, unable tn sit still
longer, he lett his So; ',''.! ''r..t into the
rear of the tAr":tr. lgpM whence be
could command L view OF the house and
not lose sight Of his prey After what
seemed to him IN lnteWnnable time tho
curtain fell and the large audience slow
ly made its way ont. AS the two upon
whom his eyes were GXel approached the
spot where he stood, the companion Of
the man with n thumb recognized DOri-
son with courteoCs bow and passed on.
Dorison followed AT the outer door the
twain stopped and conversed earnestly
And suddenly before Dorison could am
ticipatc III" set, the man with the thumb
lunS l&u.,,lng negative to some per-
suasion of his friend, darted across the
pavemenrs, leapcd into II waiting car
riage and was rapidly driven away.
The other turned to watch the people
pass ont Dorson stepped up, and salut-
ing him, said;
II have been strangely attracted by
tho fpp,l 4f ,nI1r r,,n ruI lion Of tha aVap i