Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-09-05

and found myself taken for Just what
| was not The conductor punched
my ticket with an air of not expecting
me to have any, while the way in
which the train-boy passed me over in
his distributions of figs aud fiction
filled me with self-complacency. My
disguise was, beyond doubt, a com
plete success.
The day went Oman uneventful
and hungry day, for 1 thought it due
TO my assumed character to buy no re-
freshments but doughnuts and sau-
sages, two things l cannot eat. To-
ward night 1 changed to branch
road. There were few passengers, but
among them | described for the first
time an object of suspiciou-a young
man whom [ had noticed covertly
eyeing ME at the junction, and who
now sat across the aisle.
He was very we'll dressed, hal the
unmistakable bearing of the city, and
would have been the last person in the
world to cause any anxiety but for his
watching me whenever | wasn't look
ing, and his pretending to read n
smnil-type newspaper in n light too
dim for the correct decipheriug OF
circus poster whenever he caught my
eye.
If he had been the kind of fellow
seemed, l should have feared nothing
worse than his scraping an acquaint-
ance with view to our future CO.
operation i'll petty larcenies but for
II man like him to take such an inter-
est in such seedy figure OF iusolv.
ency rs | presented was most sus.
picious. L suddenly recollectel the
money coming from Boston, and then,
with II flash of insight, [ understood
the stranger.
He was plainly one of those thieves
who, always spying about, collect n
surprising fund of Information relat-
ing to bank affairs. The Frst Ma
tionaPs participation in the Shovel
Brothers payment was OF course well
known to its Boston correspondent,
and might easily have leaked out when
Reichsmarks. Guilders Il Co. dis
patched their well-guarded messenger.
Powerless against him, the rascal had
turned his attention to me
just then we reached the terminus
where | must spend the night before
starting on forty-mIle drive to the
construction camp. As left the car,
the young man opposite fingered iu
his seat, teigninS to be occupied with
a shawl-strap he carried, SO that /
might go first. Looking back, | saw
him spring quickly up to follow.
During the dark walk to the hotel
he kept close behind me, until began
to grow uneasy. gripped the precious
valise with one hand, and kept the
other ready for action IN case an
attempt was made to snatch away my
burden. But other passengers were
before and behind, and the chance
seemed too desperate for him. He
finally passed me AMI went on.
found the little hotel, which would
have been the worst in the place had
1T not been the only one, enjoying an
unwonted rush of business caused by
some kind of gathering then in session.
My company did not appear ardently
desired, and advance payment alone
secured shelter. Even then I was
told | must be "doubled up" with an.
other guest.
This sleeping in the same bed with
total stranger by no means suited
me, but it could not be helped. After
supper | was shown to 49," or
rather-directed there by boy who
saw in me so little prospect of fee
that he neither took the journey, nor
apologi2ed for ordering me, GO up
two flights and turn to the left"
| entered the room. Before the
bureau, half-undressed, stood my late
fellowtrayelerl ! gave an Involuntary
start.
"Hailo, you fellow!" exclaimed he.
"What do you want in this room?'
"It's SO, isn't it?" asked i, bound
to stand my ground. "Well, I'm
going to sleep here. Didn't they say
you'd he doubled up?"
eyes" he reioined, angrily, "5ut |
didn't know =" He stopped abruptly
and turned his back.
"Didn't know it would bo with
you, he meant to say / thought;
when it was precisely what he did
know and wanted /"
rapidly reviewed the situation. RI
l refused to stay he would at once be
convinced of my identity--a point on
which, | had inferred from his con.
slant staring, he was not yet perfectly
sure. Besides, should / abandon the
sole obtainable bed should have to
spend the night on the veranda or in
the haymow-a much more dangerous
arrangement than to remain where |
could keep an eye on him.
Nevertheless, two things [ was firm
upon-I would not go to bed before
he did, and would not go to sleep at
all.
sat down in ono of the two chairs
near the bed with the valise on my
knees. Ny robber, as I called him,
after tidgeting around the room for
few minutes, sat down in tho second
chair on the other side of the ba1