The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-08-29

the front OF the train, and / helped the
porter to get II out. Sir Philip and his
lady and the children stood watching us,
and then the porter put the luggage on
the four-wheeled truck, ana TOOK IL
across the line to the down side, and out
through the gate to the carriage which
was waiting for them, and the party
came across at the same time ana got into
the carriage.n
"Sir Philips own carriage, ! suppose?"
/ said.
"Yes. sure. While the luggage was be-
ing loaded the party were getting into
the carriage, but 1t was ratner tight
squeeze, and one of the boys had TO ride
with the coachman. i lifted him on the
seat myself and told the coachman there
wasn't room for him inside, and l told
Sir Philip what j had done, and he said
'All right, and then drove away.
And you are absolutely certain that
only the members of Sir Philips own
family alighted, and that there was no
boy left standing about?"
"Quite certain, Mr.. Barnes; yes, sure. ~
l next questioned the porter, who cor
roborated the station masters story In
every particular. He was quite certain
that the boy Twas seeking had not alight-
ed at Mostyn.
An up passenger train for Chester vas
now almost due, and decided to go as
lar as might be necessary by II, ana make
inquiries on the way; / did not expect,
however, to be able TO obtain information
bearing on the case until reached Con-
nah's Quay, as the train by which the
boy Travelled had certainly not called any
where between Mostyn and .Connah's
Quay. The guards journal which had
examined afforded absolute proof OF that.
vi course there was just the possibility
that the boy might have fallen from the
train, but 1 did not consider that at all like
ly, as he would have had TO tamper with
the door and unfastcn II on the outside
before such thing could have happened
and surely the other passengers In the
compartment would have prevented him
from doing anything Of the kind, and
even II such a mishap had taken place,
the other passengers would have been
certain to have reported the occurrence at
Connah's Quay when the train arrived
there, which, clearly, from Mrs. Fair
holmes statement, they had not done.
was not surprised, therefore, to find on
inquiry that the station masters at Holy
well, Bagillt and Flint had neither seen
nor heard anything OF the boy. The sta
ton master at Connah's Quay in reply to
my hurried inquiries while the train stood
at his station, confirmed in substance all
that Mrs. Fairholme had told me as TO
what happened there on the arrival OF the
train. The boy had certainly not alighted
there, neither had any OF the three other
passengers who left Rhyl in the same
compartment. He was now strongly Of
the opinion that the boy was on the train
while IL stood at his station, but that he
was prevented from alighting by the other
passengers In the compartment.
went on the same train, and on arrival
at QueeDsferry found that the station
master had been called away for an hour
on urgent business, and therefore went
on to sandycroft and alighted there.
was rather glad to be able TO get to that
station without delay, because the tickets
OF the 6:5i express were always collected
there. 1t being the nearest station to
Chester, and thought II likely that the
station-master or porter might be able to
say whether or not the boy or the other
three passengers were on the train on Its
arrival there. The station-msster told me,
on inquiry, that he collected the tickets
In the front part OF the trsin and that he
was quite sure no person of the descrip-
tion given were then in the train. Neither
had the porter seen them. 1t seemed
clear, therefore, that the passengers had
alighted at Queensferry, and l proceeded
TO walk back to that station, a distance
OF about a mile and half.
The station master had returned by the
time ! got there, and l at once told him
my errand. He had not seen anything of
the boy, he said, but he distinctly re-
membered the other passengers alighting
there. The man with a scar on his face
he had seen once or twice before but the
women were strangers TO him. The mans
ticket WAS only to Flint, and he had to
pay excess. He was hampered in finding
the money by a sack which he carried on
his back, and which he did not seem to
want TO put down on the ground.
Nov / don't like suggesting such an
idea" l said, ''and l hope it will turn
out to be wrong one, but do you think
it possible from the appearance of the
sack that the boy was inside it?''
"That's a horrible thought" was the
reply, "because IL the lad was there he
was quiet enough, and you know what
that means. But it's quite possible l
wondered why the fellow was so mighty
anxious to keep the sack in his own
clutches"
"Of course" / said, "he may not have
done the boy any serious harm; perhaps
only rendered him unconscious in some
way, so as to get him out of the train
and away from the station. | expect he
watch that the boy carried has been the
/ arranged with the station master that