The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-10-16
A VICTIM OF CHANCE.
The Strange Adventure That Befell
Some Young People in New York.
BY F.. :. TRAYMoRE.


ton family were i'm New York on one
of their semi-annual visits. They had
been there nearly two weeks, and were
now finishing the last odds and ends
of shopping and Sightseeing on this
delightful October afternoon, prepara-
tory to leaving for home the next day.
They were walking slowly along
Sixth avenue, searching for certain
place where hot-poker drawing mate
rials were sold, and had paused in front
of the right number in the crowded
street-for they found that the sales
room was on the second floor of the
building.
Don't go up with me-" said Bess,
the eldest of the three. 'If you will
wait here shall be back directly /
oh, look there See that man? What
is he trying TO do"
Jack and Fan turned just in time to
see a man-a young Italian of delicate
appearance-reach up his hand TO feel
the texture of heavy wool jacket that
hung, exposed for sale, from line
stretched across the sidewalk above his
head. After he had apparently salts
fled his curiosity as to the quality of the
garment, he attempted to let it go, but
AS Jack expressed what foliowed-it
slipped its mooring, and fell plump
upon his head and shoulders.
His actions showed plainly that he
feared some one would suspect that he
was trying to the steal jacket, and
after several unsuccessful attempts to
replace it, he stood bewildered, still
holding it in his hands.
"Why doesn't he drop it?h exclaim-
ed Jack, impatiently. 'The goose I:
They will he out like bees from hive
if they see him holding it like that"
They all stood for ali instant watch
ing him, then, as he started toward the
door of the shop, with the evident in
tention of taking it inside, Bess went
on up the staircase, leaving Jack and
Fan in the street.
awkward situation for the fellow, ]"
added Jack, as the Italian again paus-
ed, confused as TO which shop the jack
ct belonged. Perhaps he can't speak
English, either"
As Jack uttered these words, out
from the shop rushed two clerks and a
brawny porter; and before the unfor-
tunate man could realize what had
happened, he found himself held fast
by the arms A crowd of people quick
ly collected among them policeman,
who unceremoniously elbowed his way
up to the group, and exclaimed grufily:
"Ah, ha, my fine feller. We've
caught YOU at last ! You weren't quick
enough this time, you see. Come along
now, you dagon'
The foreigner, unable to speak word
of English, or to explain the situation,
stood gesticulating wildly almost frant-
ic,,with distress, still holding the gar
ment i'm his hands.
"Oh, Jack ~ whispered Fan, in a
distressed voice, ''we ought to so to his
rescue, but then if we do, we shall get
into such a snarl Bess will never for
give us if we let him be arrested, but
oh, dear, Let's go away. L don't
want to he mixed up in street brawl."
"Nor T." said Jack. "We're timed
10 leave the city tomorrow, and how
can we bother about this matter? Too
bad for the fellow, but we can't stop
over to appear as witnesses. He Will
explain it all when he finds an inter
prefer, and get himself out of the scrape
some way. You can see that the officer
is set upon arresting him, and if we in
terfere we may have to stay here sever
al DAYS before he will be tried. That
we can't do. Oh, he must take his
chances, like the rest ofus-thats all -
So, together, they slowly mounted
the long staircase TO wait in the hall
until Bess should reappear. Fifteen
minutes went by before she Joined
them, and by that time the slight rip
pie of excitement which for few mo-
ments had disturbed the everyday
hustle of the street below, had entirely
subsided, leaving no trace visible.
Jack and Fan breathed more freely
when they had passed the shop, for
Bess, whose mind was just then full Of
other thoughts, made no allusion to the
incident; and they both hoped, to their
unspoken relief, that she had quite for
gotten it.
Indeed, it was not until the three
were in there rooms that evening busi-
ly packing their trunks with their new
purchases, that Bess said suddenly:
"Why, thereI | intended to ask you
if any harm came to that italian after
/ went up stairs. Did he take the coat
in, all right? ?"
lack and Fan were silent. Bess look
ed up in surprise.
"Did he get into any trouble?" she
asked, speaking a little sharply, and
rising as she spoke.
Jack sprung from the big rocking
chair in which he had been lounging'
lazily watching his sisters, and walked
to the window, his back turned, to look
out upon the moonlit street.
"What if he did?' he muttered,
sulkily, childishly resenting Bess's un-
intentional abruptness. ''I really don't
know that we are responsible to you
or to anyone else-if anything happen
ed to him."
''To your own conscience and sense
of humanity, if you allow that inno-
cent man to be arrested without inter-