Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-05-09

Of menace. his blue eyes iihfy Welt'
! remarked peculiarly blue, sein-
fiIlated with very disagreeahle
threat. while his lips, under a slight
growth Of mtlstache, looked pale and
tense
For an imperceptible second we
eazed full into each others eyes, and
then the mans glance dropped TO the
pnrse lying upon my knee. or course
at once perceived that | was threat
ened with robbery, and that 10 save
myself some action must be taken,
and that very promptly.
But / found myself already helpless.
The young man had put out one arm
and held me firmly back In my seat.
while with the other he graSped The
fingers which / had instinctlyely
I closed over my purse. As he did this
\ lie leaned forward. thrusting his face
i SO near mine that ! felt his breath
{ against my cheek. while he whispered,
4 hoarsely and hurriedly
/ Give me your purse, For heavens
1 sake, give II 20 me! II Is a matter OF
life and death."
For all reply | uttered a cry which
sounded 10 my own cars feeble and
s;lfed Then I made a last faint strne-
gle to free myself Whereupon a
shadow Of brutal determination passed
over his features: he violently loosened
my fingers and Withdrew the purse
from them. At that very moment a
shrill whistle announced that time WIS
and rough shouts Of 'Come off that
step. Now then! Shut that door" as
sailed my ears.
The Young man vanished and turned
the handle ! sprang 70 the window
and attempted II Wild gesticulatm 10
the pOrters. who were hurrying mn.
But there still was the youth running
bv the side and holding TO the door.
his pale face, with the trutal look en-
trely offaced from II. turned inward
to mine Even In that hewildcrsd mn-
ment could not hut notice the 81 auge
Of expression. The eyes were now full
Of conjunction and cdGcrneSS.
"your address" he painted. give VI
me duicklyi You shant regret this
matter"
Already stupeficd, seemed incap-
able Of resisting this new demand |
refraincd from anv further attempt 10
attract the attention Of the porterS.
and. Suddenly leaning forward ont Of
the window. pronounced, with care to
make myself understood the words
"Eleanor Keith, Rose villa, Middle
ford"
He Immediately leoSed his hold Of
the handle and. raising his hat to mo
with n faint ghost Of smile. turned
or his heel I Thrust my head fnrthnr
from the window "a gaze hefDlesslv
after my lost nropertv. and the last
thing | saw was the vounc man walk
ing off with m easv swinging cait and
writing. rs he went In notebook
And with thar tho train dashed into n
tunnel and | saw the platform no
more
Then sank hael, IN nv seat shvnr-
ing from bead 10 foot, I was too an
grv to weep and vet my misery vas
ms keen rs only a very young Great
IIra'S paiSerc can hn
The holidays lasted for Siv wanlys ~
So II was pot hapnv time e." my
frien1s lid NOT spar" thnir ,''t1inule:
aud II was ro.,llv . rniiof WHOM Hl,n ,'.,-
c.itton ire,v toward n ,lnsn and could
a'ltirinatn y suoc1v rntnrr ~ useful
v.arl, Tho last ef thn ev weelss ~.
r.tve1 had r,ondcd ara paLoted Ill
INV clafhns uttprtv da1.linino . s~i Gtancn
IN Tho share of ilerrownd n,n"ev
thonoS this WINS vnrv kindly off ared ~
mo md vas QUITO r.adv 10 rake nv
Snir-it,esS wav 'soet - dutv. WHOM ono
'ndr"'ne. remarkable thir@ hap
pened
came downstairs md cntert~' the
breakfast. room. and nj once Gaw living
upon nv plate registered envel"ne
Nv Aunt Parhara mt nm her glasSes
and watchrh me with some amuse-
mcnt took i'm the lNtter ana turned
II nver in NV hand with ccmnliea ton
of feclinr The pestmark was London,
r. C the handwriting bold. manly.
cultivated and unknown 10 me- Dur
ing the last six weeks I had thought
almost inceS~antlv Of the hluc-eved
thief; N this moment no one was
further FROM MY mind | suspected
n present, and felt a frown gather upon
my brow
Come, open rhe letter" cried my
Aunt Barbara in irrcpressible curiosity,
| obeyed and took out a bundle Of
papers. pid not know the crisp feel
Of those thin, clear uhlOng pieces we'll
enough. They We're bank notes notes
like my own ten-pouud note that | had
earned There were five Of them; and
as | spread them ont before me read
the symbols upon Nch one like per-
son In dream.
Five tenpound Rank 81 England
notes! There rhcy iay on the table be-
fore me. new. crisp, dazzling. But
whence had they Gomez How was itl
that, like AaronS rod that hudlcd, the
Gold straight staff Of disappointment