Smyrna times., 1896-05-13
THE MYSTERY OF
THORNDALE.
BY EDWIN AUSTIN OLIVER.

BY EDWIN AUSTIN OLIVER.
GAN aboard!" 1 heard the guard cry,
and a few seconds later the train
pulled out of the glass-dOmed station.
/ was looking out of the car window,
when felt the swish of a silk skirt,
and. turning, l saw richly-dressed
lady seat herself beside me.
"Excuse me-" l said, lifting my cap;
''would you prefer the seat by the WIN
dow?"
She looked at me through her heavy
veil, but made no reply.
deaf; perhaps deaf and dumb, L
thought, as 1 glanced at her rich attire.
However that may have been, was
quite certain, by the ordOr which filled
the air, that it was not necessary for
her to speak to convince me that her
favorite perfume was violet. In her
hands she carried several small bundles,
and, like the majority of foolish
women, her pocket-bOOk. When the
train reached ThOrndale she arose to
get out. l noticed that she had drop
ped her pocket-book close to my feet.
/ stopped and picked it up, and was
about to start after her, when some
thing prompted me to keep my seat:
The train started; / stealthily slipped
the purse into my pocket and looked
out of the window, feeling as If the
ewes of every one in the car were upon
me. AS matter of fact, l do not sup
pose any one had seen me, but L felt
guilty, and that feeling usually posses
ses a guilty mind. l cOnsOled myself
with the thought that the pOcket-bool
probably contained something by
which l could ascertain the name O.
the owner.
Perhaps l might tell you that L wa
a boy Is years of age, and up to tina
time could not recall dishonest &C
of which had been guilty. l liveC
with my mother, and we were in hum
BILE circumstances. l was employed a
an errand-bOy in a large dry good
house in New York City.
When my story opens l was going t.
a place called BlocktOn, on an erran,
for my employer. Upon my retur
from that place l was tempted to ge
off at Thorndale and see the owner {
the lost pocket book, but, KNOWN
that l was expected back to the stor
on that train, 1 dared not do so.
How that little piece of leatht
: burned my pocket! had not taken
out, for fear some one would knO
that | had been dishonest, and it r,
mained in the place l had first put
until 1 reached my own room thu
night.
/ was bewildered when 1 opened
and found it contained $16O! Most
the money was in new crisp bills of Il
denominations of So and $40. Ho
my my eyes danced as l counted the
over! l had never handled so muC
money before in all my life.
Carefully l looked into each col
partment of the pocket-bOOk, hoping
find something which would lead
= the Identification of the owner. But
found nothing. This was disappoiI
. ment, for five minutes after l hi
, picked up the lost article l regrettt
having hesitated as to my duty. | q
most considered myself thief. VIII
if / should never find the owne
Would it be right for me to spend t
:. money? These and many simil
questions presented themselves al
50 kept me tossing in my bed that nigl
long after the time l should have be-
asleep.
1 concluded that my only chance
finding the owner of the pOcket-bo
would be in going to ThOrndale. b
how was to get the time to go there?
/ hesitated at asking my employer fOl
y leave of absence, for fear that my d
honesty might become known to hi
Several days later my mind was son
in what relieved by being commission
to deliver some goods in ThOrndale.
1 had not time to go home for t
lo pocket-book, but decided to make
az quiry, and, if possible, discover
or residence of the lady who had q fOl
m. ness for violet perfume. ThOrnd
nd was a small village of only a few hi
nd dred inhabitants, and l hoped thai
ge description of the lady who got off
IL half-past 2 o'clock train ON the p
ious Thursday would help the stat
ne agent in directing me to the whe
: abouts of the person l sought.
,. "Do you happen to know a lady "
got off the half-past 2 train, last Thu
- day afternoon?" / inquired of the
fetal 1 found standing in the stat
door when l allighted at the station
ThOrndale.
,d "Well, no; can't remember bacl
far as that, was the disappointing
''She was tall, handsomely dress
r. and, if / mistake not, is hard of hC
ing" l added.
So "Well, we've got a lady what Ii
here who happens to be about as {
K and dumb as they ke'em," was
rather inelegant way he expressed b
,. self. ''Let's see; what day was 1t
asked about?"
rs ''IIast Thursday; the half-pas
o'clock train from New York"
lie ''Did she smell like a cologne
tle?" asked the agent, with a br
on smile.
eyes, violet, 1 answered, eneours
"That's her. Can you direct me
where she lives?"
X eyes, can. If you can wait at
five minutes, until my boy CO
no down to take care of the station,
drive you over there. I've got to
*. liver telegram about a mile hey
her house, and I'm going right by
'm' 1 thanked him, and said would
cept his kind offer. The house
been sent to from the store was G
- by the station. / ran over to it,
lat by the time l returned the agent
waiting for me with his blackboard
roam horse.
The house / was in quest of
about a mile from the railroad,
when we reached it my compal
pulled up his horse and got
&c The dwelling was little white a
- which stood back some distance
the road, and was well shaded by h
pulled the bell, when the door
opened by a gentleman.
- els the lady of the house in?" ]
lKI quired
IN ! ''Well, " replied the gentleman,
laugh, 1--WE don't happen to be Il
nate enough TO have lady in
house; but perhaps there is sonnet
/ can do for youl"
'l'm looking for lady who lost
- pocket-book on the train one day
week. The station agent drove
over and he said she lived here.
During the conversation he
motioned me to enter, and found
- self in small parlor not by any m
Ia luxuriously furnished.
"Let me see the pocket-book;
!. hapg / can identify IL" said the
looking sharp at me.
~ have not brought 1t with me-
EadA ooh, Yes, you havel" he said, '
ing toward me.
"Indeed, haven't" replied, ]
ona ing uncomfortably in my chair.