The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-07-24


heart be also And what have you got
there, my friendT say to myself; I
wonder" By-and-by the sergeant
had something else to wonder at. The
Jewish gentleman drew off well-fit-
aing glove of tan-colored dogsloin, and
began to finger his cheeks and chin
with very delicate carefulness. His
face took @ cast of anxiety, and he drew
from his breast-pocket n small morocco
case which contained a comb and q
mirror. He combed his mustache, and
scrutinized 1t with extraordinary care.
He combed the hair on his forehead and
temples, and scrutinized that with eX-
traordinary care. Then he combed
his thick black eyebrows, and peered at
them into the mirror as closely as If he
had been examining them through q
microscope. Next he examined his
chin minutely and seemed dissatisfied.
Once or twice he looked at the sergeant,
who lay with his legs stretched out, and
the merest hairs s-breadth slit of watch
full eye quite veiled by the eyelash.
And, occupied earnestly as he was in
these singular details, the dapper
Jewish gentleman never forgot the hat
box for much more than half q minute
at O time.
"'Where the treasure is,'" said tho
sergeant, with his heart beating like q
hammer at his ribs, for he had begun to
think what an uncommonly close shave
dark-haired gentleman like that must
have taken, to be sure, to have no sign
at all of beard on cheek and chin.
For man as is naturally black" said
the observant sergeant, gets blue with
close shaving, don't you notice, sir? and
this chap wasn't bit bluer on the chin,
than he was on the bridge of his nose.
Dyed his halr-he had!"
1t occurred to the sergeant to wake
up and light q pipe, and assume O brisk
interest in the landscape. 1t occurred
to him further to cross to the other end
OF the compartment for o better view
Of the landscape on that side. Ho
ventured to remark that it was pretty
country, and that the young wheat was
looking well. Then he sauntered back
to his own corner, and made believe to
uOLc dShlu~WlUu Ills uCbTU
more and more like O hammer at his
ribs, until he wondered that the other
man didn't seem to hear it. For at
that nearer view he had seen what he
had fully expected to see-an auburn
rine on cheek and chin, namely, and q
touch of auburn at the roots of tho
carefully penciled eyelashes. And all
the while he was thinking, SO he told
me: "What stroke of luck! OH!
what stroke of luck, And here's my
step at last" And yet he had no aus
thority to act, and to arrest o man on
such a mere suspicion, and without au
thority, was dangerous sort of thing
to do. The sergeant was nightly
tumbled up and down in his mind and
knew not what to do.
They came to Rugby, and the gentle,
man got out and ordered a glass Of
milk and soda at the refreshment bar
Before it was served, he bolted back to
the train, and secured his hat-box.
'Now, Is he going to slip off here?'
if he is, what's my game?" The gentle
man went back to the carriage, how
ever, in due season, and the sergeant
followed. At Birmingham they both
allghted, and the gentleman went to
the Queens hotel. He chartered bed
room there, and carried his hat-box up.
stairs with his own hands, q porter fol
lowing with o portmanteau. In half
an hour he came down again, passed
into Stevenson square and on into New
street.
The sergeant took his courage in
both hands, and went to the manager,
y Jewish gentleman with o black mus
tache had taken such and such o num-
Der?
"Yes."
THAT" said the sergeant, producing
his handful, "is the man."
The manager stared, and then
laughed. No, he knew that man. He
was red-headed fellow with a red
beard and mustache.
Shaved and dyed" said the SER
geant
"Begad!" said the manager. "I be-
lieve you're right"
"You know me?" says the sergeant.
"Yes," says the manager, naming
him.
Very well. I take all the RESPONSE
bility Of this move. That man has the
stolen jewels in his hat-box Let me
into his room, and We'll soon see.
1T was u common lock to the hat
box said the sergeant, concluding his
story in great excitement. Il begged
hair-pin from chambermaid-oneo o.
them thick strong hair-pins, and the
trick was done In minute. There was
the violet-velvet lining of the jewel
ease oil tore out loose, and rolled into
bundle, and inside it was the
whole 100000 worth. And while we
was a-staring at each other, like q pair
of stuck pigs, back comes his Nibs, sees
ME a-kneeling over the open hat-box.
wipes out q revolver, and knocks hole
clear through two sides of my new silk
hat, and ruins It. Twelve-and-six it
cost me, and brand-new out of Hyams'
shop only the week afore. The man
ager knocks his arm up, and the next
shot goes into the ceiling. Itwas nip
and tuck then for a minute, but we got
him down, and had 'em on his wrists
In a jiffy. Seven years he got at the
Old Bailey, and pretty cheap at that
Five hundred pounds reward is q good
deal to q poor man like me, but Lon
don chance Is more, and that slice O.
luck brought both. That's his Nibs'
portrait, that there big colored photo