The Opelousas courier., 1897-06-19
With deep pity for her l

escaped. with deep PITY ZOE Hei l.
was obliged to tell her what had hap,
pened. 1t was the last stroke of greet
for her, and she burst into tears. In
vain I tried to cheer her with the hope
that he might have escaped. after oil.
"No, no. I'm sure they've got him,
and he'll go to prison. Oh, you don't
think he is a criminal, do you?'
"No, Miss Saunders; he's only very
weak. But he will have to suffer If he
ID taken, and you must cheer HIM by
promising to be faithful to him.
ooh, l will. [ am content to wait
if it comes to the worst"
I left her promising to see her again
in a few days. AS l went home l
bought an evening paper, and the first
thing on which my eye lighted was
the following:
TIE M~ARswoRTH FRAUDS.
Strange Disappearance of the Man Rudse'
Last evening just as the $50 train from
Liverpool street to Harwich was moving out
of the station. Detective Inspector Brett
suddenly recognized Rudge, one OF the men
who is 'Wanted" in connection with the
Marsworth frauds, seated alone in Il first
class compartment. The inspector was too late
to enter the train, but at once wired to Har-
wich, and on the train arriving there a force
of police in plain clothes were ready waiting
TO arrest tho criminal Strange to say, how
ever, although the train was carefully
searched no trace of him was discovered. AS
there had been no stop between Liverpool
street and Harwich IT is supposed that the
unfortunate man must have jumped from hls
carriage In desperation. Nothing has since
been heard of him, however, AMI the affair
remains Il mystery.
"Poor Rudge!" I sighed, es it
dawned upon me that perhaps he was
lying crushed and mangled somewhere
along the line. l was terribly upset
and only hoped that Miss Saunders
would not get hold of the paper.
The next evening the postman
brought me q letter with q French
stamp and a Paris %postmark, and the
direction written in the sprawling fist
of Rudge! I hastily tore it open, and
read as follows:
Dear Old Chap: Just a line to tell you that
I'm neither dead nor in prison. How you
must lave been wondering what had become
Oh liz. 1 SiW SOH HCilSCi IL Ik,S1AN AtA
spotted mo. What q fool | was to moye-and
l wondered how on earth I should escape,
for I guessed they would be waiting for me
at Harwich. At first | thought of riskinS it
and jumping, but suddenly q bright idea
struck me. [ knew that. although the ear
riage l was in did not stop before We reached
HarWich, that I had once Travelled by this
very train to Ipswich, and on puzzling it out
1 remembered that there was a "clip coach"
in tha ronr yvhiap ia tfS1innnH' nj fSIPIpSfpr
and afterward runs on to ipswich. Ii could
get on board that coach l should be safe,
and 1 made up my mind to try it. 1opanei
the door and got Out on the footboard and
started on my journey to the rear OF the
train. And 1t w;s IA journey! I had to cre@p
along three carriages, and we were going at
q good speed; then l had to duck my heal
as L passed the windows, lest people should
see me, and was particularly careful at the
guards van. At last I found myself on the
footboarj Of the last coach, and, to my Joy,
discovered an empty compartment. We were
at Colchester. and | managed to
evade the ticket collector, got a bed for the
night, ran up TO town the next morning,
discovery, caught the II a. m. boat
train from Charing Cross, and here l am!
[ am off to Hamburg tomorrow, and shall
to tell Miss SAUNDERS L am safe, and
you shall both hear f.pm me again as soon
rs | reach America. 18th everlasting thanks,
rs ever, NS-ARLEs H. RIDGE.
tbs is the true history of Ridges
narve>> GUS escape. He reached Amer
lea ano ,~1adderovt the heart of his
iancee by getting an appointment
thereof course, under another name.
Miss Saunders was talking of going
out to him, but I have just heard that
Marsworth is taken, and has made GER
tain confessions that clear Rudse and
the other man from all share in the
except that of being Mars
worth's dupes. So I am in hopes that
al will be right yet.-Pearson's Week
LIZ |