Catoctin clarion., 1898-11-24
N THE DETECTIVE. 4

ageu gentleman anu Su"hei on '"o
middle, and myself on the one in front.
The two ladies might have been
mother and daughter, aunt and niece.
governess and charge, or might have
sustained any other relationship which
made it proper for two ladies to travel
together unattended.
The middle aged gentleman was
sprightly and talkative. He soon struck
up an acquaintance with the ladies,
toward whom, in his zeal to do, rather
overdid, the agreeable-bowing and
smiling and chattering over his shoulder
in a way painfully suggestive, at his
time of life, of "crick" in the neck
He was evidently gay Lothario.
The Quaker wore the uniform of his
sect, and confined his speech, as many a
parIiamentarian would save his cridit
by doing, to simple "yeas" and mays
AS for myself. make it an invariable
rule of the road to be merely locker
on and listener.
Toward evening I was aroused from
one of those reveries into which young
man, without being either a poet or a
loyer, will sometimes fall, by the abrupt
query from the talkativo gentleman:
Ware you armed, sir"
VI am not" I answered, visibly as
tonished at the question.
VI am sorry to hear it," he replied;
"for before reaching our next stopping
place it will be several hours in the
night, and we must pass over portion
of the road on which more than one
robbery is reported to have been COM
mitted."
The ladies turned pale, but the
stranger did his best to reassure them.
"Not that think there is the slight
est danger at present." he resumed;
"only when one is responsible for the
safety Of ladies, you know, such thing
as a pistol in reach would materially
add to ones confidence"
"Your principals, my friend" ad-
dressing the Quaker, VI presume are as
much opposed to carrying as to using
carnal weapons"
"Yea," was the response.
"Have the villains murdered any Of
their victims?" the elderly lady ner-
vously inquired.
"Or have they contented themselves
with-with plundering them?" added
the younger in timorous voice.
"Decidedly the latter" the amiable
gentleman fastened to give assurance;
"and as we are none of us prepared to
offer resistance in case of attack, moth :
ing worse than robbery can possibly
befal u.s."
Then, after blaming his thoughtless-
ness in having unnecessarily introduced
a dlsagreeable subject, the gentleman
quite excelled himself in efforts to raise
the spirits Of the company, and had
succeeded so we'll by the time night set
in that all had quite forgotten, or only
remembered their fears to laugh at
them.
Our genial companion fairly talked
himself hoarse. Perceiving which, he
took from his pocket package of newly
invented cough candy, and after first
passing it to the ladies, he helped him
self to the balance and tossed the paper
out of the window.
He was in the midst of a high enco-
MUM on the new nostrun, more than
half the efficacy of which, he insisted,
depended on its being taken by suction,
when a shrill whistle was heard, and
almost Immediately the coach stopped,
while two faces, hideously blacked,
presented themselves one at each win
dow.
"Sorry to trouble you," said the man
on the right, acknowledging with bow
two ladylike screams from the back
seat; "but business is business, and
ours will soon be over if things go
smoothly"
"Of course, gentleman, you will spare
as far as may be consistent with your
disagreeable duty, the feelings Of these
ladies'" appealed the polite passenger
in his blandest manner.
"Oh, certainly; they shall be first
attended to, and shall not be required
to leave their places, Or to submit to q
search unless their conduct renders it
necessary. And now, ladies, be so good
as to pass out your purses, watches and
such other trinkets as may be accessible
without too much trouble"
The ladies came down handsomely
and were not further molested.
One by one the rest of us were COM
PEELED to get out, the middle aged gen
tlemans turn coming first. He sub
mitting with winning grace and was