Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-11-13

ndu gone away, TOO, from the lJJl6
observation-disclosures village which had
been their birthplace, and had returned
but once. Then, it was true, he had
bethonght him of dainty. pretty, viva
cious Pauline, and had asked about her.
No one could tell him much. Her par
entS had removed to the big metropo-
lis. That was all. They had been swal-
lowed up. None of the CAROLS ever
had come back to Belmont. AS for this
pin, there could be no two like it, he
had seen it hundred times. 1t was
Pauline's, of course; but Pauline, where
was she? He rose with more vivacity
than he had felt during the long day,
and as he did so, and haf turned to in
| spect his fellow passengers once more,
a ripping voice, sweet as the trill OF
| bird, accosted him, half laughing, half
in yelled anxiety, at his elbow.
Pardon me, sir, thousand times,
beg, If | am wrong, but l have been
searching for a pin 1 dropped some
where in the car little while ago, just
after l got on at the last station, and
suspect" she concluded, with roguish
| smile, that you are in a position to
claim the reward
1t was Pauline, no doubt, Pauline, in
| deed. But this tall, radiant, beautiful
| woman was not by any means the I'M
| sophisticated country girl whose bud
ding beauty had been the particular
| flower of Belmont. Evidently she had
not recognized in his bearded face the
be- of is whom she had called Charlie
ten years before. His ennui fed like
mist before the sun. He would dissem-
bic for moment. Then they could go
to supper together. After that the trip
would be dull no longer.
Madam he answered, gravely, bow
ing in his best manner, cit is quite true
that have found some such trinket as
! you mention. But as it's morally re-
| sponsible custodian I must beware OF
all claimants who cannot prove salts
factory ownership. Now if you will
only be seated" he motioned to the va
cant section beside them, ''and describe
your lost property, you may be able to
| set at rest even the deepest scrup1es I
may possess concerning it's proper de-
| livery"
The young woman laughed apprecia-
ton of his testing speech and with easy
grace seated herself, with gesture that
he should sit opposite.
ITO begin with" she said, looking at
him merrily as he professed to scrutin-
iZe the pin he concealed within his
Palm, cit was a gold breastpin; it was
in the shape Of hand"
"To be sure" assented Wethere1l,
''but there are many hands. Not all Of
them are alike"
eyes, but this was a right hand"
"Oh!''
"And upon its wristband there were
two engraved letters"
'There are so many combinations Of
two letters, you know" replied Wether
ell, depreciatingly, Eat least 600 odd,
aren't there?"
She made pretty little move.
"But on my pin there were only p
and c. There, sir, now what can you
say?"
She was looking straight at him, her
merry eyes adance. Surely she was the.
most beautiful woman who had ever
gladdened his critical sight-and he
had known many women in that long
ten years, since
All! Since. Was it still too late? He
had loved her once as boy of 10. Now
for the first time he knew it.
AS he returned her long look, some
thing in his own brought the deep color
surging to her face. Then it fed away
as quickly and she grew very pale.
He stretched his hand to hers, hold
ing out the golden one within it.
"And the reward, you spoke of a re-
! ward, Pauline" he whispered.
She rose up hastily. The man with
the stiletto beard and the piercing eyes
had come down the aisle and stood dis
approving1y beside them.
cit is too late for you and me to talk
about rewards" she said, and her voice
sounded like soft music. Charlie, let
me introduce you to my husband. Mr..
Robisco, my old friend, Mr.. Carroll"