Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1903-09-10
"A Judges
Romance e


me with any softness toward the other
sex.
My position was thus when the courts
were closed for the summer season of
e certain year and l retired to my usual
resort on the sCashOre.
1t may not strike you as quite con
sistent when say that a few days aft
er my arrival a woman appeared who
caught my attention. She was regis
tered as Mrs, ," and il was understood
that her husband would appear later.
She was handsome, we'll formed, re-
fined in all outward respects II lady.
did not have speech with her, but I
admitted TO myself that but for my dig
nifty and position | might have at
tempted what is legally known as n
mild Irritation.
People seemed To understand intui-
lively that judge of special sessions
did not care 10 hear about trihes, and
SO no gossip was poured into my ears.
However l learned later on seven or
eight rooms were robbed inside Of n
week. The robberies occurred by day,
and generally at meal times, and the
plumber was money and jewelry. In
one case the loss amounted TO $500, in
another TO $500, in a third TO over ST.
900.
After the first complaint had been
made the landlord set watch, but In
the face of that three more rooms were
plundercd and n confiding guest who
kept several hundred dollars In his
trunk instead of the hotel safe found It
missing one day after luncheon. Then
two detectives We're employed, and all
the 80 guests felt themselves under
espionage, if not suspicion-all but l.
How could landlord, detective or any
one else suspect the integrity Of Judge
Coke?
The robbericS ceased as suddenly as
they had begun. but for reasons known
to themselves the detectives decided
to search the baggage Of certain TuestS,
one of whom was the handsop Mrs.
Blank. | heard nothing of this he
time, but rs left my room Oh tn, y
of the search l encountered the Ii,
with a small package in her hand an>
she frankly said to me:
Judge Coke, ! have not had the
honor Of an Introduction, but | wish to
beg a favor Of you. As the clerks are
busy this morning, and as the porter
does not look like man to be trusted,
you would put me under many obliga-
tons by taking this package to the cX-
press office 1t Is directed to my huS-
band, is you see, and contains papers
that he must have soon. am sorry
to thus impose upon your good nature,
but
Say no more madam" interrupted,
rs | took the package from her; II
shall be only too happy to be Of service
10 you"
may have smiled as | lifted my
hat and bowed. but | contend that |
lost none of my dignity, and of course
l did not make it an excuse for any
conversation.
met her on the street. a full block
from the hotel, upon my return, but
as | handed her over the receipt
merely raised my hat again and spoke
Of the weather.
The search was made quietly and
with the consent Of the guests, but II
proved futile.
The next three days passed without
excitement and took It into my head
to order carriage and be driven out.
1t has always been my opinion that a
Judge looks well az he rides out in
a landau with head erect and arms
folded
/ was being bowled along the boule-
ward connecting my resort with one
five miles away, with my driver fully
Of my dignity and impOr-
tance, when a parasol was waved at
me from the sidewalk, and l made out
a lady at the end of It, More than
that, | made out Mrs Blank, who said
to me as my carriage halted Mt the
curb.
Judge Coke, were you going to drive
over TO Surf city,"
Il am on my way there, madam"
replied as my hat came off at the
proper angle.
Then then
What is ii, madam"
Il have Il friend over there who IS
III, and there IS no train for two hours
know 1t is presumption on my part,
but
Not at all, madam. Let me assist
YOU in. | will have you there In three
quarters Of an hour, ana the obligation
will he mine"
There were no languishing smiles,
10 googoo eyes on my part. Indeed,
.hink that most of our conversation
Turing the drive referred to the law di-
'ectly or indirectly. | was bit sur
Drised that she should ask to I've set
lown on the public square instead of
II her friends house, but dignity for
Dade me even 10 raise my eyebrows.
She bowed and returned thanks;
'aised my hat and murmured Don't
mention H." and we parted.
My position demanded that | should
'orgct her as soon as possible or until
met her at breakfast next morning,
md | had fairly succeeded when re-
turned TO the hotel two hours later
Then she rushed back into my memory
Il a bound The landlord and the de
cctivcs were looking for her. 1t had
Decomc known that she was an ad
'entureSs whose photograph adOrn.
more than one roEucs' gallery and W
lad even done time" for theft
vas she who had cleaned out the rooms
md given me the plumber to express
,way, and 1t was she who had robbed
he hotel safe OF about 5000 at the
loon hour as the clerk left for n mo
nent l hud driven her over to Surf
Yty that sh" might take the train and
hus clude the detectives.
NJ QUAD.
Mas O'HcII's Adder.