Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-22

any other woman in Marston, she en-
joyed "the luxury Of woe" and during the last
few days she had been ndulging in it without
stint. For during those days there had been
FIVE burearies in that town, and the little place,
ordinarily no more excited than most summer re-
sorts, had become almost hysterical. First Of
all the postoffice had been robbed, and then,
as though that robbery had been merely by way
Of practice the thieves on the next night had
broken into a private house. Other robbenes
had followed in quick and defiant succession, and
within twenty-four hours the little red brick
railroad station on Orawaupum street had been
broken into and the money in the safe stolen.
Then indeed, there was excitement, for, as in
all small towns not too remote from large cities,
the station was the real centre of town life, and
its misfortune was looked on almost as sacrilege
Even the summer residents seemed to consider
it as such, and when, as was the custom at
Marston, the ladies drove down to the station IN
the late afternoon TO meet their husbands on
their return from the city, not one but looked
at the little red building as though she expected
to hear it cry out against the proclamation.
The older ladies sat comfortably in their car
riages. and, in voices pitched high because they
were in the open air, talked volubly of the bur
rares One and all agreed that they would
never have expected a burglary in Marston, and
Mrs. Graham. by reason of her power OF self
worry speedily obtained high and commanding
position among them a sort of possible mar
tyr The younger ladies, at the urgent ertreaties
Of their own or their friends inqusitive little
brothers, left their carriages and moved in
pretty crowd upon the station. There the boys
pointed out the drawers from which the money
had been stolen and the girls examined them
from distance with respectful interest. There
too thev saw the station master in close con
1OOlx
a Young man seated on the desk in the office
swung his legs vigorously and looked bored he
frightened up obviously, however, at the sudden
influx of pretty girls, and removed his hat Ihe
other men merely glanced at the intruders and
continued their conversation.
When they had seen everything, the young
ladies retreated to the platform, from which they
carried on an animated conversation with their
elders in the carriages, while the bored young
man came to the window and looked at them with
admiration.
Suddenly all the talk was checked. Then a
murmur of respectful admiration ran through
the crowd of ladies, and the coachmen sat up
straiqhter and hicked their horses. Even the
uhioutous small boys became silent as into the
station yard whirled an open carriage in which
sat a Young and very pretty woman. As soon as
Il had drawn UP near the platform the talk
becan again. this time all directed at its occu-
pant. -,
"How do YOU do today, Mrs. Marmaduke"
was the first remark from everybody, with a
rising infection on the second syllable of to-
dav." and when Mrs. Marmaduke had replied
that she was very well. there was a chorus of
almost incredulous generalization Then there
was hush, broken in moment by Mrs. Gra-
ham, 49,
"Have YOU heard anything of your silver yet?'
she began Without waiting for an answer, she
continued f'I wonder how you bear 1t go we'll
I'm sure I shouldn't. I'm dreadfully afraid of
burglars, and I know it would kill me to know
that they were in the house"
'oBut didn't know it." said Mrs. Marmaduke,
with superiority. mot even MIR. Marmaduke
knew they had been there until afterwards"
"Ah. yes,' returned Mrs. Graham; but to
find out. even afterwards that the horrid men
had been there-ugh!-an had taken all your
silver-every bit of it"
e"Tbey left some" cooly interrupted the hero
ine. Mrs. Graham pretended not to hear her.
"You should have had burglar alarm" she
said. patronizingly. "Mr. Graham is going to
have one put in for me.
1--WE have burglar alarm" answered Mrs.
Marmaduke. 'GBut it was out of order"
"Oh, how annoyingl" chorused all the listeners
except Mrs. Graham, who sank back IN her seat
and sgnaled for her daughter Clara to come to
her.
Just then the train came around the curve
below the station, and all the adventurous girls
retreated to their carriages. Out from his ottce
ran the old station master, followed by the
important-looking man and by the bored young
man The man who carried the mail bag to the
postofice sauntered up, and for an instant every
thing was expectation. Then expectation became
reality and confusion as the train came to stop.
For moment there was an outpourlng OF pas
senpers then a thinning out of the crowd, and
then sort of stampede of the carriages for the
postoffce until, when the train started again,
only Mrs Marmadukes and Mrs. Graham's re-
mained. Mrs Marmaduke lay back in hers, look
inc at her husband, as he stood on the platform
talking to the bored young man, while Mrs.
Graham. after looking carefully around for her
husband sank back without being able to find
him. Clara Graham had looked also, and when
she could find neither her father nor her brother
she began again the conversation interrupted by
the arrival of the train.
"There were two burglars, mamma" she said
zone was rather an old man, they say while
the other was much younger. And, OF course,
there must have been third one to watch
"Drive on George" interrupted Mrs. Ora
ham: and the coachman had just turned from
the platform, when the gray-bearded station mas
ter ran out.
"H there! Mrs. Graham!" he shouted, wav-
ing brown envelope and, as the carriage stop
ned with a Jerk, the old man plunged down
from the platform and ran to IT.
"A telegram from Mr. Graham" he explained
and while Mrs Graham opened it hurriedly, he
waited with one hand on the wheel guard.
'Who were those two men talking with you
Mr.. Underhill?" asked Clara Graham, inquisi
lively
oval, the gentleman wi the red beard-hin
a.standin' in the doorway naow, answered the
old man. pointing towards the station, 'is the
renresentative O. tn Marston Enterprise-Mr
Long his name is. An tother one him a-tall<in
to Mr.. Marin duke, s a porter fur one o tn
Moo York papers-I don rightly knows name
"Clara." said Mrs Graham-"There's no an