Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1906-11-08
TWO Thousand Dollars Reward.

AoN w eSNN Sy
the village Of Glendale over ten years
of age about the widow Clifton and
her daughter Bessie you would have
received the following summary:
"Been a widow several years hus-
band didn't leave her much; house
and lot are mortgaged for 1900,
and how they are ever going to pay
it off I can't see.
They used to be stuck up, but have
had to come down widow sews and
Bessie gives painting and music les
sons. Some folks say that the girl
expects to marry rich man, but
she'll die Of old age first. She may
be good looking, but what does
rich man want of poor girl"
1t was true that Bessie gave lessons,
as stated, and that dresses were made
in the house. There were no rela-
tives to come to their financial assist
ance when the husband and father
died, and the mother and daughter
had to work or starve. But for the
mortgage they could have pulled
along fairly well. 1t was their hor-
ror. They knew they never could
pay it. 1t was so near the value of
the village house and lot that if any
one bought the place there would be
very little left over and above.
Bessie had an artistic nature and
had taken some lessons in drawing
and painting, but she knew that her
work would not stand criticism be-
yond certain point. She had been
going into the city twice week to
get beyond this point, but amid all
her harassments this was discouraging
work. 1t means, with other things,
a pinching of the family purse until
mother and daughter were sometimes
hungry and found nothing in the
cupboard to satisfy the feeling.
On this particular day and date,
as Miss Bessie was returning home on
the trolley after rather discouraging
day, she read in the evening paper
an account of a robbery at 6rst-class
hotel. The robber had got away
with considerable money and large
amount of jewelry, and the victims
had combined and offered a reward
of $4,000 for his arrest. What pur.
ported to be good description of the
man was given.
IF could only come across that
man T. sighed Bessie, as she let the
paper fall. Fifteen hundred dol
lars of the money would pay off the
mortgage and the other FIVE hundred
would surely put me on the road to
success. I am sure I'd know him
from this description, and if l got my
eyes on him he should not escape,
and'-
And then she began to wonder
whether he would surrender at dis
erection or make fight for it. She
was almost oblivious to her surround
ings when voice at her elbow said:
Excuse me, miss and man sat
down beside her. He was privileged
to, as the car was crowded, but she
fell. a little nettled that he had brok.
en- in on her thoughts. 1t was two
or three minutes before she glanced
at him, and then for an instant her
heart almost stood still.
"a middle-aged man, smooth face,
benevolent look, blue eyes, prominent
nose AGAR of An old burn on the left
cheek, large hands, two front teeth
filled with gold"
That was the description Of the rob-
Der in the paper still lying on her
lap. Her eyes had been caught by
the scar on his face. She saw the
prominent nose, the smooth face, the
scant hair, the large hands. She
gasped for breath and was all a-trem-
BILE.
The man had small satchel on
his knees, and there was no doubt
that be was leaving the city with MS
plumber. He presently turned to
glance out of the window, and she
saw the benevolent look. Miss Bes-
sic Clifton had her man Fate had
walked him right into the car in
which she sat.
It was a suburban trolley line and
che had fifteen miles to ride. She
had planned in Imagination what
she would do if she ran across the