Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1907-02-06
Two Thousand
Dollars Reward
COPYRIGHT, 1909. by p. 9. Eestment
BY c. p. LEWIS

Had you asked any inhabltant OF the
village of Glendale over ten years OF
age about the widow Clifton and her
daughter Bessie ycu you'd have re.
ceived the following summary:
"Been a widow several years; hus-
band didn't leave her much; house and
Hf&re mortgaged for $500, and how
W&y are ever going to pay 1t OFF can't
see. They used to be stuck up, but
have had to come down; widow sews
and Bessie gives painting and music
lessons. 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 with poor girl7"
It was true that Bessie gave les
sons, as stated, and that dresses were
made In the house. There We're no
relatives to come to their financial as
sistance when the husband and father
died, and the mother and daughter had
to work or starve. But for the mort
gage they could have pulled along
fairly well. " was their horror. They
knew they never could pay 1t. 1t was
and lot that IL any one bought the
place there would be very little left
over and above.
Ressie had an artistic nature and
had taken some lessons In drawing
Z 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 discourage
ing work. 1t meant with other things,
pinching Of the family purse until
mother and daughter We're sometimes
hungry and found nothing In the cup
board 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 first 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 purported
to be good description of the man
was given
man" sighed Bessie as she let the
paper fall. Fifteen hundred dollars
of the money would pay Off the mort
gage, and the other five hundred would
surely put me on the road to success.
I am sure I'd know him from this de-
scription, and If got eyes on him he
should not escape. I'd"A
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
felt little nettled that he had broken
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, scar Of an old burn on the left
cheek. large hands, two front teeth fill-
ed with gold"
That was the description Of the rob-
ber 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-tremble
The man had small satchel on his
knees. and there was no doubt that
he was leaving the city with his plum
der. He presently turned to glance out
Of the window and she saw the be-
nevolent look. Miss Bessie Clifton had
her man! Fate had walked him right
into the car in (which she sat-
1t was a suburban trolley line, and
she had fifteen miles to ride. She had
planned II Imagination what she
would do II she ran across the man,
but now that she was face to face
\ with the problem things were differ
ent. He looked like strong man, and
notwithstanding his benevolent look
he might not submit to capture with
out bloodshed
There were about dozen people on
the car, men and women. Some were
getting off at intervals and others get
ting on. Miss Bessie sized up all the
males, from motorman to the little
country tailor with bundle and she
couldn't say that any of them looked
heroic. On the contrary, If menaced
with revolver and warned to keep
hands of they would probably sit still
and let the man escape. She looked
at the conductor second time to see
If she had missed anything heroic in
his looks, and he grinned In reply and
started to start Irritation. She real
lied that there was only one way to
do, and after long breath and
lracinp of har foot shn atnrtnd In To