Smyrna times., 1907-01-02
Two Thousand
Dollars Reward
BY c. B. WIS
Copyright, 1906. by P. C. Eastment
BY c. 3. LIE WIS


daughter Bessie you would have re-
ceived the following summary:
Been a widow several years; hus-
band didn't leave her much; house and
lot are mortgaged for 81 800, and how
they are ever going to pay it 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 a rich man
want with poor girl?"
1t was true that Bessie gave les
sons, as stated, and that dresses were
made in the house. There were 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. 1t was their horror. They
knew they never could pay ii. 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 natuye and
had taken some lessons in drawing
and painting, but she knew that her
work would not stand criticism be-
yond a certain point. She had been
going into the city twice O week to
get beyond this point, but amid ali
her harassments this was discourag
ing work. 1t meant, with other things,
a pinching of the family purse until
mother and daughter were 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 a first class
hotel. The robber had got away with
| considerable money and a large
amount of jewelry, and the victims
had combined and offered a reward Of
| $1,000 for his arrest. What purported
| to be a good description Of the man
was given.
"If l only could come across that
mani" 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.
l am sure I'd know him from this de-
scription, and if 1 got eyes on him he
should not escape. Pd"-
And then she began to wonder
| whether he would surrender at dis.
cretion or make a fight for it. She
was almost oblivious to her surround
ings when a voice at her elbow said:
Excuse me, miss" And a man sal
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 OF
three minutes before she glanced al
him, and then for an instant her hear
almost stood still.
"a middle aged man, smooth face
benevolent look, blue eyes, prominent
nose, scar of an old burn on the lef
cheek, large hands, two front teeth fill
ed 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 sea
on his face. She saw the prominen
nose, the smooth face, the scant hair
the large hands. She gasped for breatl
and was all a-tremble.
The man had small satchel on hi
knees. and there was no doubt tina
he was leaving the city with his plum
: der. He presently turned to glance ou
Of the window, and she saw the be
nevolent look Miss Bessie Clifton ha,
her man! Fate had walked him righ
into the car in which she sat.
1t was a suburban trolley line. an
she had fifteen miles to ride She ha
planned in imagination what sh
would do IL she ran across the mar
, but now that she was face to fac
. with the problem things were diffel
! ent. He looked like a strong man, an
Notwithstanding his benevolent loo
he might not submit to capture will
out bloodshed.
There were about dozen people o
the car, men and women. Some wer
getting off at intervals and others ge
ting on. Miss Bessie sized up all tl
males, frem motorman to the litt
country tailor with bundle, and 81
couldn't say that any Of them locke
heroic On the contrary, II menace
with a revolver and warned to ket
hands off they would probably sit st
and let the man escape. She lookt
a at the conductor second time to 81
U If she had missed anything heroic
his looks, and he grinned in reply al
started to start Irritation. She res
lied that there was only one way
" do, and after long breath and
/. bracing of her feet she started In
do it. She sought to make her vol
very determined as she said:
y "Sir, / know who you are, and
20 will be useless for you to try to
cape. You bad better submit quietly
"YesY' replied the stranger as
turned to her with a. look of surpri
AI..rr