Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-10-02

$OSSOSSA2OS SN2N
cial position inferior to his), and in
MS hand he carried riding whip.
Think you'll catch the beggar, eh?"
he remarked, surveying me through
his monocle.
| opined that with the priceless as
sistance of the local police the thing
was possible.
PITY was in the chops of the chan
mel at the time! If only I'd been here
what time he would have had!" and
he fiourished the whip alarmingly in
the air.
"Oh, Peter. you couldn't have done
more than | did" exclaimed his wife,
applying her pocket handkerchief to
her eyes.
Personally l though Peter would
have done more. He would have pull
ed that bell pull in their bedroom
right down.
| declined the offer of refreshment
(Which would have been partaken of,
| felt convinced, in the servants halD,
took a snack at Grantham Station
and caught the next train back to
| town.
By this time / had mentally re-
solved that those local police should
have the honor and glory of hunting
down the pseudo-butler which that fool
had engaged, and recovering the stolen
articles.
If Mrs. Warrington Stout's jewels
did not blaze this season in Covent
Garden Opera House, so much the bet
ter
Which was mans view, of course,
and wholly unprofessional.
l went the following evening to one
of the best known of the London mu-
sic halls. Variety entertainments do
not often attract me, but the special
excellence OF the program promised
something out of the ordinary, and
the promise was kept. A succession of
turns. increasing In interest, conclud-
ed with the usual pictures on the bio
scope, which | always find intensely
fascinating.
A humorous series was first shown,
and then appeared on the screen the
title of the next:
Arrival of the Scotch Express at
Kings Cross"
The time and date of the taking of
the picture were shown. 1t was ITO
a. m. on the previous day The bio
scope is nothing if not up-to-date.
First you saw the people on the sta
ton awaiting the arrival of the train.
Some things do not strike you as fun
ny until you see them in a picture.
That ragged line of porters, standing
anywhere and at all angles, made me
laugh. Somehow l felt that they
ought to be drawn up In military line.
and every man jack of them made to
salute the brave engine-driver as he
brought the huge locomotive grace
fully to rest at the platform. Then
an inspector ought to call Break
away" and they should fall upon the
luggage with their accustomed feroc-
ity.
But my whimsical idea was soon put
to flight, for there, talking TO a porter
in the immediate foreground of the
picture was somebody SO closely re-
sembling Mr. Warrington Stout that
if. At that moment the man was
watching turned full face to the au-
dience. 1t was Warrington Stout, |
without the shadow of a doubt
The events of yesterday, to which I |
had not given thought all the even
ing, trooped back into my mind. III
Stout really crossed the Channel at |
the time he declared, by no possibility
could he be waiting on Kings Cross
platform at 40 that morning. My
interest in the Melville Court burglary
grew at once extraordinarily profound.
The train was seen to draw in, car
riage doors to be flung open and pas
sengers to alight. But Warrington
Stout was for me the center of inter-
est Although he had partially turned
round, and | now had only a view of
his side face. 1 could see that he was
intently watching all the passengers
by the train. Then he took a step for.
ward, apparently having recognized
some one. A second later he and a
clean shaver young man in bowler
hat were standing face to face. In the
latter's hand was something wrapped
In brown paper, apparently an oblong
box; he was carrying nothing else.
Stout looked at the parcel, nodded an
provingly, and clapped the young man
on the shoulder. Then he hurried him
away to the cab-rank lining the plat
form, hailed hanson, gave directions
to their driver, and both stepped in
side.
Good heavens!" l exclaimed aloud
and the people on either side of me
edged away from an apparent luna
lie.
The detective fever fairly ragged in
my veins. The man whom Warning
on Stout had met at Kings Cross was
felt convinced, the missing butler;
he description exactly tailed. And
he box he was carrying, at which
stout glanced with such approval, con-
aimed, without shadow of a doubt,
he missing jewels.
"A Naval Review" began to be
hown on the bioscope, but for me the
performance was over. I rose from
ny seat and left the theatre. | had
h. |