The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1909-12-10
THE VELVET HAND,
ax EDMUND cAMproN.

me story about when you we're
young man."
"a story about when ! was n young
mnnf Let me see There's one about
ride In n train once took that might
interest you. Ill tell you that one.
II got into the car ten minutes be-
fore the train started. and. there being
but few seats occupied, put my satch-
e. beside me. hoping that | might sit
alone. But people kept coming In. nnd
] reluctantly set the bag on the floor.
thus offering the seat 70 any one who
chose to take It. Presently n girl came
IN, looked dlsconsolately at the now
ws!! s!!cd seats. s!aSesd .Fsesoluieiy
ut the seat beside me and dropped into
Il.
"she WIS ABOUT venty, n blond,
pretty as nea-b, p, lsomely dressed.
with susplt.ln 90 odor of violets
about her. ! ospSdsr myself lucky
man to have slph a. ttractlve crea-
turc so close b,sade re / drank In her
beauty out of gse ccrgr Of my eye.
though I rolue',a.iv tsfralned from
turning my heal n her iircction.
"The trait wny a sibutbnn one, and
the tourney woia be short This re-
grctted. for u We hnd had n longer ride
! should certainly have made nn effort
10 scrape % acqndn'nnce with the
Indy. whtn tbs conductor cnme
through tho rar Or ursets ! noticed
that she was aoin " ihc same place
us myself. Thls rave gie comfort. for
so taken was with b. bat I resolved
TO lenve no stone lniurred 10 discover
who she was and ccun. nm introduc.
tIon.
"a few miles frou 'te city there are
heights under vtlgh ~ trains must
pass. We ctiened iiio On mel. the train
being lighted only a. he other end
from that wnieh W Occupied. leaving
our end nlmrrt m shren as. | yielded
TO n temptation 10 Nrn ny hend for n
look ut my neighioh Unfortunately
she turned brrr In ny directly at the
same moment Sh' tu,ned II away
again immed dlniely. aud somehow
feeling took ousession of mo that
had mnde her afraid of nc
"Instend of shooting right through
the tunnel. The train slowed M and
stopped In the ccnier OF H. II always
makes the timnnus 10 stop In n tun-
mel. don't Ike tunnels anyway. II
anything should happrn 10 rain In,
one OF these holes ~ the cnrth the
panic OF the passengers would be
dreadful The rlr besslc me evidently
had the same vlcw IN ihc matter us I.
She wore an ovcrcoat With pockets Mt
the sides and had been dting with the
hnnd next TO me IN hr pocket. rs
though holding on 10 suacthlng she
wns afraid of losing, When we stop.
ped she withdrew her iril. looked
about her ncrvously. c,lo.ig forget
ting everything bui the STA IN.
"rrescntly the irnln mo n Ind
scarcely started who f4 "ethl.s
plunged Into my oNa tfcg mt side
pocket. the one mex m lfiy. Natural.
~ put my own mrs e snmo
place nnd grnsped n aud =, z hand.
Indeed. knew II was tbc han OF the
girl beside me. 'rlr hld Il once
graspcd mine and held J In 4 grip u
delicate woman could o ~ hgre pro-
duccd under some s,ronf cnatlnn.
what should I Voc N did NOT occur
to me that the glrl hni tried 10 rob
me. Such snppaililon rever entered
my hend. But wht wa her hand do
ing In my pocket. Htd w,int object had
she IN holding II 81 iigitlyi Had she
held II gently shol ID have supposed
she wns no better tlni she should be
and hnd taken thir neans 10 capture
me. did nothing ~ mply waited for
Developments. whcn be irst dim re-
turning light eniert he car the girl
called 20 a man slttle OF the opposite
side OF the aisle In rlhed voice;
"l'm being rollfT' Protect me"
"rhe man ros,' q aood facing US.
Meanwhile the % nn oIt OF the
tunnel. The sir 80 whlch mpelled
me 10 rise also. Tie uap. ne girl and
I looked down ag my sidr The girl
gave a shrick. toog her hand out OF my
pocket thrust Il into her own and
drew out u TAT pockeiook. Then she
sank back into her seat and covered
her face with Der hand.
IL explained briefly n an undertone
10 the man she had callad upon to pro-
tect her that she hat mistaken my
pocket for her own. lle resumed his
seat. with smile. Several persons sit
ting near asked 10 be enlightened. and
gradually the story spt nd through he
car. wave Of litter accompanying II.
"When we reached the station at
which the girl ana ! w're 10 leave the
train she was oblivion 10 our arrival
there. lifted my hat and asked her
II that wns not her stopping place.
She made dash for n door. I rush.
cd after her aul witt difi -uity kept
her from jumping or re train when II
was still moving rapilly. 4 carriage
was waiting for her. fnd | put her I'm
II. As she was driven way said:
"'you succeeded In ribbIns me. after
m aH
"She looked nt me wilma half dazed.
half puzzled expression bu said moth
ing
Later ! secured fortll lntroduc-
tion, ana after an acquaInt ace extend
Ing over some months she asked me
one day what meant by my remark
when parted with heFafier what she
called that distressing pisOde.' I told
her that the article she bal purloIned
was not In my pocket. but 10 my left
breast. II was my heart
II didn't know womenhad pockets In
their coats" said the girl listener.
''They don't. do they. notheri"
"They did then. At last did. But
I'll never have another That expert
snce was enough for me-