The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-05-27
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; EnacffnS a 8
; Defecfix,e Story s
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By HORACE q. GAYLORD.


end at her cottage by the sea she sent
me this telegram.
Vic win be at station at Sis. Bring her
down.
| knew no more who Vic was than
the contents of a Hottentot newspaper.
What should ! do-go to the station
and trust TO luck7 That was all
could do, and that I did.
There was the usual rush to get
aboard that one finds on the last days
Of the week at trains going to seaside
resorts. There were a dozen people
ahead of me at the ticket office, among
them pretty girl to whom the agent
gave a ticket to Mdnasquan, which
was my station. OF course | took note
of her and hoped she might turn out
to be Vic, but there was only the rea.
son OF her destination. / walked about
for ten minutes before the train start.
ed, observing every cne who seemed to
be looking for some one. All 1 could
see were n youngster of eighteen who
waited at the gate TIL the starting bell
rang and a man with a dog, who leaned
against post
AS the train rolled of / entered
car, and there sat the girl with the
Manasquan ticket. | stared at her,
and, after looking Mt me for a mo-
ment, she dropped her eyes. Beside
her on the seat was a suit case, which
noticed was marked V. Il. That set.
tied It. She must be Vic. Instead Of
approaching her and asking her IL she
was the girl | looked for I concluded
to gain the information on the detec-
tive plan. IT would be interesting to
discover her identity by following the
clew given me on her suit case. 1t
would be more interesting to know her.
she not knowing me. It would be
downright fun 10 take her 10 my
hostess, chaff Bet for her failure to
give me proper information, then tell
them both that by my ingenuity had
after all, been enabled TO do all that
had been required Of me. Raising my
hat, / said TO her:
pardon me, but think we nre 60.
Ing to the same station, and. arrived
there, we will he entertained at the
same house"
"Yes" she replied with n smile.
you are going to Manasquan, I be-
lieveT
81 am"
"And you will be the guest of my
cousin?'
she put the suit case on the floor,
and I sat down beside her.
"Who is your cousin?"
I
81 have thought that It would be en-.
tertnining t. have you see If by ques
tioning me you can find out who l am
and certain orders | have received re-
specting you."
"That would serve to while away
the time we shall spend on the train"
"Will you begln?
let me see. You are Harold Bliss?"
| mo"
mot Rose buttons fance?"
"No. wish l were any ones
6ance."
'T give It up"
"Can't you guess my orders"
mo"
81 am directed to be your escort"
"You don't mean It."
Eyes; l was telegraphed to meet you
at the station to escort you to Manas.
quan and thence to-
"WhereT
"To tell you would spoil all the fun"
"And," she said, after little
thought, "to tell you where I'm going
would spoil all the fun too
at certainly would. The person
from whom | received my orders is
very careless and gave no clew by
which to recognize you. Nevertheless
[ have secured a clew. DO you like
to read detective storiesp
81 dote on them"
"Well, we ane enacting a little de,
tective story. When we get to the end
Of our journey we shall have the de,
nouement"
'I dare say It win all be very clever
How did you happen to think of such
a plan?"
"ManasQuanw shouted tralnmnn.
| picked up her suit case and left
the car with her. | was about TO hand
her down the step when a gentleman
put his own hand in ahead OF me. He
| stared ut lllt bluluuuolg' iht lhhg
said:
"Mack, this gentleman has enter
tained me delightfully."- on the train
He knows me, but don't know him
He says he was ordered to escort me
home"
l didn't like this feature of the af
fair at all
"Comp, Glnnle, the carriage Is wait
ing" said the young man, casting q
suspicious glance at me,
'Heayens! Ginnie" had blum
dered.
ais not your first name Victoria"
ooh, no; It's Virginia"
got very red in the face and stood
mute.
"The denouement is different" said
the girl. "frOm what the story indl
Gates. | admire such endings."
She smiled back at me with dancing
eyes as she left with the man whom
instinct told me was her tiance.
When l reached the Archibald cot
tage the first thing Bet said to m'
was:
"Where's NicT
! sGXVbo tho dIckpns ta VtpT'i I aslka,