Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-11-24

as myself. This gave tuo comfort. FOR
50 taken was | with her that ! resolved
TO leave no stone uuturncd tu discover
who she. WA and secure am iGt:,Guc-
don
7 "a fcw lilies from The city there are
heights under which the trains wpI'
pass. we entered the tuuac, III" train
being lighted only an the other Cud
from that which we occupied. leaving
our eud almost i'm durluc>. ;irllpd
10 temptation 10 turn uy h..I .,r "a
look al my n"ighbor. Unfortunately
she turned hers In nv directly al tie
| same moment. She rrrrucd 10 away
| again immediately ana somehow o
feeling took possession OF me that |
had made her afraid Of me
"Instcad OF shooting right through
the tunnel. the train slowed up and
stopped in the center OF H. 1t always
makes me timorous to stop in a tun-
mel. ! don't like tunnels anyway. IL
anything should happen to a rain in
one or these holes in the earth the
panic OF the passengers would he
dreadful. The girl beside me evidently
had the same view In the matter as /.
She wore an overcOat with pockets at
the sides and had been riding with the
hand next TO me I'm her pocket, as
though holding on to something she
was afraid of losing. When we stop
ped she withdrew her hand, looked
about her nervously. evidently forget
ting everything but the situation.
presently the train moved on It had
scarcely started when / felt something
plunged into my own Overcoat side
pocket the one next the lady. Natural
ly | put my own hand i'm the same
place and grasped hand-a soft hand.
Indeed. ! knew it was the hand Of the
girl beside me. The hand at once
grasped mine and held it I'm grip n
delicate woman could only have pro-
duced under some strong emotion.
what should do? 1t did not occur
TO me that the girl had tried to rob
me. Such supposition never entered
my head. But what was her hand do
Ing i'm my pocket. and what object had
she in holding it so tightly? Had she
held 1t gently ! should shave supposed
she was no better than she should be
and had taken this means to capture
me. did nothing-simply waited for
Developments. When the first dim re-
turning light entered the car the girl
called to man sitting on the opposite
side of the aisle in Il terrified voice:
I'm being robbed Protect me-
The man rose and stood facing us.
Meanwhile the train ran out of the
tunnel. The girl rose. which impelled
me TO rise also. The man. the girl and
| looked down mt my side. The girl
gave shrek. took her hand out OF my
pocket thrust it into her own and
drew out fat pockctbook. Then she
sank back into her seat and covered
her face with her hands.
81 explained briefly i'm an undertone
10 the man she had called upon to pro-
tect- her that she had mistaken nv
pocket for her own. He resumed his
seat, with a smile. Several persons sit
ting near asked to be enlightened. and
gradually the story spread through the
ear. wave of litter accompanying it,
WHEN we reached the station at
which the girl and were to leave the
trnin she was oblivious TO our arrival
there. | lifted my hat ana asked her
if that was not her stopping place.
She made n dash for the door. ! rush
I'd after her and with difficulty kept
her from jumping off the train when it
was still moving rapidly. \ carriage
was waiting for her. and put her in
II. AS she was driven away said:
You succeeded in robbing me, after
all
"She looked at me with a half dazed,
half puzzled expression. but said moth.
ing
"Later / secured formal inlroduc.
ton. and after an acquaintance extend
jug over some months she asked me
one day what I meant by my remark
when | parted with her after what she
called that distressing episode | told
her that the article she had purloincd
was not in my pocket. but i'm my left
breast. IT was my heart"
81 didn't know women had pockets In
their coats" said the girl listener.
"They don't, do they. mothcr?"
They did then. At least did. But
I'll never have another. That expert.
ence was enough for me-"