The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-03-01

able people haven't a place whore
they can hook thcir-"
She stopped suddenly and stared In
to lower ten Her shining pink cheeks
grew pasty, her jaw fell | remember
trying TO think Of something to say,
and Of saying nothing at all. Then
-she had buried her eyes in the non
descript garments that hung from her
arm and tottered back the way she
had come. Slowly little knot of men
gathered around US, silent FOR the most
part The doctor was making n
search of the berth when the conduct
or elhowed his way through, followed
by the inquisitiye man, who had eyi-
IDENTIFY summoned him. had lost
sight. for a time, OF the girl in blue.
DO it himself2' the conductor
queried after business.lke glance at
the body,
NO, he didn't" the doctor assert
ed There's no weapon here, and the
window Is closed He couldn't have
thrown 1t out, and he didn't swallow
It, What on earth are you looking
for, man."
Some one was on the floor at our
feet, face down. head peering under
the berth. Now he got up without
apology, revealing the man who had
summoned the conductor He was
dusty, alert, cheerful and he dragged
up with him the dead mans suitcase.
The sight of it brought back to me at
once my own predicament
u don't know whether there's any
connection or not, conductor" said,
"but am victim, too, In less degree;
I've been robbed of everything pos
sess, except a red and yellow bath
robe. | happened to be wearing the
bath-robe, which was probably the
reason the thief overlooked It,"
There was fresh murmur in the
crowd. Somebody laughed neryously.
The conductor was irritated.
Il can't bother with that now" he
snarled THE railroad company Is
responsible for transportation, not for
clothes, jewery and morals. II peo-
pie want to be stabbed and robbed In
the company's cars, it's their affair.
Why didn't you sleep In your clothes?
do"
took an angry step forward. Then
somebody touched my arm, and | un-
clenched my fist. could understand
the conductors position, and beside,
IL the law, | had been guilty myself
OF contributory negligence.
I'm not trying to make you re-
sponsible," | protested. as amiably as
could, "and | believe the clothes the
thief left are as good as my own They
are certainly newer. But my valise
contained valuable papers. and 1t is to
your interest as well as mine to find
the man who stole It,"
why, of course the doctor said
shrewdly. Find the man who skipped
out with this gentlemans clothes. and
you've probably got the murderer.
81 went to bed in lower nine"
said, my mind full again of my lost
papers, "and | Weakened in number
seven was up in the night prowl
ing around, as | was unable to sleep,
and | must have gone back to the
wrong berth Anyhow, until the por
ter wakened me this morning | knew
nothing Of my mistake. In the inter-
val the thief-murderer, too. perhaps
must have come back, discovered
my error, and taken advantage OF 1t
to further his escape
The inquisitive man looked at me
from between narrowed eyelids, fer
ret-like.
Did anyone on the train suspect
you of having valuable papers?" he
inquired. The crowd was listening In.
tently
"No one answered promptly ana
positively
The doctor was investigating the
murdered mans effects. The'pockets
of his trousers contained the usual
miscellany OF keys and small change,
while In his hip pocket was found a
small pearl-handled revolver of the
type women usually keep around A
gold watch with Masonic charm had
slid down between the mattress and
the window, while snowy diamond
stud was still fastened in the bosom
OF his shirt Taken as whole, the
personal belongings were those of a
man OF some means, but without any
particular degree OF breeding. The
doctor heaped them together.
Either robbery was not the mo-
tive" he reflected. "or the thief over
looked these things In his hurry"
The latter hypothesis seemed the
more tenable, when, after a thorough
search, we found no pocketbook and
less than a dollar in small change.
The suitcase gave no clew. 1t con-