Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-02

tears in their eyes. The man begged
me TO go to the bridge the next day.
secure the vaIise and bring it to my
room TO keep for fits owner till it should
be called for. was hattered by the
confidence reposed in me and made
the desired promise. With this the
girl flung her arms around my neck
and kissed me. Then / put out the
light, and, all of us moving on uptoe,
/ led them out into the starlight They
started of in a direction away from
where we had been in the morning.
Then I went upstairs to my room,
not only feeling that fine breach had
been made In the monotony of my life,
but that / had done what / could to
right great wrong. 1 lay awake for
some time thinking of the pair pur-
suing their way through the darkness
and sincerely hoped they would be SO
far away. before morning that pursuit
would avail nothing.
For my walk the next morning had
an object. 1 would go to the bridge,
secure the valise hidden there, bring
it to my room and keep it locked in
my closet There is something fasci-
pOSSECSlhE obNh q SC~ASS eAAN
especially so in having a treasure COM
mitted to ones keeping. 1 wondered
what was the value of the bonds to
which the man had referred. I resolv'
ed to make an inventory Of everything
the valise contained in order that there
should be no doubt about the exact
amount for which I was responsible.
I was rather glad the young girl had
held on to her Jewels. There was a
trife more responsibility even in the
bonds than 1 would, under less inter-
esting circumstances, have cared to
take.
On reaching the bridge / looked
about me and listened to make sure
no one was near to observe my move
ments, then went down and thrust
my arm back into a pocket where !
had seen the man put the valise.
No valise was there!
I confess 1 was somewhat surprised.
When they left me they had moved
away from the bridge. They must
have changed their minds and return
ed. Or had the treasure been discov-
cred?
Reluctantly 1 left the place and was
walking up the incline when 1 heard
a voice:
Hands upw
Not having been used to this order,
was gaping around to discover where
the voice came from when a bullet,
followed quickly by a report, sang
over my head. This admonished me
as to the meaning of the words. put
my hands above my head
A man with a drawn revolver ad-
vanced from behind tree and clap
ped a pair of handouts on me.
"Win you kindly inform me, SIR" l
asked, what this meansY
ut means that you were looking for
the swag captured before daylight yes
terday morning in the til National
bank. suppose some OF your pals
have taken it."
''Do you mean to tell me-" I ex-
claimed. that that clipping couple were
bank robbersT'
81 don't know what you mean by an
clipping couple. but two cracksmen dis
guised as old men were given the plum
der. They afterward changed their
disguise to represent a young man and
a girl"
Great heavens" / muttered to my
self, "was that creature who was too
virtuous to be going about unmarried
with her lover a man?"
1t was even so. had been harboring |
two desperate criminals who had got |
away with $4,000 in bank bills. AS |
to the girls" jewels. they were a
myth. spent several days in the care /
Of the police, but finally on proving my |
I was released. The cou-
pie 1 had harbored were later on cap
tured with the swag on them.
1 returned to the city. having had |
quite enough of my doctors method /
for regaining my health. At any rate,
did rot care to try again.