The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-07

the doctor glanced up at me quickly
| ana tnen turned his attention again to
the body. Like a flash there had come
TO me the vision of the woman with
the bronze hair and the tragic face,
whom l had surprised In the vesti-
bule between the cars, somewhere in
the small hours of the morning. l had
acted on my first impulse-the mascu-
line one Of shielding a woman
The doctor had unfastened the coat
OF the striped pajamas and exposed
the dead mans chest. On the left
side was a small punctured wound of
Insignificant size.
Very neatly DONE" the doctor said
with appreciation. Couldn't have
done 1t better myself. Right through
the intercostal space; no time even
to grunt."
Isn't the heart around there some
where?" I asked. The medical man
turned toward me and smiled au.
sterely.
That's where 1t belongs. just under
that puncture, when 1t isn't gadding
around in a mans throat or his boots"
l had a new respect for the doctor.
for any one indeed who could crack
even feeble joke under such circum-
stances, or who could run an imper-
sonal finger over that wound and
those stains. Odd how a healthy, nor
NAL man holds the medical profession
In half contemptuous regard until he
ciak hi
arises. and then turns meekly to the
man who knows the ins and outs OF
his mortal tenement, takes his pills
or his patronage, ties to him like a
rudderless ship in a gale
Suicide, is 1t, doctor?" l asked.
He stood erect, after drawing the
bed-clothing over the face, and, ia.
king off his glasses, he wiped them
slowly.
mo, 1t is not suicide" he announced
decisively. 1T is murder"
or course, l had expected that, but
the word itself brought shiver.
was just a bit dizzy. Curious faces
through the car were turned toward
us, and I could hear the porter behind
iO Va OotAAh6 audADiy. "A StOut WOu-
an in negligee came down the aisle
and querulously confronted the por-
ter. She woresa pink dressing Jacket
and carried portions of her clothing.
Porter" she began, in the voice of
the lady who had "dangled," rs there
rule Of this company that will al
low woman to occupy the dressing
room for one hour and curl her hair
with an alcohol lamp while respect
able people haven't place where
they can hook their"
She stopped suddenly and stared in
to lower ten. Her shining pink cheeks
grew pasty, her Jaw fell. l 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
had come. Slowly little knot Of men
gathered around US, silent for the most
part. The doctor was making
search Of the berth when the conduct
or elbowed his way through, followed
by the inquisitive man, who had evil
IDENTIFY summoned him. l had lost
sight. for a time. of the girl in blue.
"Do it HIMSELF" the conductor
queried after business-like glance at
the body.
mo, 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
1t. What on earth are you looking
for, MANI"
| 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 1t brought back to me at
once my own predicament.
Il 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 I pos
sess, except a red and yellow bath
robe. I happened to be wearing the
bath-robe, which was probably the
reason the thief overlooked It,"
There was a fresh murmur in the
| crowd. Somebody laughed nervously.
The conductor was irritated.
81 can't bother with that now" he
snarled. The railroad company is
responsible for transportation, not for
clothes, jewelry and morals. If 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?
I do"
l took an angry step forward. Then
somebody touched my arm, and l un-
clenched my fist. l could understand
the conductors position, and beside,
in the law, had been guilty myself
of contributory negligence
I'm not trying to make you re-
sponsible," l 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