Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1910-05-19

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low a 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. remember
irving 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
search of the berth when the conduct
or elbowed his way through, followed
by the inquisitive man, who had evil
IDENTIFY summoned him. had lost
sight, for time, of the girl In blue,
DO 1t himself?" the conductor
oueried 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 it out, and he didn't swallow
it. What on earth are you looking
for, MANI"
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.
81 don't know whether there's any
connection or not, conductor" l 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 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 companys 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. 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." I protested, as amiably as
could, "and l 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 gentleman's clothes, and
you've probably got the murderer"
II went to bed In lower nine" l
said, my mind full again of my lost
papers. "and | wakened 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 It
to further his escape"
The inQuisiiVe 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 cnA," I answered promptly and
positively.
The doctor Mss investigating the
murdered mana enectA The pockets
Of his trousers oC1tatneA 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 showy diamond
stud was still fastened In the bosom
Of his shirt. Taken as a whole. the
personal belongings we're 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-
tanned one empty leather-covered flask
and pint bottle, also empty, change
of linen and some collars with the
laundry mark, 8. H. In the leather
tag on the handle was q card with the
name Simon Harrington, Pittsburg.
The conductor sat down on my un-
made berth, across, and made An en-
-. 49, s.o~.1 a-d odIraog Thon