The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-09-23
CHAPTER IV-Continued.

the berth. Now he got up without
apology, revealing the man who had
summoned the conductor. He was
dusty, alert, cheerful and he dragged
mp with him the dead mans suitcase.
The sight of it brought back to me at
once my own predicament.
II don't know whether there's any
connection or not, conductor" | said,
"but am q victim, too, in less degree
I've been robbed Of everything l pos
sess, except a red and yellow bath
robe. / happened to be wearing the
bath-rohe, which was probably the
reason the thief overlooked it,"
There was a fresh murmur in the
crowd. Somebody laughed nervously.
The conductor was irritated
II 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 ccmpany's cars, it's their affair
Why didn't you sleep in your clothes? :?
do"
somebody touched my arm, and un-
clenched my fist. / could understand
the conductors position, and beside,
IN the law, had been guilty myself
Ct contributory negligence.
I'm not trying to make you re-
sponsible,' l protested, as amiably as
I could. land l believe the clothes the
thief left are as good as my own. They
are certainly newer. But my valise
contained valuable papers, and it is to
your interest as we'll as mine to find
the man who stole It,"
"Why, OF course" the doctor said
shrewdly. Find the man who skipped
cut with this gentleman's clothes, and
you've probably got the murderer
II went to bed in lower nine,"
said. my mind full again of my lost
papers, land l wakened in number
seven. was up in the night prowl-
ing around, as was unable to sleep,
wrong berth. Anyhow, until the por-
ter wakened me this morning l knew
nothing of my mistake. In the inter-
val the thief-murderer, too, perhaps
must have come back, discovered
NY error, and taken advantage of it
% further his escape"
The inquisitive man looked at me
from between narrowed eyelids, fer
1et-like.
did anyone on the train suspect
you Of having valuable papers?" he
inquired. The crowd was listening in
tently.
mo one," I answered promptly and
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
sold watch with Masonic charm had
aid down between the mattress and
the window, while snowy diamond
stud was still fastened in the bosom
Of his shirt Taken as a 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 thorough
search, we found no pocketbook and
less than dollar in small change.
The suitcase gave no clew. 1t con-
tanned one empty leather-covered flask
and pint bottle, also empty, a change
of linen and some collars with the
Aundry mark, s. H. In the leather
tag on the handle was card with the
name Simon Harrington, Pittsburg.
The conductor sat down on my un-
made berth, across, and made an en-,
~ q the name and address. Then,
On ~ old envelope, he wrote few
words and gave it to the porter, who
disappeared
i guess that's all / can do," he
oaid. I've had enough trouble this
trip to last for year. They don't
need . conductor on these trains any
more; what they ought to have Is 9
sheriff and posse."
The porter from the next car came
= and whispered to him. The con
ductor rose unhappily.
Next cars caught the disease" h.
grumbled. Doctor, q woman bacl
thero has got mumps or buboni
plague. or something. Will you com
backr
IA trange porter stood ssids.