Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-19

ton of Farmingdale than had been
known there for years. The Bishop OF
Bunchester robbed Of $500 Robbed IN
q railway carriage. in broad daylight.
The news spread like wildfre. and pres
entity the station master, the guard and
the one officer on duty were In low
voiced conclave at the carriage door.
while wondering groups gathered on the
platform. Five thousand, pounds!
A careful search Of the carriage having
revealed nothing, it was decided that the
three travellers must alight with their
luggage SO that the robbery could be fur
Their investigated while the train proceed
ed to London.
I'll have to ask you to come this way,
young lady," said the officer presently to
Hester. Don't get excited. I'm not say
ing you took it. but you were In the car,
rage and-weve got to be on the safe
side. How about her. your lordship?'
He looked at Betty.
The bishop drew himself up to his full
official dignity. This is Miss Thomp-
son. my friend. who is travelling with
me-"
"Oh! Beg pardon. miss. We have to
know these things" He touched his hat
alphabetically to Betty. Then turning to
the Storm girl: Now then, it will only
instructions to the station masters wife
were that the search must be thorough.
The station masters wife nodded grimly
and beckoned the girl to follow her into
such an abr Of simple innocence. showing
neither fear nor bravado, that she made a
most favorable impression.
'I'm sure she had nothing to do with
it," declared Betty. And the bishop
agreed that it must have been the Ger
mans.
1--WE have telegraphed the Chatham
police to arrest them. your lordship. =
said the officer.
A little later the station masters wife
paoy Nod vryith Id xrc md
ported that she had searched Hester with
the greatest care and had found no sign
of the purse nor anything that was in the
least suspicious. Furthermore, the girl s
frank, honest manner had convinced her
that she was innocent.
"Of course she ISL cried Betty, taking
the strangers two hands in hers with
quick sympathy. Il knew you didn't
take IT.
Testers eyes filled with tears at this
proof Of confidence. She hesitated a mo-
ment as if scarcely able to speak, and
then, THANK you, thank you," she muir
INJURED.
1t was now decided that the Bishop
Chatham for the purpose of identify
ing the suspected Germans. There was
a train going back shortly.
You will pardon me. my dear Miss
Thompson, for not escorting you to Lon
don, as / promised Mr.. Baxter. but you
see the seriousness. the urgency
Don't think of me. I'll get to London
all right. Thank you for your kindness.
and 1 do hope you'll find the purse
Betty gave the bishop her slim gloved
face, so genuinely sympathetic, he could
not help rejecting that in his whole
episcopal experience he had never met a
more charming. a more fascinating
young woman than Betty Thompson.
Thus 1t came about that Betty, on a
a 10 hal
her journey to London without the
bishops companionship; but not alone.
for she insisted that Hester go with
her and sit beside her. To this the sta
recording the girls name (she gave it
as Jenny Regan of New York city, and
other essential facts concerning her. The
purse was certainly not on the girls per-
son nor in her luggage. and. ali things
considered, there was no justification for
holding an American citizen against
whom there appeared to be not a shadow
of evidence.
So once more it happened that these
two young women, SO sharply contrasted
together in first-class railway carriage.
quite by themselves this time. There
was something about Hester Storm
(alias Jenny Regan) that interested Betty
strangely. something different. She felt
that here was a girl worth studying, and
she wished to make amends. If possible.
for that humiliating search.
They talked of various things, Betty
tactful. sympathetic. vaguely puzzled,
Hester equally tactful equally sympa-
thetic and keenly on her guard. for the
truth is that the Storm girls good reso-
lutions had not been proof against an
untoward combination of circumstances
and when the Bishop Of Bunchester was
rudely tumbled against her she had yield
ed to temptation. and with one swift,
skillful movement had withdrawn the
purse from the episcopal pocket: in other
words, Hester Storm had stolen the
$4,000.
CTo be continued tomorrow.)