The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1913-01-11

finger In q clasp and believed that the
woman was playing him. She nodded
another goodby to him from the win
dow. and 30 turned just before they
lost sight Of each other and threw her
4 kias. From The moment Of his de-
parture Der face took on . troubled
look, but II was nothing compared with
| the agonixed expression that came over
II when her glance lighted On me. The
start abe gave led ne to believe that.
having seen me at the hotel and being
constantly hunted. she had at once ~
sumed that l was after her. At any
rate did not believe that she bad
been warned against me. though ~ to
this l was BY no means certain.
was sorry to b. the cause of 20
much dread in al attractive girl who.
for all surely knew to the contrary.
might be perfectly innocent Of any
wrongdoinS. But remembered how
deceptive criminals are. what nerve
they have. and was puxslsd to under
stand why this one gave herself away
10 plainly at the sight Of detective.
Perhaps II was this that affected me.
Not that had much pity. The $4,000
I was to receive for her capture coun-
terncted that But somehow every
once In awhile 1t came over me that
something was wrong 10 the case. and.
remembering that my chief had taken
1t from private parties. doubts would
constantly he coming up a. to whether
I was on q profitable hunt or whether
l would catch . tarter.
However. ! resolved to remain on
the train till I and the woman reached
Philadelphia, and from Pittsburgh teie-
graphed the chief to have some one In
that city to shadow the lady to her
stopping place. for II was plain that 1t
would not do for me to follow her.
Meanwhile on the way. fearing abe
would elude me BY getting OF the
| train. I never let her out Of my sight 4
moment. In fact, did not close my
eyes during the night Of the journey.
The $4,000 was to earn was quite
enough to keep them open.
Our train should have reached Phil
adelphia early in the morning. but q
delay had thrown M three hours be-
mind time. Between two cities at the
eastern part of our journey the train
made no stop for more than an hour.
We were running very fast to make
up time. and. not being able to think
Of any way Miss vane could ret OF
the train. even II she wished to. and
l belng very sleepy after my nights
vigil. I permitted myself to drop into
doze.
From a doxe ] must have sunk to
sleep. for when awoke forty min
utes had elapsed. Naturally looked
to make sure my quarry was still
present.
| She was not In the car.
went at once to the saloon and
tried the door. 1t was unlocked. No
one was within. went through the
train. hooking into every seat, every
corner. Miss vans wan not to be
found. asked the cosductos 70 We
had made any stop during the period
I had been asleep. He replied In the
negative.
shuddered. The woman. driven to
despair. must have jumped OF the
train.
Tint was the last saw Of Miss
vane. at least for more than a year.
i watched the newspapers with .
view to finding Information Of body
of a woman having been found on
the line Of the railroad l had Travelled
on. but never saw any such mention.
l did not stop at Philadelphia. going
right on to New York. where l re-
ported the strange case to my chief.
He was very cool to me. blaming me
for having gone to sleep and saying
that the train had doubtless slowed
up going through town and the wo-
man had jumped OF.
Some fourteen months after this
mysterious disappearance saw a mo-
tice In the society columns of news
paper that Henry Gregory Of Chicago
would the next day marry Miss Edith
vinton. a New York heiress. Curiosi-
ty led me to the church where the
ceremony was performed. and who
should the bride be but my quarry.
was not long In getting an explana-
ton. The party who had given rs the
case was an uncle of the lady. He
had succeeded In having her placed in
retrent as feeble minded In order to
retain possession Of her fortune. he
being the administrator of her estate.
She had escaped and in order to dodge
those he employed to catch her had
passed under various names. The chief
was deceived in the premises by the
administrator taking the case without
the proper information.
Az to the lady's disappearance from
the train. 1t was done in this wise:
Passing through a town. our train
steamed at a good rate Of speed be-
side another going the same way.
Miss vinton. confident that was after
her to return her to the retreat she
dreaded. went to the rear door Of the
car without being observed and passed