The Harlowton news., 1913-06-20
A HOT FL T
lie
By LUCY X. W.lNKooP

When mother and ! went to the city
we always stopped at the Arlington ho- !
tel 1t was in a quiet part Of town and
Il hotel suitable for women.
We had finished one OF these sojourns
in the city, during which we had done
considerable shopping. had packed
my trunk and gone into mothers room
to pack hers. Then ! went back to my
room. found the door ajar, which
surprised me, for had closed 1t when
left the room, and In the center Of
the room saw a man standing. look.
| ing rather dazed. stood stock still,
looking at him, when he said to me:
Pardon me; must have entered the
| wrong ROOM"
| He was a very gentlemanlike young
fellow and withal very handsome
nothing at all like thief-and | was
about to say something to make him
feel more comfortable when ! noticed
that my trunk, which had left closed,
stood open and the articles had laid
IN 1t carefully were much disarranged.
| ran to 1t and found certain articles
parcels recently missing
Then was convinced that had
caught thief In my room who pre-
tended that be was there by mistake.
went to the electric button and was
about to press it when he seized my
wrist and said:
For heavens sake, what are you
going to do?"
| sC,,v %nn
afraid Of him. Why ! don't know, un-
less 1t was his manner. which was
very deferential.
you don't need assistance And II
You and ! are caught here together In
your bedroom the consequences will bs
unfortunate, to say the least / assure
you that have got into the wrong
ROOM"
"Who has robbed me?'
Robbed you7"
"Yes; articles are missing from that
trunk"
He at once turned his pockets inside
out to show me that he did not have
my property. Indeed, the lost arti-
cles were too bulky to be on his per.
son, besides being quite valueless. ]
was puzzled.
Il don't understand It," said.
"Nor l. But I'm not going to remain
here to hunt for an explanation. Be
ueve me. II am found here it would
reflect upon you. woman, fur more
than on me, man."
CO." cried. ut Is bad enough to
be robbed without any additional mis-
fortune"
He slipped out Of the door and left
me standing over my trunk, bewilder
ed. My brain was filled with conflict
ing conjectures concerning him. He
bore the stamp Of a gentleman, and yet
surely he was a thief and by some
trick had got away with my property.
However, there was nothing for me
to do, SO far as l could see, but pocket
my loss and say nothing about 1t. This
course commended itself to me, be-
cause IL the man were innocent did
not wish to accuse him. The articles
lost were not Of sufficient value to
make 1t worth while to appear against
him In court, even II could find him,
which was not probable. Besides, II
he were what he pretended to be II
might make trouble for me.
Some months later I made another
trip to the city and with me was my
mother, and while walking along the
! street met the man had found in my
room in company with lady, whose
appearance was as refined as that Of
the man. remarked to myself tha'
] Ii he were thief he certainly hac
very aristocratic looking associates
He saw me. recognized me and turned
pale But as we were face to face bu
a moment could not see how LASTING
; was his emotion.
One day when I was at home saw
I In a paper an item headed Capture o
a Noted Hotel Thief" The article wen
on to say that thief whose assurance
was unlinited and who was naaste
Of all sorts OF subterfuges had bee'
} caught In certain hotel and had con
fessed, turning over plunder that n
had been a long time accommodating
The description fitted the man ] ha'
: found in my room at the Arlington
+ | gave up dA lQGA VI AA6 4AAO@SAAS0s =
gave me something Of pang to do &c
;. and yet why could not tell.
! A few days later received a not
from the proprietor Of the Arlington
repeating what had read In the news
paper and saying that packages bea1
Ing my name had been recovered
Should he send them to me or woul
call for them7 The latter course wa
advised. went Immediately to th
city and to his hotel
! identified some property as bttlonl
ing to me. and it was returned. I wa
anxious to see the thief, but coul d nj
. get sight OF him without going to- jai
i which I would not do. Before Z! LEI
the landlord sent up to my rooba
know II ! would meet ham in tha. Il
dies palIor. went down. and tSle1
| beside the DroDrietOr was the mf1n