The Meeker herald., 1913-04-19

finger - y ciASp uno oe'SoS 49,.
woman was playing him. she nodded
another goodby to hlm from the win
dow. and be turned Just before they
lost sight Of each other and threw her
4 kisa. Fr0m I've moment Of his DC
parture her face took on q troubled
look, but II WAS nothing compared with
the ngouixed expression that came over
1t when her glance lighted ON me. The
start xhs gave led me to believe tnat'
having seen me ut the h0tel and oeanH
constantly hunted. she had ut once as
sumed that l was after her. At any
rate did not believe that she had
been warned against me. though ~ to
this was by NJ means certain.
was sorry to be the cause Of 70
much dread In A. attractive girl who.
for all surely knew to the contrary.
might be perfectly innocent Of any
wrongdoing. But ] remembered bow
deceptive criminals are. what nerve
they have. and was puzzled to under
stand why this one gave herself away
30 plainly at the sight Of detective.
Perhaps II was this that affected me.
Not that I had much pity. The $1,000
| was to receive for Der capture coun-
teracted that. But somehow every
once In awhile It came over me that
something was wrong In the case. and.
remembering that my chief had taken
it from private parties. doubts wonld
constantly he coming up o. to whether
I was on a profitable hunt or whether
| would catch q tnrter,
However. I resolved to remain ON
the train till 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 It was plain that 1t
would not do for me to follow her.
Meanwhile OIL the way. fearing she
would elude me by getting Oh the
train. never let her out Of my sight
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 us three hours be-
hind 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 get on
the trim, even II she wished to. and
l being very sleepy after my nights
vigil. I permitted myself to drop Into
d0ze.
From a doze I 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.
l went at once to the saloon and
tried the door. 1t was unlocked. No
one was within. ] went through the
train. looking into every scat every
corner. Miss vane waa not to be
had mnde any stop during the period
had been asleep. He replied In the
negative.
1 shuddered. The woman. driven to
despair. must have jumped Oh the
train.
That was the last l saw Of Miss
vane. Mt least for more than year.
watched the newspapers with .
view to finding Information of body
Of woman having been found on
the line of the railroad had travelled
on. but never saw any such mention.
did not stop at Philadelphia. going
right on to New York. where 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 Oh.
Some fourteen months after this
mysterious disappearance saw a no.
tice In the society columns of news
paper that Henry Gregory of Chicago
would the next day marry uaiss Edith
vinton. New York heiress. Curiosi-
ty led me to the church where the
ceremony was performed. and who
should the bride be but my quarry.
J was not long In getting an explana-
ton. The party who had given US tile
case was an uncle Of the lady. He
had succeeded In having her placed in
retreat 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
As to the lady's disappearance from
the train. 1t was done IN this wise:
Passing through town. our train
steamed at good rate Of speed he
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
on n thu MI Ea..-.