The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-09-21
continna1.l

One awakened 10 hnd nerSelT being shaken violently by the conductor and porter, whose ebony face had chang ed to saffron shade. Her head ached so fearfully that she pressed her fever fsh palms to her temples to keep it from bursting Her throat and mouth felt as though she had been subsisting upon diet of cotton soaked in oil
 She staggered to her feet and stood, dazed and bewildered, in the aisle of the car. The conductor turned her over to two women, who stood with her upon the platform, supporting her. trembling figure while the fresh air drove away the fumes of chloroform and gas to which she had been sub jected
 First she felt the rush of the train, the dotting of lights in the distance, the rush of the train past the lights, only to come upon new cluster. And she was rushing. rushing, rushing, just like these lights to cavernous blackness which she could not describe even to herself.
 Suddenly the reason for her being upon the train came to her, and her hands sought her breast, then her throat. With little cry she staggered E back into the arms of the women. X 'Robbedi" she gasped. T have been robbedr,
 The women looked at one another pftyfngIy, then increduIously and final ly believingly as they caught the pallor and sanity on the girls face. Sum- moning all her strength. she turned the knob of the door and sought the con- ductor. He looked incredu1ous at the girls charge, but investigation showed that the light had been tempered with Nothing. however, could be done be- fore reaching San Francisco except search of the ear.
 Lucille went with him from place to place, scanning every face. But she knew who had done this thing When she fought against the fingers of the drugs they had been the fingers Of Thompson. When she had slipped from peaceful slumber into the drug ged stupor it was Thompson she had been braveIy fighting.
 But Thompson where had he disap- peared? What had become of the man?
 We know who the thief WAS, miss, reported the conductor little later. He had the compartment facing your section. The screen is cut out He must have dropped out the window after working his game. : Lucille smiled faintly
 "A medium sized man, rather dark, plainly dressed, with features that nc body would notice especially and-a Iivid scar across the side of his face. ; she murmured
 The man looked at her in surprise
 t'Thompson," she murmured. Yes: 1t was Thompson was positive from the first"
 As the conductor corroborated her description of the thief she lay back against the dusty cushions of her seat idly watching the train charging across the landscape. She had started badly, ! but she cIinched her teeth firmly. Her purpose was firm as ever. her rage a bit higher.
 Hugo Loubeque cursed profoundly to himself as he paced up and down the aoor of his San Francisco house. From below came the sounds of his servants searching into every nook and cranny of the mysterious house for.the packet of papers and documents he knew Lu- ci1le had hidden here.
 He drowned heavily as he went to the window and looked down upon the street, deserted now save for the old woman who rudged toward the place. | She carried a basket of fruit over her arm and Loubeque smiled grimly as she disappeared from his sight, then reappeared after being turned away from the door by the servant.
 As he idly studied the woman some thing about her caught and held his attention. She moved slowly, but there was an affectation about that slow ness.
 Loubeque's eyes were fastened, like those of g hawk now, upon the old woman. She had stopped beside the alarm box on the corner lamppost- 1 Suddenly the bent form strengthened and he read the impulsive resolve of youth in every movement of the lily attired old woman. Her hand groped 1 upon the ground. He saw her pick l up stone and smash the fire alarm. l Game the sound of fire engines 1 rolling down the street. LoGEeeue watched the woman. She dashed to- ward the captain as he darted up in his light buggy, pointing eagerly | toward the house of the spy, her eyes l glowing with excitement Then Lou beque smiled as he pressed a bell and ordered the search to stop imm diately.
 Before the rush of firemen with their hose the door opened. Their heavy feet sIumped upon the stairs, through out the house. But Loubeque did not move. He watched Lucille as she tossed aside theS habi1iments she had worn over her gir1ish clothes. She looked swiftly about to make certain m ono was in ri0I1t rrbop cha sxui ffIv