Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-11-18

SCOOO on the platform for awhile look
ing about him, while went to a cigar
! stand, spent some time selecting
weed. more time cutting off the end
and still more striking matches, which
persisted in going out. to light it. In
this way l consumed the time till 1
saw my man-start off down the track
In the direction of Albany. 1 knew he
was going to hunt for his hat
Going out to my cab. / asked the
driver if there was not a road beside
the railway track. He said there was
and, pointing to the man who was
walking on the ties, said:
Il wish you to drive eastward and
be sure TO keep that man in sight.
Whenever the road digresses from the
track let me know beforehand and |
Will get out and walk till they come
! together again.
| handed him a five dollar bill, assur-
ing him that if he followed my direc-
tons closely there would. be more for
him.. He put it in his pocket, l entered
! the cab. and we rolled away
We We're obliged to drive a short
distance into the town before striking
main road leading eastward and lost
sl@ht OF my man for q few minutes,
! but Is soon as we passed beyond the
| houses caught sight of him again. for
the track lay over open ground. Our
road ran parallel with the rails for
half mile, then struck a side hill
covered with wood. | alighted and.
walking in the. cover, shadowed my
man till near the open again, when l
met the cab and re-entered it.
In this way | kept track of the man
while he neared the place where his
hat had been knocked out through the
window. | knew he would recognize
it, for Wien he had looked out after
| it he had doubtless done so to note the
%place where it fell. To tell the truth,
| had marked the place myself by TAX
ing in certain knoll with single
tree on its crest.
| Seeing this knoll short distance
ahead and that it separated the road
from the track, when l reached it
left my cab, directing the cabman to
remain where he was. / walked up
the knoll till neared the top, then
crawled the rest of the way. Fortu-
when / reecoched the summit l could
: see through it without being seen.
There was the man about 300 yards
below me hunting for his hat.
There were bushes and long grass
and stumps beside the rails, and he
was having a hard hunt. l was suf
fciently sympathetic to help him and
intended to do so provided he made q
failure of it, but preferred that he
should find the hat himself. There
was little likelihood that it had been
! picked up, for there were no houses
near, and the only person in sight was
a man working in a field half mile
from the track.
! ] felt like calling to the fellow that
the suction of the train would carry
the hat in the direction we were NOV
ing when it was lost, q matter that he
didn t seem to consider, and kept look
! ing hundred yards or more eastward
of where I believed the article would
cease bounding after the cars. But
! Of last, having hunted thoroughly over
| the ground to the eastward, he turned
his attention to an open space covered
! by long grass to the westward. Sud
denly he pounced upon i IN a depres-
sion within d few yards OF the track.
Snatching it up, he looked about him
to assure himself, that he was not OBJ
served, then thrust his hand into and
about the crown. Having done this,
he brushed the dust away with his
sleeve. then put the hat on his head.
For few moments he stood looking
first eastward. then westward, as if in
doubt as to which way to go, then
started eastward. l went back to my
road a short distance ahead of me-
When I came up with him called out:
''Get in and I'll give you a lift"
"How far is it to the next station"'
he asked, hesitating.
TOO far to walk. Get in
He did so, and we drove on.
asked the cabman the distance to
the station and something about the
town. He said it was three miles
away and was considerable of a town
l chatted with my quarry as we rode
along, but asked him no questions
s When we rode into the town, seeing g
sign, "Police Station 1 directed the
:. driver to stop and, getting out of the
I cab, called on the man to follow me
t He looked furried, but obeYed. HI
It had no sooner struck the sidewalk thai
clapped my hand on his shoulder ant
e said:
l. 81 want you
He started, feigned surprise an
asked:
u what for?''
Lifting pearl necklace. Come 1
lie here"
r. l took him into the police station
G. and, snatching his hat from his heat
nj h oh