The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-04-10
7 II T. KISS
STEALER
He Was Very Adroit In
His Thefts
By F. A. mitchell

The railroad. like everything else, Is
a development. The first rails were
strap iron on wooden beams. The first
car was stagecoach, then several
stagecoaches together mounted on
wheels. Then came the passenger car
of the present day. only much smaller.
When these cars were pulled through
tunnel the. passengers were left In
total darkness. Indeed the lighting OF
railway cars passing through tunnels
is a feature of recent years.
When Tom Arnold was about to re-
turn to college for his sophomore year
he was asked If he would escort a little
girl who was going in the same direc-
ton to. boarding school. Tom didn't
like being burdened with the care of
''little girl" but he couldn't very well
decline. When he saw his charge he
didn't mind taking care of her so much
as he had thought he would. Lucy
Atwood was fourteen years old, but
tall enough for a girl of sixteen. She
utterly devoid of conversational pow
ers. Her protector. having reached the
advanced age Ito herr of eighteen.
probably filled her with such awe as to
prevent conversation with him.
But if Miss Atwood was tongue tied
she was very pretty. There is nothing
more delicate, to a young man espe-
ioI Of
Lucy's complexion was as soft and
downy as peach, and her lips were
combination of beautiful curves. Tom
: couldn't keep his eyes off them. He
was young and IL sophomore in college,
combination that can occur but once
in Il mans life. His thoughts, his ar
guments. therefore were sophomore:
Il have been burdened with the care
of tongue tied kid without recon-
pense. 1t behooves me to look out for
my own reward. l don't know any
payment that would suit me better
than just one kiss of those lips. In
half an hour wei get to the tunnel. 1t
requires three minutes for train to
go through it. and one can do a great
deal in three minutes
This was the basis of plan Tom
formed Before reaching the tunnel
he would go into another car first
noting the exact position Of his charge.
AS soon as the train plunged into dark
ness he would re-enter. make his way
to where Lucy sat; take the kiss and
retire. Some time after the train had
inf hn 90
back to his seat. yawn. take up Il
newspaper and begin to read as If
unconscious of anything eventful ,hav-
ing happened.
1t was Il very pretty scheme, but
more tempting TO youngster of eight
cen than TO q full hedged man. There
was one thing about it, however. that
Tom didn't like The kid had been
placed i'm his care. and he didn't con
slider it quite honorable to avail him
self Of the situation to take what didn't
belong to him.. But the more criminal
the act. the more horror attached to
being found out. the more attractive
the scheme.
Tom sat looking sideways at those
honor faded. Nevertheless as the train
approached the tunnel his courage be-
gan to fail him. What an awful thing
for him to do. But how nice! Sup
pose the girl should scream and some
one should grab him. The very
thought gave him the shivers. But he
was at an age when the greater the
risk the greater the temptation. He
fell, and great was the fall thereof
He had often been through the tun-
mel and knew the approaches well.
Some ten minutes before the train
reached it he told his charge that he
would go into the smoking car for
while If she didn't mind sitting alone.
She said she didn't. and Tom, having
noted that the seat was the third one
from the door on the right. left the
car. He didn't smoke, fearing that
the odor of tobacco would give him
away. He sat looking out through
window, q prey to numerous emotions
When the train entered the tunnel,
summoning all his resolution, he hur-
ried into the car he had left and count
ed the seats on the right by putting q
hand on each till he came to the seat
required Folding Lucy In his arms.
he took the desired kiss. There was a
smothered cry, followed in a few mo-
ments by the sound Of an opening and
closing door. then no other than the
rafting Of the train.
When daylight came again several
passengers who sat near Lucy looked
In her direction for an explanation OF
the cry they had heard. She gave no
indication Of anything unusual. She
was wiping the dust from her face
with her handkerchief She would re-
move portion of it. look mt the smudge
1t had made on her handkerchief, then
rub off some more. scrutinizing 1t also.
especially i'm one corner
Some twenty minutes aztec the train
had left the tunnel Tom Arnold came
back and sat down beside his charge.
Had Lucy looked him in the face she
would surely have seen signs of guilt
which. despite his efforts, he was I'M
able to conceal. but she was looking
out through the window and did not
give him glance
Tom was delighted with the success