The Press., 1915-01-06
T H E KISS STEALER He Was Very Adroit In
 His Thefts
By E. A. MITCHEL


 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 q 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 a "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 girl of sixteen. She | was very demure and appeared to be | utterly devoid of conversational pow CTS. Her protector having reached the advanced age to 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 young man espe- cially. than pair of pink coral lips. Lucy's complexion was as soft and downy as peach, and her lips were q combination of beautiful curves. Tom couldn't keep his eyes off them. He was young and sophomore in college. combination that can occur but once in a mans life. His thoughts, his ar guments, therefore were sophomoric:
 "I have been burdened with the care of tongue tied kid without recOm- pense It behooves me to look out for my own reward. 1 don't know any payment that would suit me better than just one kiss of those lips. In half an hour we'll get to the tunnel. It requires three minutes for train to go through it, and one can do great deal in three minutes"
 HIS was tue DdSlS Ol tt plitu Ioh 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 emerged into the light he would go back to his seat, yawn, take up a newspaper and begin to read as if unconscious of anything eventful hav- ing happened.
 It was a very pretty scheme, but more tempting to youngster of eight cen than to a full fiedged man. There was one thing about 1t, however, that Tom didn't like. The kid had been placed in his care, and he didn't con sider it quite honorable to avail him, self of the situation to take what didntt 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 lips, before which every vestige of 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.
 ITn hn6 pI, fI1n mel and knew the approaches well. | Some ten minutes before the train | reached it he told his charge that he l 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 l 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, prey to numerous emotions. l
 When the train entered the tunnel. | summoning all his resolution, he hur- | ed the seats on the right by putting hand on each till he came to the seat | required. Folding Lucy in his arms. he took the desired kiss. There was smothered cry, followed in few mo- ments by the sound of an opening and | closing door, then no other than the | rattling 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 a portion of it. look at the smudge il had made on her handkerchief, then rub off some more scrutinizing 1t also, ! !, '''"i;lv in one corner
 Some twenty minutes after the train mad 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 un- able to conceal, but she was looking put through the window and did not give him q glance.
 Tom was delighted with the success of his scheme. It was not the kiss that pleased him, for to have enjoyed that he should have been intent uponI 1t rather than on committing robbery. It was the fact that he had carried out his scheme without having been detect ed. He wondered that Lucy made no mention of the stolen kiss, but very young and delicate miss might feel abasned at communicating such a thing to q young man.
 When the journey was ended and Tom left his charge at the door of her school he looked scrutinizingly into her eyes to see if he could detect any evidence of her suspecting him. She returned his gaze with childlike sim. plcity that reassured him, and he left her feeling very comfortable.