Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-01-15
A Change
OF Garments
By JOHN c. LARNED

a railway train at Naples by her ia
Their and mother. who babe her good
by with many kisses. She was going
to Rome to visit an aunt. The com
partment she entered was occupied by
n person only-a man. He was small
and clean shaver. and the train had
not gone far into the country when he
began to notice Lits. as If taking note
of her height and weight. Presently
he said:
"signorina, will you please take of
your hat and give 1t to me?"
Lita looked at him as If she did not
comprehend his meaning. The man
jerked her hat off her head and put
his own on hers. By this time she
was thoroughly frightened and made
no resistance. The man forced her to
exchange her outer garments with
him. and when this was done he pull
ed a veil down over his face.
"When we make a STOP" he said, 81
will GET out-that is. unless l see dan
ger. If you betray me I will kill you.
| am a bandit. | have been making a
rich haul in Naples. The police got
on to my being there. and l am sur
prised that they have permitted me
to get out of the city. Indeed, l sus-
pect some game on their part, and !
should not wonder If they were on the
lookout for me-"
Lita vas thoroughly cowed- Indeed,
It was all she could do to keep from
fainting. But she kept up till the train
reached the first stop, hoping then to
be relieved of him. When the train
pulled up at the station the man look
ed out, but drew back Immediately,
and Lita saw that she would not be
rid OF him. The conductor came to the
door of the compartment and put a
woman into it. Lita noticed that she
tipped him for finding her a seat. The
newcomer was a comfort to the poor
girl, though she wished she had been
a man. She noticed. however, that
the woman was big and strong. while
the bandit was small, though wiry.
The train had scarcely pulled out Of
the station when the new passenger
began to look scrutinizingly at Lita-
AS for the man, he leaned back in a
corner with the veil over his face, and
no one would have had reason to sus-
pect that he was not a m
"Where are you going. signor?' ask
ed the woman Of Lita In a coarse
voice.
ITO Rome. signora."
The woman looked intently at the
girl. evidently being somewhat mys-
titled at her appearance and especially
at her voice. which was thoroughly
feminine.
asWhen the train left Naples" con-
tinued the woman, was there not a
man In this compartment"
Lita. whose eye was fixed on the
bandit. saw his fingers twitching. She
interpreted it to mean that she must
reply In the negative.
"There was no one. signora, except
we who are now here
There was a pocket In the woman's
dress, and Lita noticed that she kept
her right hand in this pocket When
she asked the question she looked at
the figure leaning back In the corner,
apparently asleep.
"Signora." called the new passenger,
"can you tell me the hour this train
reaches RomeT"
The only reply vas a snore.
Lita would have warned the woman
that the person she addressed was a
man and a bandit and begged her to
let him alone. fearing that he would
murder them both, but she dared not
do so. The woman made no further
attempt to extract information from
the sleeper; instead she began to look
Lita over, her attention being riveted
on the girls figure that looked differ
emit from a mans.
"You're not a man." she said; you're
a woman"
Lita made no reply. The man in the
corner snored on. The woman turned
her attention to the sleeper.
"SignoraT !"
The man stirred. then asked what
was wanted in a feigned voice.
AT what hour does this train reach
Rome?"
Il do NOT know"
"What's the matter with your voice?
Have you got a cold2"
Pardon me. am sleepy. | have
been up very late every night for a
week"
"Was there a man in this compart-
ment when the train left Naples?"
Eyes; the young gentleman opposite
you"
"She's not a man; she's a woman"
"Well. have nothing to do with
that, nor do l care what she is"
This was said angrily, and the bandit,
losing control Of his voice, betrayed his
sex. Suddenly the woman's hand
came out of her pocket and with 1t a
cooked revolver, with which she Gov
cred the bandit.
Throw up you hands. Andrea
CarpiI"
nYI.~ L~-5c rvnnf mn OF nnna Tho