Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-08-16

now, but [ can have them called
LET us interrogate the one
who are here" suggested Lepine
Perhaps it viii not be n~ecessar,
to disturb the others"
The chief pressed a button ant
summoned the ticket sellers, on,
after the other. The first had nj
recollection of having received tht
notes, but with his companion LIE
pine was more successful.
Yes, yes, / remember them per
fectly," he said, when they were
shown to him. my attention was
called to them because they were
both quite new. I looked at them
closely TO make certain that they
were genuine, and noticed that
they were numbered consecutive
ly. Another detail which caused
them to remain in my memory was
the striking appearance of the per
son who gave them to me-"
Leplne's heart was throbbing
with triumph.
Describe this man." he said.
"Ah, SIR" said the clerk,
"that is just it. 1t was not a man,
but a girl--a girl of Is or 20. That
is what drew my attention. 1t is
not usual to have a girl like that
ask for two tickets, second class,
to Paris"
"a girl!n' stammered Lepine.
"You r sure?"
Perfectly sure, sir"
We'll, describe her, then"
The clerk half closed his eyes
in order the better to vizualize his
memory.
"she was, as I have said, of
about 10, and she was not a
Frenchwoman."
How do you know that?"
Because, in the first place, she
spoke French not very we'll; and,
in the second place, there was in
her manner an assurance, a free
dom from embarrassment, which a.
French girl of her station would
not possess"
Was she light or dark?"
"she was dark, sir, with bright
black eyes, with which she looked
at one very steadily. She was
slightly built, of medium height,
simply dressed, so far as I could
see through the little window, not
fashionably, with with good eff
feet. However, what impressed
me most was her calm assurance
American; but she was
too dark to be of America"
Reading between the lines, LIE
pine suspected that the clerk had
attempted to start a filtration with
the selfpossessed unknown, and
had been rebuffed. And yet, what
he said was true-young girls in
France were not, ordinarily, n
trusted with the buying of railway
tickets, especially for so consider
able a journey.
You r sure the tickets were
to Paris?"
Yes, sir; second class. [ re-
member distinctly giving her "a
francs in change"
At what hour was this 20
About 8 o'clock, sir"
"Of Monday morning?"
Yes, sir; of Monday morn
Sat what hour was the next
train for PARISH"
AT S:15, sir, the express
departs"
"The girl had no compartment"
saw none, sir"
"She certainly had a compan-
ion, OF she would not have bought
two tickets"
Perhaps the. inspector at the
gate can tell Is something" the
suggested, and the clerk was
dismissed and the inspector sum-
moned. But he could give them
no information. There had been
many passengers for the express,
and, besides, every one, himself in
Guided, was so distressed and over
wrought by the catastrophe of the
morning that there had not been.
the usual attention to detail. The
inquiry was extended to the bag
gaze porters, but with n Q better
success. They, too, had been up
set by the disaster and had
Of nothing else. Some of
them had frankly deserted their
in order to hasten to the
harbor front. None Of those who
remained had noticed a white
haired man and a dark haired.
girl.
"Come!'' said Lepine savagely
to himself, as he left the station.
This is not getting ahead-we
must try the cabs. But first : -,