The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1926-05-06
THE
FFTY-DOLLAR
By WILSON c. MlSSMER
t@ by Short Story Pub. Coz


the pullman and the porter had found
her berth for her, she was all In a
fiutter. It had been one Of those last
minute trips to New York to do some
shopping, decided because her hus-
band had made her q present Of a
ffty-dollar bill which, with the money
she had already laid aside, was suf-
ficient for her to make the journey
now instead Of later as she had In
tended. The matter Of the money
which her husband had given her was
merely one of the odd little surprises
he was generally lavishing upon her,
and she had stuck the bill with pin
into the pincushion and decided then
and there not to postpone her trip any
longer, and had begun packing imme-
diately.
Settled at last, the hurry and ex-
element Of the last hour seemed to
fade to q mere nothing, and changed
from q bit Of annoyance to a rather
pleasant memory. Reminiscently she
rehearsed the scenes in her mind. She
remembered how fustered she had
been, how she had ordered the maid
about to do her bidding, how she had
literally thrown few clothes into her
travelling bag, how she had taken a
most hurried leave Of her husband.
She could remember distinctly having
at the last minute snatched up the
fifty-dollar bill from the pincushion
and thrusting 1t loose into her hand
bag. And now after all the confusion
and excitement and worry, here she
was safe aboard the train, and ap-
parently none the worse for the rush.
There were not many people In the
car. Two middle-aged gentlemen sat
three or four seats In front Of her,
heatedly discussing some topic which
she could not overhear. Opposite was
a rather young woman, oddly dressed,
whose eyes seemed to wander restless
ly through the car. Behind, a mother
and two small children were cOnvers-
ing tiresomely, the mother endeavor-
ing to answer patiently the questions
of q very talkative son.
When the train started Mrs. Rock
well purchased magazine and
passed an hour or two in its perusal.
Then becoming thirsty she started
down the aisle for the water cooler,
and 1t was while drinking glass Of
water that she remembered having
left the handbag In the seat and she
realized that this was a most careless
thing to do as 1t contained all her
money. Hurrying back she saw with
some relief that the bag was still
there, and, sitting down, Mrs. Rock
well, obeying some strange sudden i'm
pulse opened the bag and looked in.
The fifty-dollar bill was not therel
She sat up rigid and stiff, gazing
straight ahead Of her. She had been
robbed in that marvelously short time
She could scarcely believe her senses
She searched the side compartments
Of the bag, found her other money
which she had packed away carefully
but there was no sign of the fifty
dollar bill. She did not know what to
do. She glanced about her cautiously
and found the eyes Of the oddly
dressed woman upon her; when Mrs.
Rockwell looked at her she immedi-
ately glanced away.
Mrs. Rockwell was not q woman of
very decided character, and was
rather easily excited. She lacked the
acumen which enables one to act
quickly, and she lost much time sitting
rather dazedly gazing ahead of her.
She was at loss what to do. There
was nothing particularly suspicious in
the attitude of these near her, yet the
aonly person who could possibly have
had the time and the chance to look
. into her handbag was the woman
across the aisle. But Mrs. Rockwell
did not relish the task Of accusing
her openly, and had just decided to
call the conductor and explain the
circumstances to him, when the lady
across the aisle arose and went to the
water cooler for drink, leaving a
black handbag behind in her seat.
Acting on a strange swift impulse Mrs.
Rockwell took long chance. Glanc-
ing through the car she saw that the
woman with the two children was
very busily engaged with them and
that the men ahead were at the height
Of their argument. So she noiselessly
slipped across the aisle, picked up the
handbag, snapped 1t open and there,
thrust in hurriedly amongst confu-
sion of other things lay her f1fty-dol-
lar bill. Mrs. Rockwell took It, re-
turned to her seat, and calmly de-
posted 1t in her own bag before the
lady returned.
The success Of her impulsive plan
did not surprise her 70 much as did
the extreme holiness of the other
woman. She had heard and read Of
the hundred and one little robberies
that occur aboard trains, but she had
always believed them with rather q
shade of doubt. That an ordi-
narily good-looking yoHHg wom-
an, whose wearing apparel, to say
the worst Of 1t, was Of rather an odd
selection. should be so daring as to
actually try to commit robbery IN the
space Of time required for one to pass
down The aisle and take drink of
vatoy was fndaod astounding Che