2"; --- - a a a a a GREAT itMttMtttt a I OF TRUSTEE AT- TH FAIR 400 AMD 402 LAOKAWAWMA AVEMUE, Commencing Saturday, August 1 0th, I89S WOO WORTH OF DRY GOODS Mods, Ladies' and Gents' Furnishing Goods, Gapes, Jackets, Soils, Wranners II 1 UULfUl u J illinery, Etc., At L 50c N THE DOLLAR ENTIRE STOCK TO BE SOLD WITHIN 30 DAYS HH i 0 o if Rom 1SSU x . 4.54 Express, . . A RAILWAY INSPECTOR'S STORY. By JOHN T. PARTINGTON. Copyright, 18l. by Irving Bacheller.) ' My spirits sank to zero. T was bitter ly disappointed. I had felt absolutely certain of finding the boy at Mostyn, but it was evident that I was on the wrong scent. "But the express did. stop here last night, I suppose?" I said to the station master after a short pause. "Yes, sure," was the reply. "I got a telegram to say that it would stop to set down Sir Philip Sandford and party. Blr Philip lives, as perhaps you know, at Rhydowen Hall, a good eight miles in the country. He and all his family except his eldest son and daughter, went over to Sir Philip's brother's place near Beaumaris on a visit; but during yesterday Mr. Reginald that's the son left nit hom--got thrown from ills dorse and very badly hurt, and they telegraphed to Sir Philip and 'he came home, with his lady and the children, by the Banger train and drove off at once." "And you are quite sure that no little boy got out of tine same train and was left on the platform?" "Quite sure, Mr. Barnes. I couldn't have 'missed seeing him if he'd been there. There was only Sir 'Philip's own party." "But If the boy didn't come to you or (to your porter nfay you not have missed him and gone into the office, leaving him standing on the platform?" "It's Impossible, Mr. Barnes," and the old man shook his head decidedly. r -"Were you In attendance on the train yourself?" I asked. "Just tell me everything that passed." "Well, the porter and myself were both at the train. There -was a goodlsh bit of luggage. It war In the cupboard of the carriage in which they had ..traveled, near the front of the train, land I helped the porter to get It out. Air Philip and his lady and his children stood -watching us, and then the porter put the luggage on the four-wheeled truck, and took It across the line to tho down side, and out through the gate to the carriage which was waiting for them, and ' the party came across at the same time and; got Into the car riage." ..'.'..,. "Blr Philip's own carriage, I sup posed" I said. "Yet, sure. While the luggage was Jielng loaded the party were getting nto the carriage, but It was a rather , tight squeeze, and one of the boys had to ride with the coachman, I lifted ' h(m on the seat myself and told the ' Coachman there wasn't room for him inside, and I told Sir Philip what I had ttune. and he said 'All right,' and then they drove away." . . , . : "And you are absolutely certain that .only the members of Sir Philip's own family alighted, and that there was no toy left standing about?" - . "Quits certain, Mr. Barnes; yes, sure." I next questioned the porter, who corroborated the station master's s.tory In every particular. He was quite cer tain that the boy I was seeking had not alighted at Mostyn. An up passenger train for Chester was now almost due, and I decided to go as far as might be necessary by it, and make inquiries on the way; I did not expect, however, to be able to ob tain information bearing on te case until I reached Con nail's Quay, as the train by which the boy traveled had certainly not called anywhere between iMostyn and Connah's Quay. The guard's Journal which I had examined afforded absolute proof of that. Of course there was Just the possibility that th boy might have fallen from the train, but I did no consldor that at all llkefy, as he would have had to tam per with the door and unfasten It on the outside before such a thing could have happened, and surely the other passen gers In the compartment would have prevented him from doing anything of the kind; and even If such a mishap had taken place, the other passengers would have been certnln to have re ported the occurrence' at Connah's Quay when the train arrived there, which, clearly, from (Mrs. Falrholme's statement, they had not done. I wa,s not surprised, therefore, to find on Inquiry that the station masters at Holywell, Bagillt and Flint had neither seen nor heard anything of the boy. The station master at Connah's Quay, In reply to my, hurried inquiries while the train -stood at ht station, con firmed .in substance all that Mrs. Fair holme had told tse as to what happened there on the arrival o( the train. The boy had certainly not alighted there, neither had any of the three other pas sengers who left 'Rhyl In the same com partment. He. was now strongly of the opinion that, the boy was In the train while it stood at-his station, but that he was prevented from'allghting by the other passengers In the compartment. I went on by the same train, and on arrival at Qtieensferry found that the station-master had 'been called away for an hour on 'urgent business, and I therefore went, on to Sandycroft and alighted there. I was rather glad to be able to' get to (hat station without de lay, because the tickets of the 6.M ex pjress were always collected there, it being the nearest station to Chester, and I thought it likely that the station master or porter might be able to say whether or. not the boy or the other three passengers- were' In the train on Its arrival there. The station-master told me, on Inquiry, that he had collect ed the. tickets In the front part of the train, and that he was quite sure no persons of the description given were then la the train. Neither had (he por ter seen them. It seemed clear, there fore, that the passengers had alighted at Queensferry, and I proceeded to walk back to that station, a distance of about a mile and a half. The station-master had returned by the time I got there, and I at once told him my errand. He had not seen any thing of the boy, he said, but he dis tinctly remembered the other passen gers alighting there. The man with a scar on his face he had seen once or twice before, but the women were strangers ' to him. The man's ticket was only to Flint, and 'he had to pay excess. He was hampered in finding t ' i The Man with the Sear on His Face. the money by a sack which he carried on his back, and which he did not seem to want to put down on to the ground. "Now I don't like suggesting such an Idea," I said, "and I hope it will turn out to be a wrong one, but do you think it possible from the appearance of the sack that the boy was Inside It?" , "T'l-al's a horrible thought," was the reply, "because If the lad was there ho wus quiet enough, and you know what that mentis. But It's quite possible. I wor.deied why the fellow was to mighty anxious to keep the sack In his own clutches." "Of course," I said," he may not have done the boy any serious harm, perhaps only rendered him unconscious in somo way, so as to get him out of the train and away from the station. I expect the watch that the boy carried' has been the temptation." , I arranged with the station master that he should make Inquiries for the boy In the neighborhood, while I went on to Connah's Quay to compare notes with the police, and secure their active co-operation In following up the clue I had found. .,-.-. The Inspector of pMHce was In the office when I arrived and I soon told him my story and made him acquainted with my suspicions in regard to the man with a scar across his cheek. The in spector heard me patiently until I had finished, making meanwhile one or two notes, and then he said quietly:. "And you badly want to get hold of that than, I suppose? But you'll have to whistle for him. He's gone." - . "Gone! .What do you mean?" I asked in some excitement. "Oh, he's cleared out, bag and bag gage. We ought to catch him, though. We know the man 'very well. He's an old acquaintance, of pur known:, as 'Dusky Joe.' I'm 'only 'surprised at a man with a face like that taking to bad ways. He's too easily recognised. He lives at Flint, and IS the biggest rascal In the district iHe's already served one or two terms for various offenses, but If we can only catch aim this tjme I fancy he'll be settled for a good long spell. My men have been after him all the morning. They've found traces of his having called at home during the night, but for the present, at any rate, he's got clear away." "I'm awfully sorry for that," I said; "but what has become of the boy, I should like to know. Have you met with any trace of him, either living or or dead?" 'INo news at all of the boy till you came," was the reply; "and we want Dusky Joe for quite another matter. 1 may as well tell you all about it. Dur- ing the night there's been a bad poach I Ing affray on the Hawarden estate. Three poachers and two keepers met irfei the wood, and there was a hot fight, and the keepers got the worst of It, and they're 'both badly hurt. One of them Isn't likely to get over It. From what the other keeper says, Dusky Joe was one of the poachers, and what you tell me as to his traveling to Queens ferry last night confirms it. That's why we've been after him. And if he's done anything to the lad all the more reason why we should catch him as soon as we can. We can't do more than we are do ing to get hold of him, but I'll send a man to Queensferry at once to make Inquiries for the lad round there, and if I hear anything) I'll let you know." It occurred to me that before leaving Connah's Quay It might be an advan tage to have a conversation wltb 'Mrs. Edwards, and I got the station master, who was well acquainted with her, to go with me to her house and Introduce me. I found her to be a very intelligent woman, apparently about 5C years of age, rather tall, and with a very pleas ing face. An ideal nurse I thought she must have been. "Have you found llUle Frank, Mr. Barnes?" she asked, eagerly, as soon as Introductions were over, and the sta tion master had left up. "I am sorry to say that I have not," I replied. "I am so sorry. I don't know what his mother will do if any .harm has be fallen him. She was In a dreadfully agitated state when she arrived here last night. She simply lives for her children. Young as she Is, she has had a great deaj of trouble, (Mr. Barnes, and I do hope she may not have the loss of her boy added to what she has already gone through." IDo you know whether her little girl Is better?" I asked. "Yes; she wired me an hour or so ago to say that Nellie was much better, and that It was not a case of scarlet fever after all. But do you mind telling me, Mr. Barnes, what you have done to trace the boy, and whether you have found any clue at all?" I told Mrs. Edwards briefly what In quiries I had made, and how everything now seemed to point to Dusky Joe be ing responsible for .the boy's disappear ance. - "Although at first." I added, "I did not attach as much Importance to the fact of the boy being placed In that compartment as Mrs. Falrholme seemed to do. I felt sure I should find him at Mostyn, and his not being there was a great disappointment to me. It seems quite certain, however, that nobody alighted there except Sir Philip Sand ford and his family." "Sir Philip Sandford!" exclaimed Mrs. Edwards, springing to her feet as If she had been galvanised. '"Mr. Barnes, are you sure of the name?" "Quite sure," I replied; "but " . ' "And does he-does Sir Philip live near there?'.' "He lives at Rhydowen Hall,-about eight miles Inland. . I remember his re moving there a year or mora ago. He bought an estate there, I have heard." "Does his sonMr. Reginald live with him still?" "Yes." "Was he with the party?" "No; he has met with an accident. He had stayed at home, and was out riding yesterday when be got thrown from his horse." 'He is not dead, Mr. Barnes, or or Injured fatally?" "The only information I received was that he was badly hurt. I am sorry "Have Yon Found l.lttlo Frank, Mr. Barnes ?" that the news distresses you. I had no Idea that you knew Sir Philip or his family. But this does not help us find the boy. . You can suggest nothing that will afford me a further clue, I sup pose?" "No, nothing. But before you go let me tell you why the mention of Sir Philip and his son upset me so much Just now. Under the circumstances I am sure Mrs. Falrholme would not mind my doing so, for I have an impression that In some way which I cannot under stand it will help towards the recovery of her little boy. To Be Continued. m mum lwia mmi. wcaiast . M teBt-, V I IsWXNllllKallllllllWsVKWJJMlim . I Mi. atteTfiA riMB - ABSOLUTELY PURE THE OLD RELIABLE SHEET CAFOHAL CIGARETTE Mm Ik Test at Tlsw - MORE VOLD THAN ALL OTHER MAN OS COMBINED IRON AND STEEL Bolts, Nuts, Bolt Ends, Turnbuckles, Washers, Ri cts, Horse Nails, Files, Taps, Dies, Tools and Sup plies. Sail Duck for mine use in stock. SOFT - STEEL - HORSE - SHOES. And a full stock of Wagon Makers' Supplies, Wheels, Hubs, Rims, Spokes, Shafts, Poles, Bows, etc, NTTENBE MR i CO, SCRANTON. PA. LIBER, PROPS AN) TIES MIN 1 HE COMMONWEALTH LUMBER CO 22 Commonweaun Bldg, Scrantoo, Pa. TELEPHONE 482. EVERY WOMAN Boaetfne- needs s reliable, monthly, rarnlattni melMne. Osly sinal S&l , UMpanttdruftshMidkeBMS. If euwantlbsei,fee Dr. PoaPo Pennyroyal Plllo For salo by JOHN H. PHELPS, Pharmacist cor Wyoming Avanu and Spruce Stroot, Scranton Pa. Spring House U. E. CROFUT, Prop'r, Heart Lake, Pa. Altitude nearly 2,M0 tmt Plna stovm and ncKiilifiil Konory. Hants new nf well fur. niahnd ; hut thren mlnuto' walk from D., U W, station, and 100 (eat from the lake. GOOD BOATS, FISHING TACKLE, Dancing Pavilion, Bwiaica, Croquet Grounds, $c, FHUE to (Janata. COLD SPRING WATER AND put: OF MILE. RATES REASONABLE. Write for dreular. . . , DR. LOBB'5 BOOK FREE To all sufferers ef ERRORS OP YOUTH, LOST VIQOB nd DI8KASES OF MKN Aim WOMKN, MM nam; elotk bound; securely ealed and mailed tees. Treatment by uejl itrktly osaftdenttaL a posttlre enJek eve tua' anteed. Mo matter hew loaf standing, I will paalUrely ante you. Write eroeil. tn fS2 N. lata St.; PhllsdaPa. Hie hhmi tn aoaUaaeus praonoa. '- V ,: . ' ' V - V .f ' X: -:-. v,.!!. V'.;:' WILLIAM S. MILLAR, Alderman 8th Ward, Scranton. ROOMS 4 AND 8, Oaa and Wats Co, Building, CORNER f.OMIHQ ffl. MP CENTER &t OFFICE HOURS from T.M a- nt to p. m. (1 boor Intermimion for dinner and anpper. ) PartkDlir Atttntion Giiento Collection prompt aettiemem unnmnw. YOURBUSIRESS IS RESPECTFULLY SOLICITED Telephone) No. 134. . THst SCRANTON VITRIFIED BRICK TILE ' RRHUFItlUnlRI Uh, . SHALE PAVING BRICK H iin miii niMft PIPUr Ofliesi 8B9 Washington A venae. Warkst WayAsg. Pay K. A W. V. E. B. M. H.'VDALE, Ganerml Salssfaat, Scranton. Pt , " v'" ' ! )"''' !
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers