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OF TRUSTEE
AT-
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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.
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