The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 187: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ON THE PLYMOUTH EXPRESS. shock, the robber had seized the jewel- case lying on the seat by the lady’s side, and swung open the door. For a mo- ment he hung almost horizontal, with his feet forward toward the locomo- tive; then he dropped off. Mrs. Rothwell fainted. Rothwell himself recovered his presence of mind, rang for the attendant, and, bursting into the next compartment, violently jerked the emergency cord. That stopped the train; but some three miles from the place where Badstock had skilfully dropped off. Of course there was great excite- ment and a lot of time lost; but at the next signal-box word was flashed by telegraph and telephone all along the line, and the train resumed its journey. Colonel Tomlinson listened to this narrative with concentrated attention. “ Amazing!” was his comment. The fat little millionaire glared as though he’d like to eat him. “Tf you don’t mind, Colonel Tom- linson,’. I said, “ perhaps you will tell us your story.” ‘“Why—yes,” he immediately re- sponded. “I’ve been touring Europe, and, finding Chester a delightful little city, I decided to stay there a week. ‘““As I wanted to see some of the country around here, and had already seen London, the people advised me to take the West.of England route. It’s slower, but the scenery makes it more than worth while. What more is there tosay? ‘The hotel people know that I came in by the West of England route; the train must have arrived near- ly half an hour before the London train by which Mr. Rothwell traveled.” “Gee!” ejaculated the millionaire. “Say, if that’s so, I’m plumb sorry; but—” Words failed him. “T think that ends the whole matter, Ferguson,” said Hopkins with deci- sion; and I agreed. Colonel Tomlinson, however, was not satisfied. “This has been rather an unpleasant experience, Mr. Ferguson,” he said, ad- 173 dressing himself to me as representing headquarters. ‘I’m mighty glad that the circumstances clear me so easily. All the same, I want to clear things up thoroughly. The manager, on my be- half, has telegraphed the Royal Hotel at Chester, and has sent for the con- ductor of the train I came in on. If you have no objection, we'll wait for corroborative evidence from _ these sources.” “That is quite unnecessary,” I has- tened to assure him; “ but if it will add to your peace of mind, we are all quite agreeable.” The manager ordered in some re- freshments, and we were all chatting together like old friends, when the guard—or conductor, as Tomlinson called him—was brought in. He readily identified the colonel. “Yes, sir,” he said, in answer to my questions. “ I knows the gen’l’man orl- right. I took partic’lar stock of ‘im. He’d a lot of luggage an’ was pretty liberal. He gave me a half-sovereign at Manchester, an’ told me to take care of his traps—of course, I’d ’ave done my dooty, anyway. An’ then he gave me another half-sovereign when we got in. Oh, I knows ’m orl-right.”’ The evidence was conclusive, and when the telegram came from the Royal Hotel at Chester it clenched things. It described Colonel Tomlin- son pretty accurately—hotel managers are used to that sort of thing, you know—and the description fitted the man before us exactly. The alibi was complete. Rothwell apologized with elaborate profuseness. I assured him that every- thing possible would be done to recover his wife’s jewels, and, professing him- self entirely satisfied, he went off to join that lady, who was still suffering from the shock of the unpleasant ex- perience she had undergone. II. Tue first inkling I had that the Chi- cago pork-packer was not entirely con- oO COMmMiclhoo S CO