The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-11-18
VOL V.---NO. 10.

1pdlDoE tOah D01lC6m8li VINO $1,000 Oy Il
train, and saying, evidently in answer
some objection:
81 will see you harmless. Show Il
message to your captain. I am Mr.. =
ssslstent secretary. of war. But find. Il
operator first, and make him send it, viii
out fail; it must go-do you understand
and hold you responsible
With that the train moved slowly OF
the policeman bowing himself back, Wit
finger 10 his hat,s considerably impresse
with his important responsibility.
Mr.. Assistant Secretary of War entere
the car ahead of me, passed by Brsket
: seat without so much es looking at il, ev
IDENTIFY totally unconscious of Brisket's e,
lstenee. Il was clear that, whatever reai
shs the latter might have for fearing th
q police, in this case neither the call for th
police nor the dispatch had reference I
y him. f
4 He was still looking out of the windo,
as slipped into the sseat beside him. sbu
Iquickly turned, ,aand, with assumed indii
ference, bat in voice scarcely audible
asked: ls;l .grssstz. - FTsFi
whats the trouble?.'
"Hothing particular" / answered, wit
/ as much meaning in my words as possible
ts'orly some detective, 1 suppose, telegraph
ing ahead for more assistance at the neg
station TO arrest some one on board tn,
train"
He had by that time recovered all his self
possession, and eyed me SO quietly, vet 81
firmly, so scrutinizingly, that I quailed
and dropped my glance, feeling strongly
how totally unable was to sustain the in.
sulting suspicion had SO plainly express
ed.
"I scarcely should think that" he re.
piled, after q moments pause. 'Many
persons heard the call out; I saw them
looking out of the windows, and such q
warning as that would scarcely improve
their chances of catching the thief No,
Mr.. Hartley; shrewdly as you guessed, ]
think this time you must be mistaken"
Taking in all the meaning there was in
his words, bluntiy asked:
"What good would the warning do the
thief? You do not mean that man would
jump off this express-train in the dark2"
81 mean" he said. speaking between his
teeth, and Kissing out the words with sup
pressed vehemence, 81 mean that man,
bounded on by despair, becomes reckless,
desperate, and does not stop TO think"
''1ickets, gentlemeIr' and the bright
light from the conductors lantern fell full
and sudden upon Brisket's face. He turn
ed quickly aside, but not before had no.
ticed an expression of such utter, reckless
defiance as filed me with fear and dread.
ssTickets, gentlemen, if you pleaseI" re-
peated the conductor, in a slight tone of
Mr.. Grant aFoke from doze,
and fumbled for his ticket, while Brisket
and handed out ours-his hand steady,
mine visibly trembling. y.
Through to Washington" asked the
conductor, and, being answered in the af-
frmatiTe, handed Us each a pink way-tick-
ct, saying: Snow you won't be disturb
ed.
He opened the rear door to see if any
one stood on the platform and then return
ed to the forward car.
Mr. Grant examined his ticket carefully,
and turned to me.
This is some new dodge" he said,
'leepily. 'sWhat do all these figures
neanY ass
1 did not answer at once, and he turned
% Brisket with the same inquiry. But Bris-
zet didn't know either.
There are ten numbers, see," said I,
.xaming the ticket carefully, for I had new
II noticed it before, 'tand they are all be-
ow thirty. They must represent the days
IF the month; and, sure enough, to-day is
he 18th, and the 16 is punched through"
That's So" chimed in Grant; sand
suppose they have blue and yellow tickets
With the other days, SO as to change them
very day. Butdon't see, now, what the
,bject is.
1T must be in order to prevent fraud in
ome way" 1 suggested.
''Something like these new-fsshioned |
hecks that have all the hundreds and thou |
ands printed along the edge. and you cut |
'ut the amount with punch, besides writ |
NJ it in ink. Not much chance of forg-
" with those"
sPooh2" interrupted Brisket; .4hey are |
70 protection against forgery. Not one
1sn IN twenty would take the trouble to |
ompsre the amounts"
':Now, gentlemen, if you'll allow me I'll
Mt up this bed, "isaid the coiored waiter
oy, putting his head In at the door.
'.Is this your state-room?" asked Bris-
ct, abruptly rising. ST am afraid we have
ept you waiting" 8 ssi
l stood in the passsge-way. while the
oy prepared the conch, filed, with sus-
icion no longer, but with the certainty,
nat Brisket had committed some great
rime. Ifelt almost certain that he had
cen guilty of forgery, and had strange,
lexplicable foreboding that was in some
ay mixed up with it My eyes involun-
rlly followed him, as he retired to his
'uch, which was only the third from nv
En, and noticed that he lay down fully
'essed. M - l.
I threw of my coat and vest and lay |
1TD, hoping to gain q few hours sleep. i-y
at it was hopeless undertaking. The {
uch seemed unusually hard and uncom- [
rtable. and the pillows soft and clammy, {
ID the noise seemed greater than usual,
ID the air In the car more close and stiff 7
g. 1t was impossible 10 sleep. And then
is mystery about Brisket. Why was be !
startled when SAID had looked Tor \
N ON the train? Why should he fear me? =
by his terror on the mention of the po- =
e? Why should a pesceable mango arm n
for i was certain that he carlied re- !,
lver, and that he was feeling for it when :,
Ioliee" was called the second time. And q
lat had to do with it2 That his crime :
8 forgery, was the merest Aurmise; and q
pa by forgery, how could I suffer- His q
nsactions with us were all of the sim n
,st kind. We received no check OF his, a;
indeed, any one else's, without having
and If there had been any un- 6,
lal transaction, i felt certain that. short =
the time was that spent in Wall Street, n
hould have been told of it And Frank al
5 so cautionsi-But, harkl what was that? 4,
sounded like the clink of q. pistol, and Ia
sound seemed to come straight from a,
sket's couch / raised myself up and q
althily, opened the door of my state m
m. Not sound was stirring in the car, M
o the usual rattle of the train. The cur Al
as before Brisket's bed were not drawn n,
Sc, and could see his arm lying quiet M
across his chest, the diamond-Iing upon M
little finger shining steadily in thedim AZ
1t Of the lamp overhead. ! sat upright 7 :,
watched and listened; but not a sound, q
motion I began to think was very ~
lish, and that was working myseIfinto ;s
reat excitement upon a very slender -
ndation. How could T. amid that noise, n,
Q heard or distinguished the click of a as
,oR 1t was nonsense. I would think h.
more about 1t, but try to sleep. threw %
< the door of my state-room on TO the M
n which held topen, SO as to get more Il
and, thinking of my wife and children sb
lome, tried to forget Brisket- N
fell asleep, and dreamed endless dreams luI
aystery and danger and dread; AT last 10,
as travelling across an arid plain, some ba
re in Mexico. 1t was fearfully hot, and Ms
had besn for Gays without water. Gr
parched, but bore up as we'll as 1 wa
Id, and pushed on, in hopes of reach az
water to save my little boy, whom HS
led before me- and who Was dslirioi,s Al,