Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-05-04

Ou thc WALLS. Siduceu down the
platform; every railway official seemed
up to his eyes in business--no one was
looking that way. / Popped into the
room-in an instant had put on a coat
and cap, which fitted me beautifully,
and was out again in q few seconds.
There was no time for reflection, nor
did 1 need any; my mind was already
made up, so, pushing past the people
with the air of regular guard, born
and bred, I put my head into the car
riage where the dean sat, and said
Z" Tickets, if you please. =" The old
gentleman was reading a book; he
looked round, pushed his spectacles a
little higher on his nose, and exclaim-
ing, "Dear me, / had quite forgotten, y
he handed out his ticket, which very
coolly pocketed and was moving away.
when the old gentleman said: "This
is a new rule, to take tickets at start
ing, isn't ita"
"Yes, sir, / answered, touching my
cap; "only been in force this month,
sir.
"Oh, he said, and began reading
his book again.
AT this instant the bell for starting
rang, and the guards began to bawl
out: "Any more going on but there
was plenty of time for me. dashed
back to the little room, but hang me
If there wasn't guard in there, feel
ing among the greatcoats and swearing
horribly, as 1 could hear, at some of
his mates for moving his particular
coat out of Its place. / stood behind
the long double ladder they wheel
about to clean the lamps, took off the
poor fellows coat and cap, and flung
them down by the door, put on my own
cap, and hurried across the platform as
though 1 had just come from the re-
freshment room. The station doors
were closed, but q guard catching
sight of me, shouted: "Now, sir, this
way, or you viii be too latel" He open
ed carriage door and pushed me, just
as the engine sounded its whistle and
the ting came which moved us on. I
was In the carriage with the Dean |!
There was nobody else there, as 1 well
knew, and really felt very uncomfort-
able. didn't at all suppose he would
recognize me, but yet there was sort
of feeling which made me wish that
the guard had put me anywhere else.
However, there was no help for it now,
and 1 made up my mind to see at once
if there was any danger of recognition !;
so the first time he put down his book,
it was only to cut some leaves,
/ offered him newspaper. He declined
it but I had obtained an opening,
and follow up my offer with few
abO,.. the weather and so
forth-quite enough to let me see that
he did not at all remember my -oice.
/ couldn't sleep, but pretended to do
so; and on we went, scarcely another
word having been spoken on either
side, until the train slackened speed,
and i knew we were near the station
where they examined the tickets, and
where, of course, the murder would be
out. When the carriages drew up
alongside the ticket platform, and
could hear the familiar cry of "All
tickets ready, " / feigned to be reading
my paper very intently, although, in
reality, I was watching and listening
with all my might. / saw the Dean
look up curiously when he first heard
the shouts; he listened, too, with a
puzzled air, and took off his spectacles
and wiped them, as if that would help
him to understand it; however, 1 have
no doubt that he thought the notice
did not apply to him, so he calmly put
his glasses on again. At that moment
a guard-a regular one this time, ]
thought to myself-looked in, and OF
IL
1 gave him mine, which he merely
glanced at and returned; and then
screwed myself into corner, as much
out of the light as 1 could manage.
The old clergyman had, of course, done
nothing. "Now, sir, if you please, u
said the guard.
"Ehl" returned the old Dean look.
ing round and pushing up his specta-
cles, which seemed to bs habit with
him.
Tickets, sir, tickets; look alive, il
you please, SIR" said the man
Tickets ticketsl " echoed the Dean;
"mine is all right. I have given il
up"
"Not to me, SIR" said the guard,
I" and no one else has been near this
carriage"
"Oh! but I gave it up before We
started" explained the old gentleman
cit Is a new rule-has only been in
force this MONTH"
Upon my word, / thought I should
have burst with laughter here, the
Dean expi,tlned this so innocently.
"New rule, sirl" said the guard.
" No such thing. We examine the
tickets here, and take them at your
journeys end"
"Now, Popkins shouted out a super
ior of some kind; haven't you finished
with that carriage yeti"
'Come, sir, look sharp with that
ticket" urged the guard
"What do you meant" demanded
the clergyman, who was clearly getting
angry. "What do you mean sir 2 j
have given up my ticket to one of your
men, and lam rather inclined to think
it was yourself"
Popkins was now shouted at agair
very angrily, and his answer brought
two or three others around to the car
riage door.
"Now, what's all this delay about n
said a man in a very staggering tone
"I suppose he was..in some authority
there. "Whats all this about, Pop
king?"
"Why," said the guard, "this party
hasn't got ticket. He says he gave
it up at London; and, not satisfied
with that, he says he gave it up tt
me-"
"Nay, nay; lam not certain abou
that" said the old gentleman. g"
only said I gave it up to some guard
who told me it was a new rule. and h,
was another such man as yourself"
"Oh, that won't do" said the chic
officer very harshly; "we must hav'
your ticket or your money, or else W
shall remove you from the carriage w
have these games tried on us yer,
often"
"Do you, indeed Q" said the oil
gentleman. "Do you, indeeda Their
is my card, sir, and I shall leave you {.
take your own course" &
Well when they saw who he was
they naturally cooled down a bit, ant
grew more civil; but by this time tn