The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1871-05-20
IRON Chambers Journal
The Exureas Ticket.

took was made short time back, ir
company with total stranger, but who
proved to be the most chatty, most com
municative person | ever met with, al,
though his code Of morals was undoubt
don terminus, and as he almost at once
asked me where l was going, we found
we were each bound to the same large
city fancied he had been dining rather
generously, from his face. which was
little flushed; he had plenty excellent
cigars, and was very liberal with them
and ere we had ridden half a.dozer
miles, he produced pack of cards. and
asked me to play. / declined. and he
said with smile: Afraid of stranger.
with cards? Well, you are quite right
but We shall do no harm to each other
l hastened to assure him that was
under no suspicious as regarded himself
but that did not care for cards.
There you are to blame" he returned
"you should always suspect strangers
who want you to play at cards. VII,
should . man carry 3 pack with him, i
he does not intend to profit by their use
| Take my advice, and always be on your
/ guard"
But. then" said with a smile. ''by
your own rule you would lead me to sus
pect you
"You wouldn't be far wrong, if you
did, he replied, with very meaning
nod II only wished to play for cup OF
coffee at the refreshment station; but l
have played in railway carriages for very
different stakes-and won them. How
ever. am all right tonight, and don't
want to win anybodies' money. cleared
eight hundred over the Leger, aud that
will last me some time
/ congratulated him on his good for
tune, and said wished l had been as
lucky
"Ifit shouldn't do you more good than
it will me you needn't mind" he re
turned. Light come, light go; but still
it is better to have few hundreds in your
pocket than to be without penny to pay
your fare, as l have been on this very
railway.
Indeed" I calculated. as he made a
pause here; that must have been awk-
ward"
"Awkwsrdl / believe you," he said
"But there! q man with his head screwed
on the right way, need never be at loss
in rich country like this. / hadn't
penny-at any rate, | hadn't tenth part
of the required fare-with me; | was
bound to keep an engagement long way
down the line, and l had not friend
TO lend me sixpence; and here l found
myself, one evening. quarter of an hour
before the train started. Something like
a fx. eh2 What should you have done?"
We'll" replied, hardly know. If
l had a watch
"But hadn't, he returned, "not any
thing else that would fetch two pound
seven, the price of ticket. A first class
ticket, OF course, mean; l made up my
mind to ride FIRST class; | like it best,
and under the circumstances, it was just
~ feasible as any other"
"Then. perhaps, should have gone to
the station master or superintendent" l
said, land told him all about it; and If
that wouldn't do, | must have stopped in
London.
"Then, it vouldn't have done, you may
swear" he replied, "station masters are
not soft as that. Well, now, I'll tell
you all about it; aud it may be of use to
you to know. some day, what is to be
done in such a fix"
] NODDED my thanks, and he began:
Il need not tell you how | came to be
SO placed-speculative men are often in
such position; We always get out Of it
somehow, however, and did, this time.
When I arrived at the station, there were
the train. with the engine waiting little
way of, blazing aud kissing away; some
cf the passengers had taken their seats,
but most of them were walking up and
down, or having Il parting glass with
their friends, or looking at the book
stalls. How / envied the shabbiest of
them ALI for he, whoever he was, had
got his ticket, and could not get mine
If the train had gone right through, |
would have taken my seat, and chanced
dropping out before they stopped; but l
knew they examined tickets half Way, so
that would not do. If the journey had
been all by the same engine, would
have lain at the back of the tender, on
the coke, as | did once to a place nearly
hundred miles down the line; but
knew they. changed engines, so this,
again, wouldn't do. / saw one person
on the platform whom I recognised, but
as he was clergyman-a Dean, in fact
who was always preaching against US
racing men, aud had once actually per
suaded the town people to put their races
down, knew he was of no use. Yet l
couldn't keep away from him; be had a
sort of fascination for me; | may call il
q preseutiment that he was to get me out
Of my hobbie Well, the hustle iu
creased; you know, of course. how busy
the station gets just before an express
starts. The engine came back and was
hooked on; the porters ran about with
their barrows Of baggage; the passengers
left the refreshmeDt rooms aud book :
stalls, and clustered around the doors Of
the carriages; the Dean got into an
apartment by himself, aud there was
walking up and down in the darkest
part OF the platform, and ouly five min
utes left.
l paused for moment before little
room where | saw the guards go in and
out. and wondered whether one of the
men would let me ride with him If told
him of good thing knew really
did not know of it--for the Cambridge
shire; when all at once splendid idea
struck me. 1t was the very thing The
door Of the little room was half open, so
that could see that no one was in there,
aud several coats and caps, belonging to
the guards were hanging on the walls
l glanced down the platform; every rail-
way sficial seemed up to his eyes in
business-no one was looking that way.
| popped into the room and in an instant
had put on coat aud cap, which fitted
me beautifully-and was out again in a
few seconds. There was no time for re
fiection, nor did / need any; my mind
was already made up, so. pushing past