The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-05-01
A Ticket Agents Mistake.
BY AMY RANDOLPH.

The express train had come and gone
through the rainy December dusk, with
its ewes of scarlet fire, and its whiz Of
escaping steam, and there was only one
passenger Tor Peterbank-a tall, aristo-
cratic.looking old gentleman, with a fur
trimmed overcOa,, gold eyeglasses, and
a fringe of snowy whiskers under his
chin.
Rolf Otherbrae, the young Scotch
ticket agent, looked at him with th at
half curious, hall Indifferent expression
wnerewith ticket agents grow la time
TO regard the world; and the old gentle
turn the observant glance.
"You are in charge here, l suppose p'
said the tall, furry stranger.
II am, Sir" Otherbrae answered, hall
offended at the supercilious tone adopted
by the new conner.
"Perhaps, then, you can tell me at
" hat time the train from Carr0wdaleis
| duep
"At six fifty, SIR"
The old gentleman glanced first at the
clock on the wall, then at his watch
then sat deliberately down by the fire,
as if resignlng himself to an hour and a
half Of waiting. And Rolf went cut into
tue twilight to make sure that the switch
tender, hundred yards or SO up the
snow-covered track, had not fallen
asleep, and that the signal lights burned
clear and steady for the South Shore
| train, which would be along now, almost
before they knew it.
And so, naturally enough, Rolf Other
b.ae quite forgot all about the old gen.
.tleman with the frosty whiskars, and
the costly sable turs about his wrists
| and throat
| The sCarrowdale train came in about
six minutes or SO benind time, for the
snow was falling fast, and The rails
were slippery-the hurrying passengers
ispersed themselves into the gloom and
darkness in various directions--except pit
one young girl, dressed in pinkish gray,
with black boa wound round her
throat, and single long willow plume
dropping over her alabaster pale face,
who entered the ladies' waiting room,
slightly shlvering with the cold.
Mr.. Otherbrae, the courteous young
ticket agent, advanced toward her. Ii
is but justice to premise that he would
have done the same had she been Sixty,
and pitted with the smallpox.
| Scan get you carriage" he asked,
ssor be OF any other service to youw
"Thanks," she answered, shyly; 81
expect friend to meet me here"
! Rolf Otherbrae could not but note,
as she spoke, the extreme beauty OF the
tair, ovai iace under the willow plume,
with its veivety hazel eyes, scarlet
mouth, and small, regular features.
| Ticket agents haye eyes-and apprecia.
tive ones, too-as we'll as the rest of the
world. But he turned away with bow,
as the young lady seated herself, as il
to wait--and once mere the dull, drow.
sy silence, broken only by the ticking
OF the clock, settled down upon the
room.
Clickl The sharp, sudden summons
OF the little telegraph behind the rallied
compartment at the farther end OF the
room-and MIR. Otherbrae, who was tele
graph operator as well as station agent
| hurried to his post.
"R. Otherbrae, Reteybank Station ?
the tongue Of the telegraph whispered
with its wiry, clinking sound:
"From police headquarters. Stop ar
old man and young girl-wen dressed
and plausible. Forgery.
| "H. G. DEKo,
| Offion Nau 3,