The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-01-22
THE WARNING OVER THE WIRES /;
or, the Message that No Man Sent.

OR, the Message that No Man Sent.
The 20 evening train, No. 80, was
over an hour late that night. Cause
enough, Heaven knows. For y hours
the storm had ragged, and now, instead
of showing any signs of breaking, the
rain came down in torrents from an
inky sky, and the thunder rumbled
ominOusly overhead. A bad storm to
drive an engine through, as any body
would have known, and the wonder is
that No 80 was not three hours late, in
stead of one. Old Luke Granger, the
trustiest, nerviest engineer on the road,
rounded the curve just below Red Ra-
vine Station ut 26 minutes past Z. L
breathed sigh of relief when | saw
the headlight cut a hole in the darkness.
The second station-bridge might have
given way in storm like that, and
was beginning TO get nervous over this
thought.
Somehow every thing made me nerv-
GUS that night. 1t was just the kind OF
weather when things look all out of
gear any way. Then, suppose, the
knowledge of that money-package being
due, and its failing to come on the
IL 80, as it should have done, had its
effect on me. | didn't relish the idea
of keeping $4,000 in cash until the
next day. Eldridge & Ricketson had
been down themselves to meet the
morning train, and, if the package had
come, | could have turned it over to
them at once, and that would have been
the end of the matter. But it didn't
come. That's a way things have
in this world when you most want EN-.
There wasn't soul at the station that
night except myself, and there were on
ly two passengers who got off the train.
| speak of 'em that way, not meaning to
be disrespectful or make light of solemn
things; only it's habit, suppose; for
most people would say there was only
one passenger that got off at Red Ra-
vine, seeing that the second of 'em was
carried out of the eXpress-car in wood
en- box. Usually, when body was
coming on, got word of it beforehand,
but this one took me quite by surprise,
and added not little to the nervousness
already felt.
"Who was it?'' l asked, as the box
was carried into the station.
The passenger who had got off the
train, and who was a stranger to me,
answered my inquiry:
"The body is that of my sister-in-
law said he. - She was the niece of
Thomas Eidridge-doubtles you know
him. Her death was very sudden. She
is to be buried in Mr.. Eldridge's lot,
here"
"Then [ suppose the lady is to be left
oba,.,ro ,,ptil 20 m o,.r.o,t- C'i cold
Yes" answered the stranger. "Do
you suppose can get to Mr.. Eldridge's
myself Tonight"
"Well," l replied, q" its good four
miles, and in such storm as this"
I'm wait until to-nlorrow," inter-
rupted the stranger. There is some
sort of hotel here, isn't there?'
"Yes, a good one. You'll have to
foot it, though; but it's only matter of
a quarter of mile, and YOU can't miss
your way, for the road up the hill leads
straight to the house"
Here | made my way out onto the
platform again and made my way to
the express car, where the money-pack-
age, which all along L had secretly
hoped wouldn't come, was delivered to
me by the messenger. As he gave it to
me, he said:
" You'll want to keep a sharp eye on
that, Billy. There's enough in it to
make one of your Red-Raviners put a
bullet through your head aud nevergive
you the chance TO object"
"I'll look out for the Re6-Raviners,
and the package, too" said l, conf
IDENTIFY enough. But, if the truth had
been told, didn't like the suggestion
which the messenger had made.
The train moved off quickly, and l
swung my lantern, as was my habit, by
way of bidding goodnight to old Luke
Granger. Then L went into the little
station-houss with the package clutched
tightly under my rubber-coat, expecting
to find the man there who had come on
with the body. But he had gone, being
anxious, no doubt, to get to the hotel as
quick as possible. No. 80 was the last
train which stopped at Red Ravine until
6 10 the next morning. SO my work
for the night was done, and | had only
to lock up the doors, see that things
were all right about the place, and sit
down TO ms newspaper in the little
room which served as my sleeping
quarters.
Twenty years had passed since first
found Elyselfihstalled at Red RaTine as