The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-01-24
rAE MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE.

TAE MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE
The $40 evening train, No. SO, was over
an hour late that night. Cause enough, Heaven
knows. For u 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 omin-
iously overhead. A bad storm to drive an
engine through, anybody would have
known. and the wonder is that No. 80 was
not three hours late, instead of one Old Luke
Granger, the trustiest, nerviest engineer on
the road, rounded the curve just below Red
Ravine Station at 90 minutes past Z. |
breathed sigh of relief when / saw the
headlight cut hole in the darkness. The
second ststion-bridge might have given way
in a storm like that, and was beginning to
get nervous over this thought.
Somehow everything made me nervous
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 l1:30, as it should have done,
had Its effect on me. l didn't relish the idea
Of keeping s13, 900 in cash untp the next
day. Eldridge i Rlcketson had been
down themselves to meet the morning train,
u, III
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 way things
have in this world when you most want 'em.
There wasn't soul at the station that
night except myself, and there were only two
passengers who got off the train. speak of
them that way, not meaning to be disrespect-
full or make light of solemn things; only it's
a habit, 1 suppose; for most people would say
there was only one passenger that got OF at
Red Ravine, seeing that the second OF EN-
was carried out of the express car in wood
On box. Usually, when a body was coming
on. I got word of it beforehand, but this one
Look me quite BY surprise, and added not a
little to the nervousness already felt.
AWho was it?'' asked, as the box was
carried into the station.
The passenger who had got OFF the train,
and who was q stranger to me, answered my
INQUIRY:
THE body Is that of my sister-in- law"
said he. ..She was the niece OF Thomas Ed
ridge-doubtless you know him. Her death
was very sudden. She is to be buried In
Mr.. Eldridge's lot, here"
&Then l suppose the body is TO be left IN
nv charge until tomorrow" said 1.
Eyes" answered the stranger. ''Do you
supuose can get to Mr.. Eldridge's myself
to-night?'
"Well," replied, ''it's good four miles
and in such q storm as this"
"IIl wait until tomorrow" interrupted the
stranger. There ia some SORT of a hotel here
isn't thereF -
"Yes. good one. You'll have to foot it
though; but it's only matter of quarter o.
a mile. and you can't miss your way, for the
road up the hill leads straight to tn'
house.
Here made my way out onto the platform
again and made my way to the express-car
where the money package, which all along
had secretly hoped wouldn't come, was de
livered to lne by the messenger. AS ne gav'
il to me, he said:
"You want to keep sharp eye on that
Billy. There's enough in it to make one
your Red Raviners put bullet through
your head and never give you the chance t.
object"
..IIl look out for the Red Raviners, AM
the package, too said /, confidently enough
But. if the truth had been told, didn't Ink
tn suggestion which the messenger ha
made.
The train moved off quietly, and | swun
nv lantern, as was my habit, by way c
bidding goodnight to old Luke Granger
Then / went into the little station-hous
With the package clutched tightly under M
r,,bber-coat, expecting to find the man Their
who had come on with the body. But b
had gone, being anxious, no doubt to get
The hotel 81 quick As possible. No. 80 VS.
the last train which stopped at Red Ravin
until 6:1O the next morning. 80 my Wor
for the night was done, aud l had only
lock IN the doors, see that things were a
RIGHT about the place, and sit down to m
newspaper in the little room which served
my sleeping-quarters
Twenty years had passed since / first four
myseli installed at Bed Ravine as telegraT
operator in the railway station. Being co
tent with the humdrum sort of life, and fait
full to nv duties, had come by degrees
attend in all the work which the pla
required, That is, was the ticket ager
the L.lggsge-master and the keep
of the station, besides acting
the express company and continuing n
charge of the telegraph key. These combin
labors made it pretty close work for me, b
they all yielded very comfortable neon
and. as I was troubled with no unsatisfi
ambitions, counted myself we'll fixed.
have intimated, slept in the station. pa
ly to keep guard on the companys proper
and partly from choice; for, being bache
and without kin, had nothing to attract !
elsewhere Ny duties had grown sort
second-nature and had lived in the lit
town SO long that the younger generation
come to speak of me as 'Old Billy II
was, / suppose, because my hair was getti
gray and my joints triae stiff.
The Red Ravine Station was wood
building, about 40 feet long by 20 WIDE
was divided into two compartments,
larger one being for freight and baggage, g
the smaller one for passengers. My o
little room was only piece partitioned
from the freight quarter, about
feet square, and connected
a door with the box of an Office In the I
sengers' room, which served both for sell
tickets and holding the telegraph-key:
this latter apartment. also, was placed
oId.fashioned iron safe, In which locked
valuable express packages when any hapr
cd TO come 70 Red Ravine. The village
ought 70 explain. had grown up entil
through The inaasaos Of the great iron VIC