The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-08-05
."WATCH THE BOXw

WATCH THE BOX"
The 6:2o evening express, No. 80, was
over an hour late that night. Cause
enough, heaven knows. For twelve hours
the storm had ragged, and now instead of
showing any signs OF breaking, the rain
came down in torrents from the inky sky,
and the thunder rolled ominously over
head. A bad storm to drive an engine
through, as anybody would have known,
and the wonder is that No. 80 was not
three hours late instead of one. Luke
Granger, the trustiest, nerViest engineer
on the road, rounded the curve just be-
low Red Ravine. station at twenty-six
minutes past seven. breathed a sigh
of relief when saw the headlight cut a
hole in the darkness. The station bridge
might have given away in storm like
that, and was beginning to get nervous
over this thought. -. . " ;..S, ESSS
Somehow everything made me nervous
that night. It was just that kind of
weather when things look all out of gear,
anyway. ....
Then, I suppose, the knowledge of that
money package being due and failing to
come on the II 80, as 1t should have done,
had its effects on me. I didn't relish the
idea of keeping 5000 in cash until the
next day. Eldridge & Ricketson had
been down themselves to meet the morn
ing 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
way things have IN this world, when
you most want 'em.
There wasn't a soul at the station that
night except myself. and there were on
~ two passengers who got off the train.
I speak of 'em that way not meaning to
he disrespecttul, or make light Of SOL
emn things; only it's habit, suppose;
for most people would say there was on
ly one passenger that got of at Red Ra-
vine, seeing that the second Of en- was
carried out of the express car in wood
en- box. Usually when body was COM
Ing on I got word before hand, but this
one took me quite by surprise, and not a.
not little to the nervousness already felt
"Who is it," I asked, as the body was
carried into the station.
The passenger who had got off the
train, and who was stranger to me,
answered my inquiry. f..
The body is that OF my sister-in-law,'
said he. "she was the neice Of Thomas
Eldridge-doubtless you know him. Her
death was very sudden. She Is to be
buried in Mr.. Eldridge's lot here"
sThen I suppose the body is left in
my charge until tomorrow" said I.
"Yes," answered the stranger. "De
you suppose that I can get to Mr.. Ell
dridge's myself tonight
"Wen," / replied, tits good fou,
miles, and in such a storm as this"
"I'll wait until tomorrow" said the
stranger. There is some sort OF a hotel
here, isn't there?" 's.
''Yes, good one. Yon'll have to foo.
it, though; but it's only a matter of g
quarter of a mile. and you can't miss
your way, for the road up the hill leads
to the house, ......--.. III
Here made my way out of the plat
form again and made my way on the ex.
press car where the money package, (which
although lhad secretly hoped wouldn'i
come, was delivered to me BY the mes
senger. AS he gave it to me he said:
"Youl want to. keep 8 sharp eye or
that, Billy. There's enough il 1t tc
make one Of your Red Raviners put a bull.
let through your head, and never give you
the chance to object"
III look out tor the Red Raviners and
the package too,'' said I, confidently
enough. But if the truth had been told
1 didn't like the suggestion the messen'
ger had made. .....-......-..... &.
The train moved Oft quickly, and
swung MY lantern, as was my habit, by
way of bidding goodnight to Luke Gran.
ger. Then went into the station house
with the little 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 that
stopped at Red Ravine until ten minutes
past SIX the next morning. So my work
was done for the night and had only tc
lock the doors, see that things were all
right about the place, and sit down tc
my newspaper in the little room which
served as my sleeping quarters.
Twenty years had passed since I first
found myself installed at Red Ravine q
telegraph operator in the railway station
Being content with humdrum sort OF life
and faithful to my duties, I had come by
degrees to attend to all the work which
the place required. That is, I was ticket
agent, baggage-master, and keeper d
station, besides acting for the EXPRESS
company and continuing my charge Of
the telegraph key. These combined labozs
made it pretty close work for me, but
they all yielded very comfortable
income; and as I wish no unsatisfed
ambitions, I counted myself well fixed
AS have initiated slept in the station
partly to keep guard on the company's
property and partly from choice; being
q bachelor and without kin, I had nc
attraction = elsewhere. Ny duties had
grown part of second nature, and I had
hved IN the little town 30 long that the
younger generation had come to speak o.
me as "Old Billy" That was, suppose