Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-02-11
The Warning Over the Wires ;
on
The Message That no Man Sent,

Il
The G,2O evening train, No. 80, wal
over an hour late that night, Caus'
enough heavens knows, For twelve
hours the storm had ragged, and nov
instead OF showing any signs OF break
Ing tho rain came down In torrent
from an inky sky, and the lhande
rumbled omlnously overhead, A ba'
storm to drive an engine through ai
any body would have known, and the
wonder Ia that No. 80 was not three
hours late instead of one, Old Luke
Granger, the truStiest. neryieSt engi
ncer on the rood, rounded tho curve
Just below Red Ravinc Station al
tweply-six minutes past seven,
breaihcd sigh Of relici when ! saw
the headlight cut hole in the dark
ncsg. The second'b,idge might have
given way in a storm like that, and ]
was beginning 10 get nervous over
this thought.
SomehoS every thing made me
nervous that night. II was just the
kind OF weather when things look all
out of gear, any way, Then, | sup
pose the knowledge Of the money
package being due and 1t falling to
come ON the 1880, 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 d
Ricketson had been down themselves
to NEE, 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 n soul at tho station
that night but myself, and there were
only two passengers who got off the
train. I Ispcak oI 'em in that way,
not meaning TO be dlsrespecttul or
make ligh, of solemn things; only
its a habit | suppose for most peo.
pole would say that there was only
one passenger that got off at Red
Rsv,ne, seeing that the second of 'em
was carried out Of the express car in n
wooden box. Usually, when body
was coming on. | got word of it be,
forphand, but this one took me quite
by surprise, and added not a little to
the nervousness I already felt.
"Who was it?" I asked, as the
box was carried into the station
The passenger who had got off the
train, and who was stranger to me
answered my inquiry
"The body is that of ny sister-ln'
law" said he. "She is the niece of
Thomas Edridge doubtless you
know him. Her death was very sud-
den. She Is to be buried in Mr.
Eldridge's lot here
"Then ] suppose the body is to be
left in my charge until tomorrow y
said l.
eyes," answered the stranger. "Dc
you suppose can get to Mr.. Ell
dridge's myself tonight"
"Well," l replied, ''it's a good
four miles and in such storm as this
"Ill wait until tomorrow inter.
rupted the stranger. "There is some
sort of hotel here, isn't there
eyes good one. You'll have to
foot it, though but it's only a matter
of quarter of a mile, and you can't
miss your way, for the road up the
hill leads straight to the house.
Here l made my way out onto tie
platform again and made my way to
the express car, where the money
package, which all along | had secret
Iy hoped wouldn't come, was delivered
to me by the messenger. As he give
il to me he said
you'll want to keep a sharp eye
on that Billy. There's is enough in
it 10 make one OF your Red-Raviners
put bullet through your head and
never give you the chance to object.
I'LL look out for the Red Ravluers,
ahd the package too" raid |, conf
dently enough. But, ifthe truth had
been told, didn't like the suggestion
which the messenger hal made.
The train moved off quickly, and l
swung my lantern, as was my habit,
by way of bidding goodnight 10 old
Luke Granger. Then l went into the
| little station house with the package
cutched tightly under my rubber
coat expecting to find the man there
who bad come on with the body. But
he had gone, being anxious no doubt
to get tc the hotel as quick as possible
No. SO was the last train which stop