The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-01-30

IDENTIFY enough. but, X tue hu'h nav
been told. Ididnt like the suggestion
which the messenger had made.
The train moved off quickly, and
swung nv lantern. as was my habit, by
way II bidding goodnight 10 old Luke
Granger. Then went into the little
station-house with the package ciutcneu
tightly under my ruhber-coat, expecting
10 find the man there who had come on
with the body. But he had gone, beng
anxious. no doES5.., ~ get 10 the hotel as
ou;ck a. possible. NJ. ~ was the last
train which stopped 1t Red Ravine until
6 10 the next morning. 80 my worA
for the night was done, and had only
20 lock up the doors. see that things
were All right about the place, and ~
down TO my newspaper in the little
room which served as my sleeping
quarters
Twenty years had passed since first
fund ,avself installed at Red Ravine rs
telegraph operator in the railway station.
Re;ng content with the humdrum sort
az life. and faithful 10 my duties, had
come bv degrees to attend to all the
work which the place required. That
Is. was the ticket agent, the baggage
master and the keeper Of the station,
besides acting for the express company
and continuing my charge Of the tele-
graph key. These combined iapors
made it pretty close work Tor me, put
they all yielded very comfortable IN
come; and, rs was troubled with no
unsatisfied ambitions, counted myself
well fixed As | have intimated, |
! slept i'm the station, partly 10 keep guard
I on the Company's property, and partly
from choice: for. being bachelor and
without kin. l had nothing to attract
me elsewhere. My duties had grown q
sort IL second nature, and had lived
! IL the little town SO long that the
Younger generation had come 10 speak
of me a. .sOld Billy That was, |
suppose. because my hair was getting
gray and my joints trifle stiff.
The Red Ravine Station was q wooden
building, about 40 feet long by 20 vide.
II was divided into two compartments
The larger one being for freight and bag.
caye. and the smaller one for passengers
Nv own little room was only piece
partitioned of from the freight quarter
about 10 feet square. and connected bl
A door with the box Of an Office IN tn
passengers room, which served boil
I for selling tickets and holding the tele
rraph kew. In this latter apartment
Also. was placed the old-fashioned irol
safe. in which / locked up valuable
express packages when any happened
to come TO Red Ravine. The village
ought to explain, had grown VI
entirely through the influence Q
the great iron-works Of Eldridg
a Ricketson. There were rich beds O
ore few miles to the north. and these
a. well as the big foundry, which EN-
ployed four or five hundred hands, wer
! controlled by the firm have mentioned
: There has been some trouble al IN
works recently-a strike or somethin
. growing out Of delay in paying the me
! their wages That Is how il happene
.. that the $4,000 money package can
into my keeping for night.
Well, when had made all snug abo'
4 the station, and got off my wei clothing
4 sat down comfortably with pipe an
! newspaper, to enjoy my customary rea'
: ing. The storm outside continued
: rage more and more fiercely, but with
Y things were As coy as could be. | HI
!, blazing fire in the stove, checrf
= LIGHT. an easy chair, plenty Of good I
4 bacco-the one luxury in which | W
y really extravaganza fresh newspape
4 and a bottle u good Holland q
y wherewith 70 make my regular no
4 turnal today. Certainly. these we
= pleasant surroundings for an old fellc
j ike me, and. as a rule. they yielded
much solid comfort as man has rig
4 to expect in this world. But that me-
~ things all seemed out Of gear, As ha
\ said. Ny pipe didn't soothe me a "
n it, wont; try as might. ! couldn't 9
~ interested in the newspaper; an unco'
y Portable feeling Of dread "a feeling II
IL some shadowy but horrible thing "
- about TO happen--possessed my min
!. and even when mixed up a teddy g
u sidcrably stronger than usual it failed
!. bring the relief l had hoped for.
4 .It all comes Of that pesky mon'
- package Imnttered 70 myself. Nv
~ couldn't il have got here on the i !:
and saved me the job Of keeping II O
Ok night"
Just at that moment cane a terri
L. elan Of thunder, and fash Of liz
= ming vivid enough to make the La
seem dim. had locked up the pa
In age in the safe. and put the key tn
II was no combination lock--in my pock
Nv But 1 had not the largest faith In
M security Of the old safe. II had
~ currcdto me often that a person co
open IL, even il he wasn't skill
eft cracksman. twas my custom 70 LEI
I. my door open between my little 70
ID and the Tickct-ofiice, 80 that II Red
80 vine was called on the telegraph-ks
could hear it. The instrument
our been clicking away at a great rate
the last hour; but as II was none Of
ter business, l had paid no attention
ma what was going over the wires.
Judged now, from the clearness Of
. 10 lightning and the jerky sounds Of
: ~ instruments, that the storm was p
WV a - A. $40