Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-07-25
THE VALUABLE PACKAGE.
A station-Agent's story.

|
1 am going to tell you happened to me.
1t was q wild and stormy night, and
as the depot was nearly half a mile out
of town, the set of loafers which usually
collected about the stove in the waiting
room had eventually concluded to seek
some place nearer home to spend the
evening in. and, for wonder. / was
alone.
The express from the West was due
at $50. After that should be at lib
erty, and began to wish the evening
was over long before the train came
along, or else that had some one to
talk to, for tho depot was in one of the
lonesomest spots that could have been
selected; and the wind kept up dismal
moaning in the pines close by, and every
now and then seemed to be positively
bowling in the wires of tie telegraph.
l began to feel nervous and fidgety.
At last the train came. was also
express agent, and the expressman on
tho train handed me a heavily-sealed
envelope, remarking, as nc did SO: "Be
| careful of that, Branthwaite. There s
a big bonanza in that package. If it were
yours or mine"
"Moneyp" / asked, noticing that
| there were but two passengers getting
| oH-two men in shaggy overcoats aid
slouchy looking hats whom concluded,
without thinking much about them OIL
paying but little attention to them, to
be hunters returned from some up
country trip.
Eyes tri'e Of twenty thousand,
believe" answered. Phillips sold Pow
ers is sending ii down to his son, who S
putting up mill somewhere near here,
isn't he
"Tes; on the other side of the river"
Ireplied. "lts lucky to have rich
father, Phillips"
You're + ght there" answered Phil
lips.
And then the train started of. AMI
turned and walked toward the o!lce.
As neated the door with the package
in my hand one of the men, who had
been watching me, made aspiring to ard
me. 1 dol know how l happened
to be on the lookout for them, but
must ha} been, for jumped back al
most the same instant that he made his
move, and before either one of them
comprehended what ! was about had
made dive between them and sue.
,cedcd in getting into the Office, and
had the door boltcd almost before |
knew what | was doing.
heard volley of curses hurled after
me. and then knew by the sounds and
the creaking of the door that both of tho
men were trying to breakin. But had
no fears of their doing that. IL was of
hard wood, well-seasoned, and would
resist all their efforts in that direction.
| put the package in the sac, and
locked it securely, before stopped to
think what was to he done. Then sat
down TO think while could hear the
men Ia king outside. knew they were
no ding co ncil over the means to-be
used to effect an entrance and obtain
possession of the money had received.
II was anything but "a pleasant situa-
ton to be in. Here was alone half a
mile away from any assistance, ut ten
o clock at night and n stormy night ~
that and the probabilities were that
nearly everybody was already in be l..
If they were not, no one would think OF
coming to the depot ut that time of
night. Outside were two desperate
men, who knew | had large sum OF
money in my possession, and they knew
that il they cou d effect an entrance
would amount to but little in the way OF
preventing an accomplishment of their
vii ainous purpose.
Suddenly thought occurred 10 me.
The clerk at the hotel where l boarded
had taken fancy to telegraphy and we
had put up n wire Letween the hotel
and the depot Why couldn' | advise
HIM of my danger, and have him send
helpP
Iheard new sound at the door just
then, which sent the blood i'm great
frightened es all over me. The
men had begun to It their way in with
pocket-knives!
rushed to the instrument and "call-
cd George. What if no had gone to
bed, or should be outp turned pale
at the thought.
But pretty soon response came back.
| He was there Go ahead.
/ began and wrote:
Il am in danger. Two men are try
ing to gain admittance for the purpose
OF robbing the express safe. Send help
Immediately, for Gods sake! Not q
minute to losep'
Slower telegraphed George, who
had not been rracticing long enough to
be able to read well.
j went over with the message again.
But l suppose excitement made my
writing BLURRED" for again he sent
back word:
Slower, and more distinct! Can't
ma G il out i"
Good God! Before / succeeded i'm
making him understand me they would
be through the door, thought, with O
cold sweat breaking out all over me.
But went over the message again, and
this time he caught il, and sent lack q
hurried "All right! Hold out for ten
minutesv'
The men were digging away like
beavers. ] tould see the points of their
knives once in while, as they splintered
away fragments of the panels. But
know that it would take them some time
yet to cut away enough for them "a
make an entrance through. How
wished / had pistol!
waited in feverish impotence. Sud-
denly there was crash, and one panel
was stove in by the foot of one of the
men.
"Ahar' he grinned, with his leering
face Mt the aperture. "You see we
mean business, don't youP What are
you going to dowhen we get in, ehp"
didn't know. Die, I supposed, il
they took an idea TO put an end to me
into their heads. Why didn't George
and the help he had promised tomcp II
seemed to me that they had had time
enough to mae ten nile tramp.
We've got the second panel almost
| al. L. A Al
chuokling horribly over the cheerful in.
formation. Then. guess, Tom can
crawl through. You might as we'll be
opening that box o your'n, an git out
that bundle we're alter. Eli save all
on us tonsidera lc trouble an time"
Crash came his foot againstthe panel,
and il burst into splinters; and my
heart farly stopped beating when saw
one Of them thrust his head an shout
ders through he opening. seized the
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