The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1885-1888, 1885-05-25
THE MISTAKE.

The express train had come and gone
through the rainy December dusk with
its eyes of scarlet fire, and its whizz of es-
Gaping steam, and there was only one pas
senger for Peterbank-a tall, aristocratic-
looking old gentleman with fur-trimmed
overcoat, gold eyeglasses and fringe of
snowy whiskers under his chin.
Rolf Otherbrae, the young Scotch ticket
agent looked at him with that haf-curi-
Gus, half-indiferent expression wherewith
ticket agents grow in time to regard the
whole world.
"You are in charge here, / SUPPOSE"
said the tall, furry stranger.
Eyes, sin"
Perhaps, then, you can tell me at what
time the train from Carrowdale is due?"
cat $3.50, sir"
The old gentleman then sat down by
the fire, as if resigning himself to waiting.
And Rolf went out into the twilight to
make sure that the switch-tcnder, 100
yards or so up the snow-covered track,
had not fallen asleep, and that the signal
lights burned clear and steady for the
Southern train.
The Carrowdale train came in about six
minutes or so behind time, for the snow
was falling fast and the rails were slip
pery-the hurrying passengers dispersed
themselves III Nu1lOuS ulTcCIlOIS except
one young girl dressed in pinkish gray,
with black boa around her throat and
single long willow plume dropping over
her pale face, who entered the waiting
room slightly shivering with the cold.
Mr.. Otherbrae advanced toward her.
Can get you carriageY' he asked; cor
be of any other service to your
Thanks" she answered, shyly; lex
pect friend to meet me here"
Click! The sharp, sudden summons of
the little telegraph behind the rallied COM
partment at the farther end of the room
and Mr.. Otherbrae, who was telegraph
operator as well as station agent, hurried
| to his post.
'R Otherbrae, Peterbank Station 1.-THE tongue
| of the telegraph whispered, with its why,
| clinking sound: From police headquarters
| stop an old man and young grl-well dressed
and plausible. Forgery.
Ii. c. DEKo, General Office, New York.
Rolf stared at the quivering wires as if
expecting to CLEAN further intelligence
| from their metallic surfaces; then he
| looked across the room to where the
| slender, dark-eyed young lady sat, her
| hands clasped on her knee, and her eyes
| fixed intently on the fire.
| "a young girl, well dressed and plaus-
| ibler' The description tailed well enough
| but then she was alone! And as for her
being connected with forger's gang
| pshawl Rolf Otherbrae knew betterl
At the same instant she rose and came
| hesitatingly half acrossthe floor 81 beg
| your pardon. sir-but has the express tr
come i'll YETI
| 1.-TWO hours ago." Mr.. Otherbrae Oil
swered, wondering if it were possible
so fair an outward exterior could con-
| the hideous inner life of crime! And IL
| all of sudden, ii occurred to him that
tall gentleman in the fur-trimmed O
coat in the other room might possibl
| the "iriend" she had spoken of, and
cold man. alluded to in the dispatch
AT the same instant, advancing
or two farther, she caught sight ofthe
erect figure by the fire in the other
the figure wrapped in the furs, witt 'N
silvery, aristocratic hair, and the N.
droopingon the breast as ifin slumh
Papa" broke involuntarily from ..
lips. "IIe has been waiting for me
never knew it!' She hurried pas
ticket agent into the other room. Nf
Otherbrae looked after her in disma.
I'm to stop her. am II" thought
"And how the deuce am / to do it, i
to know"
AS these disjointed reflections
through his mind sudden shrek n
in the silence, and Mr.. Otherbrae, ]
ing into the waiting-room, saw the
girl kneeling on the floor beside tn
gentleman. And in an instant he
ceiyed the secret of her cry. The
old man, with fur-trimmed garment
the snowy beard, was quite dead. A
advanced she looked wildly up int
| face.
Cant you help him?'' she
Can't you do something? Oh don
see he has tainted? Tell me where
for doctor? Where can / find OF
have a smelling bottle, but"
at is of no use Rolf answered,
entirely forgetting the dispatch, or
resolved to ignore it. my mother
| tage is close bV Let me take Won Il
"And papa? Papa has come all tin
from India to meet me and take me
to Englandp
II will send some one to HIM at
said Rolf, swallowing big lump
throat as he felt how utterly usele
all human aid, and adding to hims
| don't care if she has committed ff
| geries aye, and murder besides. |
make a brute of myself by laying 50
as an additional straw of the bur
her troubles. It's the sweetest
ever saw-yes, and the best'
And so old Mrs. Otherbrae was st ..
dumb ms she sat by her coy heart ..
at 10 o'clock at night by the sudd,
partition, of beautiful youn
| drowned in tears.
Don't ask any questions, mothe
ling" Rolf whispered, "but be
her" And he hurried back to the
where the dead man still sat,
silent vigil
Half an hour attcrward Ethel DeN
knew that she was an orphan in as
| land.
"Where shall go?" she faltered
ing wildly around. "What shall
Papa oh, poor papa
"NIy dear, my dear!" said Mrs,
brae, kindly patting her head, "be
You need go nowhere you need do
ing Rolf will arrange it all. Rolf =. w.,
best fellow in the world, Just quiet your
self and let him manage it all,
And as Rolf, in the other room, heard
the suppressed sobs of the bereaved
daughter, he resolved within himself that
not all the police agents in Christendom
should wrest Ethel DewgroVefr from beneath
the @gis of his protection. With these
reflections in his mind, he went out 20 sec
the midnight train rush in pause second
ON its hurrying way, and then steam on
ward, like q fire-throated monster, with q
vertebrm of moving lights,
"Well, we've got EN-, said Simson Pike
the conductor as he swung stout old
lady OIL the lower steps to Rolls protect
ing hand.
"Got whom?"
nrhp fOrpers Went on 10 SheltOn's