Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-08-22
THE COUPON TICKET.

% Well, il grew out of the Meedville acci.
, dent Never heard Of the Meedviile dis
: aster' Well, declare. thought every.
body had heard Of that There were col
umns and columns about it in the papers
for days. Jimminy! how the newspaper
fellows tried to interview mel Course
knew better than to say anything, but il
WAS pretty hard TO get rid of the reporters.
Well, it was like this | was on No. :
and we were behind time. Johnnie was
a-whUoping her through for all she was
worth Just this side of Meedville the
air-brake tubing snapped and on went the
brakes quicker'n lightning You see
that 5 one advantage of the air. II any
thing goes wrong 1t don't wait till you
need EN-. but ii just cramps the train
where she stands. You may risk a cracked
wheel, but you can't monkey with
the air. You've got to fix that right there
or you can't go ahead. Still il was an I'M
lucky affair for US Well, there's curve
at Meedville and we sent back man with
red lantern, but before he got round the
bend down comes u wild special right on
us, 1t was down grade, the engineer lost
his head and jumped, fireman did the
sane, and before you could say Jack Rob
inson that special had climbed hsIf way
through the sleeper.
1t was an awful wreck Half past / in
the morning and as black as cats. Whewl
don't care to talk about that. General
thing it's the emigrants in front that suf-
fer in an accident, but this time it was
the rich folks in the sleepers, Jeffries was
one Of the killed He was a railroad man
who used to be in Chicago till he got a
position on the Central in New York. His
family lived in Chicago and so he came
through now and then. Mrs. Jeffries sued
the company for $40, ,OOO-I think it was
$1,000, although they generally go in for
larger amounts Anyhow the company
claimed he travelled free and held they
were not liable. The company lost the
suit before the jury, but they carried it up
and the higher court reversed the decision
aud as Mrs. Jeffries didn't seem TO have
money enough TO carry it any further
1t rested there against her. Oh.
yes, | suppose she could have got
lawyers enough who would fight
the case on spec when she had
one verdict. | don't know the particulars
or why she dropped it; I'm only telling
you just what I heard, that the case was
dropped. Well, mebby it's as you say
Perhaps the company is liable for passes
as well As regular tickets, anyhow I'm
giving you my version of it. You see the
conductor that took up the tickets that
trip was killed. was breaking z then-8nd
whether they got the tickets and passes
Or not Well, | don't know anything
about that. They didn't have to pay for
Jeffries, anyhow.
The night after that suit had been de-
cided came through the sleeper collect
ing tickets. In seat No. sat a man that
| thought was asleep. He had slouch
hat drawn over his eyes / touched him
0n the shoulder.
Tickets, please" l said He didn't
move, and somehow, the moment. l
/ touched him felt as if he wasn't a living
man.
! Il want your ticket" said. louder He
I didn't seem TO breathe nor stir, and WAS
going to shake him when he slowly
raised his head l shall never forget the
I iOOk of that face. The cheeks were
sunken and the pallid lips were drawn
back from the teeth that glittered in the
light Of the lamp had on my arm. His
complexion was like paste only dark and
mottled. There seemed to be bruise or
cash on his forehead, but he had pulled
he slouch hat over it so as to partially
aide it,
He handed ont a soiled coupon ticket
that had evidently been bought at a
scalper's. l looked at it suspiciously 1t
was an unlimited ticket and WAS good
enough. tore off the coupon to Chicago
and gave him a check.
When | gathered all my tickets sat
Town in the smoking car to arrange them
and make an entry of the cash. Oh, that's
all RIGHT do Ea fry nf
4 man takes any of it he takes a big risk
with it, l can tell you. thought would
AXE another look at that coupon. Well,
sir, l couldn't find it! No, sir; hunted
every pocket had Couldn't find trace
IF it went back and met the conductor
of the sleeper and told him had lost a
ticket or else / hadn't torn it of Said
never knew myself to do such ching, but
might have done SO this time. AS the
look OF that man had sort of ratified me.
~Oh, him." said the sleeper man, we We
had deuce of a time with him"
What WAS the matter?r
We'll, l guess it was the fault of the
uptown Ofiice-sold lower twice. Finally
The other fellow agreed to take lower Il
Lucky it was empty. Guess he Didn't
want to wrangle with that fellow Did
you notice how he seems TO be looking
past you instead of at you with those half
closed eyes of his,"
Didn't see his eyes. He was half asleep.
Was his sleeper ticket all right! He gave
me a coupon year old"
~Oh. il was all right Here are the two
FL report that uptown Office 1t puts me
in a-hello! BY jingo, haven't got old
Ghastlys ticket"
Well, sir, no more he hadn't. Next
morning when the porter called lower 4
after everybody else had dressed he got no
answer. He parted the curtains and
looked in. Lower was empty. The bunk
was just as he left it when it WAS made
up.
Well, we concluded not to say anything
about our q seer passenger Didn't want
TO be laughed at up at the head Office.
Next night went off all right on the re
turn trip. but next again, when | went
through the coach, there was the same
man with the same slouch hat in the
same attitude.
Your ticket" l said with chill coming
over me. He looked up as before and
noticed that his eyes were half closed and
that he did not look at ME, but past and
beyond. See here" said, sitting down
before him as he handed me the same
ticket "Who are your"
as my ticket good," he asked.
Perfectly good
Then what business is II of yours who
am Your company has made a contract
with me That contract is to deliver me
at Chicago See that you, a servant Of
the company, aid it in keeping the con-
tract"
"Oh, We will deliver you in Chicago all
right"
did you do it the night before last'7
I'VE cant do it if you get of the train