Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-04-24

| And the ether class of lunatics who
! frantically signaled for the car TO stop on a
/ steep down grade. expecting il 10 release its
hold on the cable and cling to the track
| with the brakes. Several times he waited
an unconscionable time for the people to
| get on the car, Tuning over the delay and
wondering what had become of the Grant
passengers, only 10 discover that they had
| taken seats on the dummy out of his line
OF vision. Twice he narrowly escaped COM
hitting manslaughter, and every time they
passed Dupont street. swarming with its
| blue-frocked herds, it occurred 20 him that
| he was in a fair way OF solving the vexed
question of how to discourage Chinese i'm
migration.
In the midst of his agitation he could not
| help casting an occasional glance of admit
ration at the gripman, standing coolly at
his post, his attention concentrated upon
the performance of his duty, the athletic
figure bent slightly forward, his keen eyes
never ceasing their earnest scrutiny Of the
road
Number IL pursued an erratic course
! that day, running in outrageous defiance of
| the timetable, at one moment treadlng
closely on the heels of the car ahead, at
another making desperate forward squirt
as 1t heard the warning bell of the dummy
in the rear. 1t seemed to Austin that on
one occasion as they passed the office he
caught brief glimpse of Pinchey's face
peering out at him with roguish eyes that
detected and enjoyed his misery But he
did not trouble himselflong over this fancy.
for the hour was drawing near when his
suspicion would be verified or dsproved
and he was conscious q = gr5wial, sense OF
apprehension lest his daughters bright
eyes should penetrate his disguise and
complete his discontinue. He even had
| the craven spirit to wish that something
would detain her at home in order that he
might escape the trying ordeal.
His prayers were not answered As they
passed the house on the 2 o'clock trip a
trim little figure, clad in a dark, wine-col-
ored dress with a collarette and muff of
sealskin, ran down the steps and waved her
! hand to the conductor. Mr.. Austin was so
| overcome by a guilty sense of his anoma-
| lous position that ne neglected to sound
! the usual signal for stopping the car and
was profoundly grateful to the gripman,
who brought the dummy to a standstill
without waiting for the bill to ring Miss
| Hetty demurely ensconced herself on one
| of the side seats Of the dummy, and the
conductor mechanically rang the double
| signal for starting. The gripman stood
stitiiy at his post without responding.
Austin repeated the signal. Still there
was no corresponding motion on the part
OF the engineer. Looking up and down
and across the street in the expectation of
seeing some passenger whose approach had
been observed by the gripman's sharp eyes,
Austin was enraged to see that no apparent
cause existed for the singular delay. He
sounded an indignant summons, six double
rings in succession. Low chuckles re-
sounded throughout the car. A boys shrill
voice cried out derisively
- tTOllV Won't he have a r,-ettyr hill 10
settle to-night2"
In his nervousness the inexperienced
conductor had been ringing the bell-punch
instead of pulling the strap. He reached
up to the latter, gave it sharp jerk and
stalked with dignity, TO the platform,
where he sat on the rear rail in defiance of
the rules of the road and sayagely gnawed
his false mustache. An unhappy remem-
brance suggested itself Miss Hettv's fare
must be collected. He denounced his neg
ligence in having failed to provide her
with pass as he walked through the car
and stepped out on the dummy, tapping
her gently on the shoulder.
Fare, miss?'
The girl looked up with a startled ex-
preston, then dived in the depths of a
Russian leather bag and found coin
which she passed to him in silence. He
thrust Il into his pocket and was stepping
back in 0 the car with vicious ring Of the
punch.
;. Pardon mel Ny change, if you please
The gripman gave him a quick, menac-
ing glance. Austin gazed q moment in
stupefaction, not compromising the de-
mand
think / gave you s. piece"
The girls voice was low and gentle, and
she phrased her speech 50 as to spare him
possible niortifcatiOn. He reached into his
pocket and brought out handful of
change There was the s. piece sure
enough. Who but an idiot could mistake
its yellow CLEAN for the dull aspect of a
nickel? He slowly counted out 81 50 and
handed the sum to her with n muttered
apology, then beat hasty retreat TO the
interior OF the car, stopping to collect the
1areS OF a couple Of passengers who had
lust stepped aboard. One of these was
Jones, vulgG fellow Of recently accumu-
lated wealth, who had put up a pretentioUs
Eastlake mansion on Leavenwofth street.
Knocking down fares Second time
l We caught him at it to-day said Jones to
! his friend, nedding toward him, James
Austin, who could have bough; out the up
start twice over had he cared An angry
DENIAL was on his lips. Then q deeI Grim
son flush overspread his face. TO be sure
he had been dropping fares in his pocket
without registering them on his trip slip.
Coniound that bell-punch Why was the
! blamed thing ever iHvcnied2
Austin forgot that he lad been the fore
most one to urge Its adoption en tile cable
road.
He was losing sight Of his daughter.
1hey had reached the end Of the road and
were on the homewIrd journey. Jack
starr had not put in bis appearance. nor
DID Miss Hettv appear to be on the lookout
Tor cI-rffop flaa-a D..
seat, drinking in the fresh air with a look
OF perfect content on her innocent face.
The tIlp DOWNTOWN was made without
I any great misadventure. eXcept that the
yIgllant gripman rescued an old man from
being mangled under the wheels. as the car
was started in response to the conductors
premature signal Miss Hetty sat calmly
IN her place and did not offer to alight till
they We're ON their fourth outward trip.
a close.
She descended from her seat with one
little backward look, full of sisnificance. at
the gnpman. The conductors brain whiried
as he realized that he had az last discoy-
cred clue. Twice before, when the ear
was nearly vacant, he had observed the
two in brief coloquy. Could il be that the
lovers, cut oil from any other means
/ OF communication, exchanged messages
through the medium of this dummy eugi-
neer
He was determined to sift the matter to
the bottom, and hastily canvassed in his
mind the most adroit method Of procedure.
deciding that a tone of jocular comradeship
would be the best adapted to extract the
desired confidence. They had reached the
end of the route, the remaining passengers
all left the ear, and the two men, by their
united efforts, We're revolving the dummy
to place it in readiness for returning.
Nice little girl, eh, that one in the
wine-colored dress and sea skin cap?n He
bent upon the gripman a smile that was
designed to invite his confidence. The lat
ter growied a short reply between his teeth.
, The car was in position for the homeward
start, no one was by to hear, and Austin
seemed determined TO follow up his ad-
vantage.