Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-08-04

sort of ratified me.
go, him." said the sleeper-man;
sswe've had deuce of g. time with
him."
"What was the matter?"
ssWell, guess it was the fault of the
uptown office-sold lower 4 twice.
Finally the other fellow agreed to take
lower IL. Lucky it was empty.
that fellow. Did you notice how he
seems to be looking past you instead
of at you with those half crossed eyes
of his ?"
"Didn't see his eyes. He WAS half
asleep. Was his sleeper ticket all
right? He gave me coupon year
old"
go, it was all right" Here are the
two. TIL report that uptown Office.
1t puts me in a-hello! By lingo, [
haven't got Old Ghastly's ticketl"
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 cur
tains and looked in. Lower was
empty. The bunk was just as he left
it when it was made upl
Well, we concluded not to say any
thing about our queer passenger.
Didn't want to be laughed at up at
the head Office.
Next night went of all right on the
return trip, but next again, when [
went through the coach, there was the
same man with the same SLOUGH hat
in the same attitude.
II III,
coming over me. He looked up as be-
fore 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"
"Is my ticket good?" he asked.
Perfectly good.'
"Then what business is it of yours
who I am. Your company has made
contract with me. That contract is
to deliver me at Chicago. See that
you, servant of the company, aid it
in keeping the contract"
go, we will deliver you in Chicago
all right"
Odd you do it the night before
last ?''
eve can't do it if you get out off the
train at midnight"
"My wife and child are waiting for
me at Chicago: See that you keep
your contract"
And with that he pulled his SLOUGH
hat further over his eyes, and sank in
to the corner of the seat.
Hooked at my thumb and finger,
whoro T oti1l foIt tho oG11p0Y, h n Torn
off,"
1t was not there.
The porter was so frightened that he
refused to make up lower 4 and two
men who had heard our conversation
refused to stay in the car. The sleep
or conductor himself made up lower 4.
saw the curtains close on the haggard
occupant of the berth. About mid
night | parted the curtains. There he
lay with his boots and clothes on and
the window-curtains not pulled down.
The lights from the station that we
were stopping at shone in on him. |
saw at q glance that the man was
dead. There was no use in alarming
the rest of the passengers. Our next
stop was at Meedville. [ telegraphed
on to have an undertaken there to
take charge of the body. | told the
car conductor, and at Meedville q
couple of men came on and we went
quietly to No. 4.
The lower berth Was empty. Then
it flashed on me. We could never get
that passenger past the curve this side
of Meedville.
The sleeper conductor went up with
me when reported the affair at the
head Office in Chicago, and, as / ex-
pected, the manager laughed at me.
"I'm going with you tonight and
will be back with you tomorrow
night" he said. "I'll take the ticket
from that passenger if he's on board
and I'll bet you new hat I'll keep it,
too"
"Well, sir, when the manager and
myself went through the sleeper the
next night there sat the passenger with
the slouched het in seat No. 4.
"You can take his ticket" said fall
ing behind.
Il want your ticket, SIR" said the
manager gruff1y.
He would have bounced me quickly
enough if I had spoken to a passenger
like that. The SLOUGH hat slowly rose.
The manager gave gasp and sank
in the opposite seat. ''My God, JET
fries?" he whispered.
"You want my ticket? Why ?"
"Why, SIR" said the manager, re-
covering himself partially. cit isl
ieve-customary"
"Why do you want my ticket, Mr..
Coupler, when you know you have it,
in the inside drawer-your private
drawer-in the safe, at the head Of
fice?"
"Don't speak so loud" whispered
Manager Coupler.
ct shall speak louder, and louder,
and louder, until your company hears
what [ have to say. Have you kept
your contract with me? You agreed
to deliver me in Chicago. Did you do
it ?"
"We-ah-delivered what we could
of you," said Coupler, with a grim
smile.
"Was g. lump of mangled clay the