Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-09-01
The Coupon Ticket.

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Can't help it. But the worst case had to
deal with was about two years ago. vi
course you've heard of the case of Jeffries
against this road. No? Well, it grew out
OF the Meedvile accident, Never heard of
the Meedville disaster? Well, 1 declare.
thought everybody had heard of that There
were columns and columns about it IN the
papers for days. Jimminy! how the news
paper fellows tried to interview mel
| Course knew better than to say anything,
but it was pretty hard to get rid of the re-
porters. Well, it was like this. l was on
No. and we were behind time. Johnnie
was a-whooping 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's S
one advantage of the air. If anything goes
wrong it don't wait till you need 'em, but it
|just cramps the train where she stands.
You may risk 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 it was an unlucky affair for us. Well,
there's curve at Meedville and we sen:
back man with red lantern, but before
he got round the bend down comes wild
special right on us. 1t was down grade
the engineer lost his head and jumped, fire.
man did the same, and before you could say
Jack Robinson that special had climbed
half way through the sleeper.
1t was an awful wreck! Half past in
the morning and as black as cats. Whew
l don't care to talk about that. General
thing it's the emigrants in front that suffer
in an accident, but this time it was the rich
folks in the sleepers. Jeffries was one of
the killed. He was railroad man who
used to be in Chicago till he got position
on the Central in New York. His family
lived in Chicago and so he came through
now and then. Mrs. Jeffries sued the COM
pany for $10,000-I think it was $4,000,
although they generally 60 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 and as
Mrs. Jeffries didn't seem to have money
enough to carry it any further it 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: Pm only telling you
just what I heard, that the case was drop
ped. Well, mebby it's as you say. Per-
haps the company is liable for passes as well
as regular tickets; anyhow Pm giving you
my version Of it. You see the conductor
that took up the tickets that trip was killed
i was breaking then-and whether they
got the tickets and passes or not Well, I
don't know anything about that. They
didn't have to pay for Jeffries, anyhow.
The night after that suit had been de-
cided l came through the sleeper collecting
tickets. In seat No. 4 sat man that I
thought was asleep. He had SLOUGH hat
drawn over his eyes. 1 touched him on the
| shoulder.
''Tickets, please" 1 said. He didn't
move, and somehow, the moment l touch
ed him l felt as if he wasn't living man.
81 want your ticket" l said, louder. He
didn't seem to breathe nor stir, and was
going to shake him when he slowly raised
his head. shall never forget the look of
that face. The cheeks were sunken and
the palid lips were drawn back from the
tsatth. that glittered in the light of the lamp
I had On my arm. HI, complexion was like
paste only dark and mottled There seem
ed to be bruise or cash on his forehead
but he had pulled the slouch hat over it so
as to partially hide it.
He handed out soiled coupon ticket that
had evidently been bought at scalper's.
| looked at it suspiciously. 1t was an un-
limited ticket and was good enough. I.tore
off the coupon to Chicago and gave him a
check
When I gathered all my tickets l sat
down in the smoking car to arrange them
and make an entry of the cash. Oh, that S
all right, we do make an entry of it. If a
man takes any of it he takes big risk with
it, can tell you. l thought l would take
another look at that coupon. Well, sir, 1
couldn't find it.! No, sir; hunted every
pocket had. Couldn't find a trace of it.
l went back and met the conductor of the
sleeper and told him / had lost ticket or
else hadn't torn it off. Said l never knew
myself to do such thing, but might have
done so this time, as the look of that man
had sort of ratified me.
ooh, him." said the sleeper man, "we' We
had deuce of a time with him.
''What was the matter?"
"Well, guess it was the fault of the up
town office-sold lower twice. Finally
the other fellow agreed to take lower 12.-
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 DID,"
"Oh, twas all right. Here are the two.
I'll report that uptown office. 1t puts me
in a-hello! By jingo, l haven't got old
Ghastly's ticketp'
Well, sir, no more he hadn't. Next
morning when the porter called lower
after everybody else had dressed he got no
answer. He parted the curtains and looked
in. Lower 4 was empty. The bunk was
just as he left it when it was made up!
Well, we concluded not to say anything
about our queer 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 l went
through the. coach, there was the same man
with the same slouch hat in the same
attitude.
''Your ticket" 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
f beyond. s'See here" said, sitting idown
before him as he handed me the samt
ticket, ''Who are you?"
SIS my ticket good?" he asked.
"Perfectly good"
ssThen what business is it of yours who
I am. Your company has made CONTRACT
with me. That contract is to deliver me
dG OulCdSo. PcO 1ud1 yOu, d oOAVoho VI oAN
company, aid it in keeping the contract" "
''Oh, we will deliver you in Chicago al
right"
ibid you do it the night before last?"
f 1--WE can't do it if you get off the train al
midnight"
s'My wife and child are waiting for me
{ at Chicago. See that you keep your con
: tract"
And with that he pulled his slouch ha
t further over his eyes, and sank into th'
, corner of the seat.
! looked at my thumb and finger, where
. still felt the coupon had torn off.
1t was not there.
The porter was so frightened that he re
o fused to make up lower 4, and two mel
. who had heard our conversation refused tt
{ stay in the car. The sleeper conductor
himself made up lower 4. 1 saw the cur
!: tains close on the haggard occupant of th'
! berth. About midnight parted the cur
: tains. There he lay with his boots ant
clothes on and the window curtains no