The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-08-22

an eighth Of mile up the track before
Euniee's lantern light fell on a single
black figure, IFS hat pulled over its eyes
its form closely buttoned up ina fur
trimmed overcoat,
lis this the station 20 said low, well
modulated voice, which gave Miss Bar
low the idea that the unhappy victim Of
justice was a gentleman born and bred.
Where are the porten Upon my
wcrd" docking around after a bewilder-
ed fashion, -i'm afraid they've forgotten
10 pat of my luggage. Isn't there a fire
somewhere hereaboutsgr
Eunice Barlow looked solemnly at him
a. she opened the door into the bright,
eheerfully lighted little station. Yes, the
teiegaphei description had been cor
rect lie was small and dark, and. poor
fellow. he looked as il he were half fro
zen TO death. Bat now arose the perplex-
ing question, how was she to ~detain
him ?"
Il can lock him in the ticket Office
she thought 10 herself "He will be safe
enough until Mr.. Pettyclove comes in
the morning. But, poor fellow do
feel sorry for him.
The solitary passenger fell headlong
into the trap laid for him by the tele-
graph operator. He walked directly into
the ticket office and sat down, with a |
weary sigh, on the tall wooden stool |
which had lately served Miss Barlow as
throne Of office
'Only about as old as our Victor |
would have been had he lived" thought
Eunice. "Oh, wonder what sinister in
fluence led him into this mistake / |
wonder-You are mistaken, sir" she said /
/ aloud, in answer TO his reiterated ques-
tions. There are no porters here. There
is no hotel nearer than the Pine Barrens,
four miles away The agent is detained |
at home by sickness, and am the tele-
graph operator, on duty in his absence"
The stranger uttered long, low whis-
tie.
Il think" said he, "that must have
managed to alight at the jumping off
place Of all the world What's to be done,
/ wonder ~
He looked 50 cold, so youthful, so utter
ly desolate, that Eunice Barlow's heart
bled for him in his solitude and peril.
Even if he has gone wrong, she pom
dered, with all young girls optimism,
''he may do better if he can only get
chance. After all, | am not the station
agent. How can they expect me, wo-
man, to usurp the place of the officers of
the law? could detain him perfectly
well, but"
'Can yon tell me, pleaded the solitary
passenger, "where l can get nights
lodging and something to eat? 1t is six
hours since we left the supper station,
and am just recovering from siege of
malarial fever. Surely there must be some
one around here who would act as my
guide"
There is no one here but me,p SAID
Miss Barlow, locking the cash drawer
and preparing to extinguish the one re-
iiector lamp that glowed above the new
arrivals head "But if you choose to go
home with me dare say my mother will
give you some supper and bed. Our
house is the nearest to this place. And
COMMONWEALTH somewhat signif-
cant pause-"you can begin new ca
reer"
'1'm awfully obliged to YOU" said the
gentleman, jumping up with alacrity
But how many careers per week do
these westerners count upon? I've no OBJ
lection, for my part, TO the old one con-
tinued."
Miss Barlow's face remained inexora-
bly, grave. She considered it no part of
her duty to countenance flippancy like
this. She locked the station, and hung
the key on its hooked nail close within
the latticed easement outside, where the
winds could not hurl it away nor the
storms disturb it, before she said, qui-
etly:
This way, please. The lantern will
light you sufficiently if you are little
careful otherwise you will find the way
rather steep and narrow down the hill.
You are perhaps unaware that telegram
describing your personal appearance has
Just come in from the White Peak Of
fee ,"
"A telegram? BY Jove, the whole
thing is out, them"
lie spoke quickly; there was genuine
disgust and dissatisfaction expressed in
every feature of his face.
"Yes," responded the telegraph opera
tor, "the whole thing is out. Your con-
lecture is quite correct"
"Does-I beg your pardon, but really
this is matter of some importance to
me-does any one know it besides your
self2"
"No."
81 may depend on you?" he asked,
with imploring emphasis.
'Yes, you may depend on me-"
Thanks, awfully !" declared the stran-
ger, with fervor. "You see, it makes it
very unpleasant to have these things
talked about"
al should think it might" she said
frigidly.
"And 1 had counted on remaining
strictly incognito."
$50 should imagine
A brief silence ensued. Eunice was
wondering how her strange companion
could speak so eoolly of "these things"
"Was he utterly dead to all shame 2" she
thought. The strange companion, in the
meantime, was secretly marveling at the
ease and lightness with which this ex-
traordinary girl stepped out through the
snow drifts.
"a perfect Amazon" he said to him
self; "and a pretty one, too. Why don't
she keep on talking? like the timbre
of her voice, it's a regular contrslto."
At length he broke the silence. Cant
carry that bag for you?'
'Do you know what is in this bag?"
she counter questioned.
81 haven't the least idea," he respond
ed
"The money taken in over the ticket
desk to-day, and the keys of the cash
.1-,urars Ia,, raSr.ooeil.la4 for all of II -