River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-07-12
A SOLITARY PASSENGER.
Ills Adventure With Fuu-Fledged
American Heroine,

The 1850 train from White Peak was
late that snowy February night 1t
never We what one would call pain
fully prompt train, but tonight it was
full fifty minutes behind its usual time,
and the telegraph operator had nearly
fallen asleep behind the pane of ground
glass over which the word Tickets"
was Inscribed in a half-circle, and
toward which a most inartistiGally
foreshortened hand was depicted as ex-
tending "A Gilt finger for the enlightcn-
ment az the general public.
Not that the Big Pine telegraph Of
flee was ordinarily opened at 81 late an
hour a. this. Seven o'clock was the
usual period Of closing. Nor had
Eunice Barlow any official right to the
tall wooden stool behind the semicircle
gilt legend referring 10 Tickets" In
a manner she had had greatness thrust
upon her. Old Mr.. PettyelOve. who
represented the majesty of the railway
company in this particular spot, had
gone home in the early dusk with a
raging facial neuralgia, and in common
humanity Eunice could not have re-
fused temporarily to assume his posi-
tion with its duties.
ut will only be another hour of
work. she told herself. cheerfully, "a
she put an additional log of FROST
fringed wood into the little air-tight
stowe. When the 1850 has passed,
can shut up the place and go home.
There are only two night freights. and
the conductors on both Of them have
keys to the freight-hOuse.
But I'm the course of these Sanguine
meditatious Eunicc had neglected to
take into account the driving snow
storm and the consequent block"
along the rails; and she was beginning
10 glance rather anxiously at the I'M
meaning dial Of the wooden clock on
the pine shelf above her head, for she
would have To walk nearly half mile
through the lonely wooded road ere
she could reach her home, after the
station was shut for the night. and she
had plump, timid-natured little
mother sitting beside the fire. who was
sure to imagine all sorts of possible
aud impossible horrors if Eunice
CHANGED to bc few minutes behind the
regulation time Of arriving at the
doorstep.
II wish, Miss Barlow unused. ..that
had thought to ask Mr.. Pettyclove To
send his boy Zcnas over 10 tell mother
that | was likely 10 be- detained little
But there, the train cans be long
now"
Outside the wind howled like an in
furiated demon in the worst possible Of
1empers. The tops Of the pine trees
kept mp constant moaning like the
waves Of some black-greeu sea Within
the clock licked Justify ON. the logs of
wood cracked and Sputtered rim the
stove. and Euuicc Barlow yawned over
her paper-covcrcd ..Ivanhoe.' with a
growing Indifference To the fate alike
Of the fair-haircd Rowena and Rebecca
the beautiful
Suddenly the silence was broken by
the tinicst sound. like the thrObbing of
some small silver heart. Eunice jumped
up. inStiuctivcly obedient 20 the call of
her autocrat. the telegraph
y message she thought. And at
This time Of the night, Wen. wonders
viii never cease.
4 message il was; u Peter Petty
Glove. station agent at Big Pine sta
ton:
Delalcaiion IN Homer Bank Dctain passen-
ger On train q small dark, wearing fur
Trimmed coat Keep in custody until further
n zee. Il Y CARTER
Chief % Police at White Peak.
Almost before she had deciphered
hose words. Euuice Barlow tele-
era ned back All right" and once
more the small silver heart left of its
tumultuOus throbhings. And not I'M
I'll then did the telegraph operator re-
allie what very peculiar position she
was in. All alone at Big Pine station.
and officially authorized. in right of
her substitution. To arrest a bank de-
faleator on the spOt'
Even while she pondercd on this I'M
expected state of things there was a
curious thrill and tremble Of the floor
beams under her feet; a shrill steam
whistle rising above the sustained roar
Of the tempest. The l0.50. officially
known AS No. II. WIS swinging around
the curve
In an instant Eunice Barlow was out
in the deep snow Of the rude board
platform with the lighted lantern in
her hand The conductor Of the train
was not at all surprised to see her
there. He knew that Peter Pettyclovo
was old and feeble. and n spirited
young female telegraph Operat-
or is rated at her full
value in the Big Pine section.
She tried TO signal him that she wanted