The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-07-09
4 SOLITARY PASSENGER.

prompt train. but tonight it was full fifty
minutes behind its usual time, and the
TELEGRAPH operator had nearly fallen
aslcep behind the pane Of ground glass
over which the word tickets was In
scribed in "a half circle. and toward which
l. most inartisticaiy foreshortened hand
was depicted as extending a gilt finger for
the enlightenment of the general public
Not that the Big Pine telegraph Office
was ordinarily open at 50 late all hour as
this Seven o'clock was the usual period
Of closing Nor had Eunicc Barlow any
official right to the tail wooden stool be
hind the semicrcular gilt legend referring
To Tickets" In a manner she had had
greatness thrust upon her. Old Mr..
Pet;vclovc, who represented the majesty
Of the railway company in this particular
spot had gone home IN the early DUSK
with n racing facial neuralgia, and in
common humanity Eunice could not have
refused temporarily to assume his position
with its duties
1t will only be another hour Of work,
she told herself cheerfully, as she put an
additional log of frost fringed wood into
the little air tight stove. "When the
1850 has passed | con shut mp the place
and 70 home. There are only two night
froigLts, and the conductors on both OF
them have keys 70 the freight house.
But IN the course Of these sangulne
medita,ions Eunice had neglected to take
into account the driving snow storm and
the consequent block along the rails;
and she was beginning TO glance rather
anXiously at the unmeaning dial OF the
wooden clock on the pine shelf above her
head. for she would have to walk nearly
half a mile through the lonely wooded
road ere she could reach her home, after
the station was shut for the night and
she had a plumb, timid natured little
mother sitting beside the fire, who was
sure 10 IMAGINE alb sorts Of possible and
impossible horrors if Eunice CHANGED TO
be a few minutes behind the regulation
time Of arriving at the doorstep.
Il wish" Miss Barlow unused. chat
had thought to ask Mr.. Pettyclove to
send his 6oy zenas over to tell mother
that | was likely to be detained a little.
But there, the train can't be long nov
Outside the wind howled like an intu-
tiatcd demon in the worst possible OF TEN
pcrs The tops Of the pine trees Kept up
:. constant moaning. like the waves OF
some black green sea. Within, the clock
ticket Justify on, the logs Of wood cracked
md .nuttcrcd in tho stove. and Eunlce
Ba1l01. yawned over her paper covered
Ivanhoc. wilha growing indifference TO
the fa.r 4.lacci tAo fair haired HoweAa
and Rcbccga tie beautiful
Suddenly IT,, silence was broken by the
tinie,t sound like tho throbbing Of some
small silver heart Eurico jumped up,
instinc,iye.y obeiiclt 10 the call OF her
autocrat. the telegraph.
"A message" She thought. And at
this time OF the night. Wen, wonGers
never will cease.
A message il was; TO Peter Pettyclove.
station agent az Big Pine station.
"Defalcaiion in Home bank. Detain
PASSENGER on train 81. Small, dark, wear
inc fur trimmed coat. Keep in custody
until further notice II. \. CARTER,
Chief Of Police al White Peak
Almost before she had deciphered these
words. Eunice Barlow toiegraphed back
"All meLt,' ami once more the small 81
yer heart left oI ia tuuUltuous thrOb-
bings And not until then did the tcle
graph operator realize what very pecu
liar position she was in. All alone at Big
Pine station and officially authorized. IN
right of her substitution, to arrest bank
defalcator on the spot.
Even while she pondCred ON this uneN-
pected state of things there was a curious
thrill and trcmble ot the floor beams under
her feet: q shrill steam whistle rising
above the sustained roar OF the tempest
The 1850, officially known as No. p, Was
swinging around the curve.
In an instant Eupice Barlow was out In
the deep snow Of the rude board platform
with the lighted lantern IL her hand. Ihe
conductor OF the train was not at al sur
pyised 10 $50 her there He knew that
Peter Pettyelove was old aad feeble, and
spirited young female telegraph oporator
is rated ct Bcr full value ia the Big Pine
section Shc tried 10 signal 20 him that
she wanted speak toLim bat the blind.
Ing snow drove its STROUD like sheets be.
tweer them lie smiled and nodded TO
her in the aggravatiug waythat men have
when they are partic Ilarly obtuse, shouted
some ineomprehensiblo comment on thc
weather. helped 10 loosen the brakes. and
was an eighth OF mile up the track be.
fore Eunice's lantern light fell on a single
black figure, its hat pulled over its eyes
It's iOfNl ttO5tiN UAttVASN ~ - ia
trimmed overcoat
"Is this the stationy said . low. well
modulated voice, which gave Miss Barlow
the idea that the unhappy victim Of Justice
was gentleman born and bred. Where
are the portcrsy Upon my word docking
around after beWilderod fashion, I'm
ufraid they've forgotten TO put of my
luggage Isn't there q fire somewhere
hereaboutsY
Eunlce Barlow looked solemnly at him
as she opened the door into the bright,
oheerfplly lighted little stetion Yes, tbs
telegraphei description hal been correct.
He was small and dark, and poor fellow.
he lool ed as if he was half frozen todeath.
But now arose the perplexlng question,
how was she 10 "detain himy'
Il can lock him in the ticket Office, she
thought TO herself. He will be safe
enough until Mr. Pettyelovo 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 telegraph
operator lie walled directly into the
ticket Office and. sat down, with weary
sigh, on the tall wooden stool which had