Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-26
A SOLITARY PASSENGER.

The 1880 train from White Peak waa
late that snowy February night, 1t never
was what one would cali a painfully
prompt train, but to night it was full fifty
minutes behind it's usual time, and the
telegraph operator had nearly fallen
asleep behind the pane OF ground glass
over which tho word tickets" was in
scribed in half circle, and toward which
a most inartisticelly foreshortened hand
was depicted as extending gilt finger for
the enlightenment of the general public.
Not that the Zig Pine Telegraph Office:
was ordinarily open al SO late an hour as
this Seven O'clock was tho rsIla period
of closing. Nor had Ennics Barlow any
official right to the tail wooden stool be-
hind the seuIicircglax gilt gendrcferring
to Tickets In a manner she had had
greatness thrust upon her. Old Mr.,
Pettyclove, who represented the majesty
Of tho railway company IN ids particular
spot, had gone home IN the early dusk,
with q raging facial neuralgia, and In!
common humanity EJlnice conld not have.
refused temporarily 10 ASSUME his position
with It's dIfties,
at viii only be another hour OF work, y
she told herself, cheerfully. as she put an
additional Log OF frost frlngsd wood into.
the little air tight stove. when the
1850 has passed l can shut up the place
ard 90 home. There nre only two night
freights, and the conductors On both OF
them have Keys TO the freight house"
But in the course of these sangutnei
meditatiops Eu1iice 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 tie unmeaning dial Of the
wooden clock on the pine shelf above her
head, for she would nnve 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, tin1id natured little
mother sitting beside the fire. who was
sure to imagine all sorts Of possible and
Impossible horrors If Eunice CHANGED to
be few minutes behind the regulation
time of arriving at the doorstep.
Il wish" Miss Barlow unused, chat I
had thought to ask MIR. Pettyclove to
send bis boy 2enas over TO tell mother
that was likely to be detained little.
But therel the train can't be long now"
Outside the wind howled like an infu-
rated demon in the worst possible of tenn
pers. The tops of the pine trees kept up
q constant moaning. Ike the waves OF
some black-green sea. Within, the clock
tucked Justify on, the logs of wood cracked
and gDuttered In the stove, and Eunice
Barlow yawned over her paper covered
Ivanhoe, with a growing Indifference to
the fate alike Of the fair haired EOwena
and Rebecca the beautiful.
Suddenly tho silence WAS broken BY the
tiniest sound. Hike the throbbing of some
small silver heart. Euuire jumped up,
instinctively obetieut to the call Of her
autocrat, tho telegraph.
"a messagel" she thought. "And at
this time of the night. Well, wonders
never viii cease"
A message it was; to Peter Pettyclove,
station agent at Big Pine station.
"DefaIcstion in Home bank Detain
passenger on train 81. Small, dark, wear
Ing fur trimmed coat. Keep in custody
until further notice. IL V. CARTER,
.:Chief of Police ut White Peak"
Almost before she had deciphered these
words Eunice Barlow telegraphed back
"An right" and once more the small sill
yer heart left of its tumuituous throb-
bings And not until then did the tele-
graph operator realize what a very pecu
liar position she was in. All alone at Big
Pine station. and officially authorized, IN
right Of her substitution. to arrest q bank
defalcator On the spoti
Even while she pondered on this unex-
pected state of things there was g curious
thrill and treInble of the hoor besms under
her feet; q shriQ steam whistle rising
above the sustained roar of the tempest
The 1880, officially known as No. II, was
swinging around the curve.
In an instant Eunice Barlow was cut In
tho deep snow Of the rude board platform
with the lighted lantern in her hand. The
conductor Of the train was not at all sur
prised to see her there. He knew that
Peter Pettyclove was old and feeble, and
q spirited young female telegraph operator
Is rated at her full value In the Big Pine
section. She tried to signal to him that
she wanted TO speak TO him. but the blind
ing snow drove its shroud Like sheets be-
tween them. He smiled and nodded to
her in the aggTavating way that mon have
when they are particularly obtuse, shouted
some incouprehensible comment ON the
weather, helped to loosen the brakes, and
was an eighth of mile up the track be-
fore Eunices lantern light fell on single
black figure. its hat pulled over its eyes,
lis form closely buttoned up ina fur
trimmed overcoatl
''Is this the station2" said a low. well
nodulated voice, which gave Miss Barlow
the idea that the unhappy victim of justice
was gentleman born and bred. Where
Gre the pcrters? Upon my wcrd" Cooking
around after bewildered fashion, I'm
afraid they've forgotten to put of my
luggage. Isn't there a fire somewhere
bezeaboutsS'
Eunice Barlow hooked solensrly at him
SIS she opened the door into the bright.
cheerfuily lighted little station. Yes, the
telegraphcd description Lad been correct.
He was small and dark, ss,d, poor fellow,
l.e looked as If he was half froze-, 70 death.
But now arose the peTple1ing question.
how vas she to "deteio nia?"
81 can lock him in the ticket Office" she
thought TO herself lie viii be safe
enough anti Mr.. pstsyelo.c comes IN the
But. poor fellow ! Go feel
sorry for him.
The solitary rssNnEer fell kcsd.cnr into
The trap laid for him by the telegraph
operauar. He walked directly INTO the
TICKET Office and eat down, with weary
s. y9,. on tho tan wooden stool which hai
ateiy served Miss Barlow as q throne OF
,tiiice
"Oniy abotrt a. old IS our Victor would
have hesa had he lived, thought Runice.
Oh, / wonder Whist sinister influence led
him into this terrible niss&lcet won
Ter Yoa arc mistaken, sfr, she said,
loud, IN answer to his reiterated 9ues-
ions. There ere no porters here. There
S no hotel nearer than the Pine Barrens,
our miles away Tho agent is detained
4 home by sickness. and l. ON the teie-