Wichita eagle., 1889-10-09
A QUIET LITTLE OLD MAN.
HOW HE EARNED A PASS TO UTICA
AND RODE IN A PARLOR CAR.
What His Busy Left Hand Was Doing in
His Coat Pocket-One Conductor Who
Knew a "Spotter'' When He Saw Him.
Got His Travelling Expenses and a TeDner.


Got His Travelling Expenses and a Tenner.
A small, slender man, with iron gray hair
and closely trimmed rnustache, was pas
senger on the limited Chicago express that
left the Grand Central depot at $50 o'clock
one morning some weeks since over the tracks
of the New York Central railroad. He was
avery slight man, and could not have weighed
over 100 pounds. Tie was modestly dressed
in blue serge, and wore a turn down collar, a
black grenadine silk tie and soft hat There
was an air of confidence about him at be-
tokened the experienced traveller, and al
though his features were naturally severe
they frequently relaxed into pleasant smiles
as his reveres turned to pleasing subjects.
The $50 train is made up entirely of Nag-
ner drawing room cars, and is about COM
plete train as even the most luxurious
could desire AS there is an extra charge for
tickets on this train, only the Weather tray
elers indulge in them. Among these aristo-
Gratis the little man looked quite at home,
and none among them appeared more dis
tinguished and accustomed to the luxurious
surroundings than he. As the train pulled
out of the depot he drew from the depths Of
a satchel by his side a small black silk skull
cap. With great deliberation he removed
his hat and put it on a bracket. Then he
pulled the cap down on his forehead, took a
newspaper from an inside pocket ct his coat,
and settled down in the depths of his chair to
read
The gray haired man leaned back in his
chair with closed eyes, and remained in that
attitude for some time after the train had
emerged from the tunnel into the sunshine.
The first stop was made at Albany. During
the interim lie had alternately dozed. read
the paper and charted with the banker.
When the conductor came around and
punched the tickets he was doing so heavily,
apparently, that the conductor had to shake
him quite heavily to arouse him. The old
ladies were quite indignant al the conductor,
and vowed that he was really unnecessarily
rough with the nice old gentleman, and
thought that he ought to be reported for bis
rudeness.
1t certainly did seem as though the con-
ductor rather overdid his duty in this regard
II was also odd to observe the way the con-
ductor started when he first laid eyes on the
CID man. He seemed to recognize him, and
vet, after the first glance Of startled recog-
milton, there was no indication that he had
ever seen him before except a cold look OF
diSlain and sn evident satisfaction in the
way he jostled him. As for the old man. he
seemed to pay no attention 10 the conduct
ors action, except that he was unusually
earnest in the way he STUDIED his newspaper
after the conductor hsd left him
To the close observer there were three mat
tiers worthy Of notice. In khe first place, the
old man was travelling on s pass issued from
the main Office Of the company The conduct
or studied it closely each time that he came
around 70 examine the tickets. and appeared
% take malevolent pleasure in making the
old man wait, but the latter did not seem to
be st ali disturbed by that. Secondly, the
old man always looked at his watch in a
guarded way after the conductor had passed
out OF the ear; and. thirdly. his left hand
seemed TO be busily moving in the lower left
hand pocket OF his sack coat for some mir
utes after be lad thus observed the time
Whenever the conductor WAS In the car the
old han was entirely occupied. TO all appear
anceS. in reading, doing or deep converse
tion with the banker The latter. who was
entirely oblivious, IS were the other passen-
gers, of the byplay between the conductor
and the old man, was frequently startled by
the abrupt manner IN wkict tas laszer1
launched out into some discourse on Wall
street. When the conductor was not IN the
car the old man seemed TO - dyeanily CT