The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-05-30
A SOLITARY PASSENGER.

painfully prompt train; but tonight
it was fully SO minutes behind it's
usual time: and the telegraph opera
tor had nearly fallen asleep behind
the pane of ground glass over which
the word ''Tickets" was inscribed in
half circle, and toward which a
most inartistically foreshortened
hand was depicted as extending a
gilt finger for the enlightment of the
general public
Not that the. Big Pine telegraph
was ordinarily open at so late an
hour as this. Seven O'Clock was the
usual period of closing. Nor had
Eunice Barlow any official right to
the tall wooden stool behind the
semi-circular gilt lettered legend re-
ferring to "Tickets." In a manner
she had had greatness thrust upon
her. Old Mr.. Pettyclove, who repre-
sented the. majesty of the railway
company in the particular spot, had
gone home in the early dusk with a
raging facial neuralgia, and in COM
mon humanity Eunice could not have
refused temporarily to assume his
position with it's duties.
cit will he only another hour OF
work." she told herself, cheerfully, as
she put an additional log of FROST
fringed wood into the little alright
stove "When the 1850 had 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,"
Suddenly the silence was broken by
the tiniest sound, like the throbbing
of some small silver heart. Eunice
jumped up, instinctively, obedient to
the call other autocrat, the telegraph.
"a message'' she thought. "And
at this time of the night. Well,
wonders will never cease"
A message it was; to Peter Petty
Glove, station agent at Big Pine
station.
Dedication in Home bank. Detain passen-
ger on train No. 81 Small, dark, wearing
urtrimmed coat. Keep in custody until
further notice.
Nv. CARTER,
Chief of Police at White Peak.
Almost before she had deciphered
these words, Eunice Barlow tele-
graphed back "All right" and once
more the small silver heartfelt off it's
tumultuous throbbings. And not I'M
til then did the telegraph operator
realize what a very peculiarposition
and officially authorized, ir right of
her substitution, to arrest a bank
lefalcator on the spot!
Even while she pondered on this un-
expected state Of things there was a
curious thrill and tremble of the floor
beams under her feet; shrill steam
whistle rising above the sustained
roar of the tempest. The 1880, Off
ciallv known as No 21, was swinging
around the curve.
In an instant Eunice Barlow was
out in the deep snow of the rude
board platform with the lighted Ian
tern in her hand. The conductor OF
the train was not at all surprised to
see her there. He knew that Peter
Pettyclove was old and feeble. and a
spirited young female telegraph oper-
ator is rather at her full value in the
Big Pine section. She tried to signal
to him that she wanted to speak to
him, but the binding snow drove it's
shroud-like sheets between them. He
smiled and nodded to her in that ag-
gravating way that men have when
they are particularly obtuse, shouted
some incomprehensible comment on
the weather, helped to loosen the
brakes, and was an eight ola mile up
the track before Eunice's lantern
light fell on a single black figure, it's
hat pulled over it's eyes, it's form
closely buttoned up in fur-trimmed
overcoat.
els this the station?" said a low,
well-modulated voice, which gave
Miss Barlow the idea that the unhap-
Ply gentleman of justice was gentle
man born and bred. "Where are the
porters? Upon my word'' Cooking
around after bewildered fashion !,
"I'1n afraid they've forgotten to put
off my luggage. Isn't there fire
somewhere hereabouts?"
Eunice Barlow looked solemnly at
him as she opened the door into the
bright, cheerfully lighted little sta
ton. Yes, the telegraphed descrip.
ton had been correct. He was small
and dark, and. poor fellow, helooked
as if he was half frozen to death. But
now arose the perplexing question,
how was she to "detain him?'
tYou are mistaken. sir" she said,
in answer to his questions. "There
are no porters here. There is no
hotel nearer than the Pine Barrens.