Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-01-04
A DETECTIVES STORY.
Why He Is Not on the Force
Any More.

Two men sat together in the rear seat Of
q. smoking car on one Of our railroads and
chatted familiarly Of the ups and downs Of
miners life, the topic being suggested by
a landscape dotted with coal-breakers and
furrowed with coal roads.
The freedom and interest Of their CONVEX
sation did not seem to be dampened by the
fact that the younger Of the two carried
revolver, while his companion wore pair
of those uncoveted articles Of jewelry which
are known in criminal circles as "brace-
let's"
The few persons who had observed them
learned from the confidential brakeman that
they were noted detective and his pris-
oner on the way to trial. AS far as ages
went the pair might have been taken for
father and son, the fine gray head OF the
one contrasting strongly with the crisp
brown curls of his captor.
What crime had been committed the
brakeman did not know, but hazarded
conjecture that it ''must have been pretty
bad one, or George Munsen wouldn't have
took the trouble to put them things on his
wrists"
Presently the brakeman and the conduct
or satisfied the joint demands Of etiquette
and curiosity by stopping to exchange few
words with the detective; the former then
perched himself upon the coal-box directly
behind the prisoner, and the latter dropped
magnifcently into the seat in front. The
train was sweeping around curve and past
a ruined trestle on the hillside at which
both OF the passengers looked with some in
terest
81 remember that place." said the older
man.
$50 do l." responded the younger; 'Iwas
born there. Came near being buried there,
700, ne resumed after moments pause,
slow was thatl"
ITS pretty long story" said the de.
tecuve, "but guess we'll have time for IL
between this and the next station. Way
up there on the slope is the little settlement
wnere made my debut, so to speak:
from IT TO the bottom Of the hill there used
10 De gravity road-a long, winding track
reachlng from the settlement down to the
Top OF bank wall of earth where A slide
occurred the year l was born. On both
slues OF the track grew saplings that had
sprung up since the disaster (ghat I am
tellng you occurred five years later) and
tney crowded the road and hung over the
OH rusty rails on which the coal cars usad
10 run. You must remember that the
houses were built near the mouth of the nit
.that was one OF the first mines worked In
TINS country, and one of the first tn he
aoanuoned' Time am telling about. some
men were walking up track, and a lot Of
oni,uren Playing near the top, climbing in
ana out OF au old car which had lain there
since II made Its last trip with the broken
spraggs still in its wheels,
Inc men were miners all hut oro ~
.le |nein' VINO questioned his companions about
sIeir .It WORK and the country they lived in
ne was evidently stranger.
presently, as they talked, shout from
.ne Top OF the slope attracted their atten-
uon' ana they looked up Just in time to Gee
grade. ''o"ly uown the
mere was an impatient exc,ano+;o,
& Aeom the Oldest man in the party .Then,
orass Is always up TO some miscbieI1 ha
saiu' Iney have started that old th;no ~
~ i"st' i've been expectin' To see n ~ =.
auy uuie TINS five year. THEY'LL he hreoIr
lug u sneir necks yet with their m-fooi;nS,,
anu another OF the group addad. HHo
must DUST out Of this lively. nnIes. ~
want 70 get our necks broke; she'll &C.,,
lump the rail or 90 to pieces AZ the ho,
Son lucky there amt no one ahoard
her. Nu0 aooard OF
At the se .Snsn stranger was looking anxiously up
a. Sso sne approaching runaway. His ouicS eve ue
1o1den S enuSns ahn sight OF something round and
quietly. "' car ne said,
~ was second or two before bis com
s,,.Ons p,a.SDi realized the awful meaning ., tn.
had eu1 said tba, II child Id That was as if he
chlldless. iseaVes-would be
the brol,on M one impulse they turned to look At
sSySSosi soxen rails at the edge Of the JTS sant a.
ths approa..b,ney bIney fixed their eyes again on
each other. TN TSsI mass, al, then hOpelessly at
ny ,os,h, sne Progress of the car Bur On stop
touched ,5s Sad bent it down iii il HOru neSrS al
Of the men enc !, fasE OK, 'HOldOn he said to ops
y ~" fAer Gown anotha- -, ~ AS''