Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-01-15
TRAIN ROBBERS.


Goodbye, Connie. Be sure you
write as soon as ever you get there.
don't half like the idea OF your going
away alone. 1 shall have the horror:
until / hear that you have not been kid.
mapped or murdered"
I My friend hugged and kissed me
and finally let me go with great unwil.
liBgness.
/ had been spending few days with
an old schoolmate in the pretty little
town of c., on my way from Michi'
gan to California. Her husband had
been called away in the morning on
/ urgent business. The latest baby was
screaming with cramps or some Infan.
| tile ailment, and there was no one to &c
{ with me to the depot, or give me what
she considered proper send OF.
1 returned her kisses and good-byes,
! not at all put out; being rather indie
pendent young lady in the first place,
/ and having very little need for an escort
anyhow. L had purchased a through
: ticket, and my trunk Was checked to
4 my destination, as / had not considered
it necessary to have it with me on SC
short visit.
1 My friend lived on a branch road,
and L had several hours ride before l
reached the city where 1 would meet
/ the Overland.
/ arrived at the little station just as
the train came in. 1 was greatly sur
prised at the approach of the station
agent, who stood on the platform out
side.
"HelloI here's my little deaf and
dumb beautyl" he exclaimed, and put
out his hand in respectfully, friendly
manner.
He seemed to be addressing two men
who stood near; one a rather tall, good
looking man, with a clustering voice,
and the other small, sly, mean-look-
! ing fellow.
''She goes down on pass every few
months" the agent added.
AmaZement held me quiet at first.
As the case of mistaken Identity came
to me more clearly, my fun-loving dis
position came to my aid, and deter
mined to carry on the farce, for the
amusement there might be in it. So l
smiled and bowed in a cordial way.
He accompanied me to the car, and
waving aside the brakeman, who stood
ready to help me in, assisted me up the
steps himself, as if my supposed infirm-
ity had taken away my powers of loco
motion.
The two men who were standing on
the platform, followed
Here's a nice little deaf mute,
Charley" he said to the conductor, as
he turned over seat and piled my few
packages In it. 81 don't believe she's
been down since you've had the run.
She's got on some new togs to-day, and
looks uncommonly pretty, but don't
you be making love to her." and he
laughed at his own wit. ''She's got a
little tablet in her handbag that she
writes on"
was inwardly thankful for this hint.
and glad that had my tablet on which
1 had taken notes of my journey, to fill
out into letters to the friends at home.
l kept my eyes discreetly lowered,
fearing that 1 should not be able 10
keep my countenance and carry on the
comedy, and took my seat on the sh ady
side near the center OF the car.
The two men were sitting behind
me. ARRANGING myself comfortably
took survey of the occupants of the
Car. One side. where the sun beat
hotly In, was entirely deserted, and the
few persons in front of me We're ex-
tremely uninteresting.
One poor woman was being pulled
and hauled, and otherwise maltreated
by her half-doZen children. The older
ones quarreled and fought and made
themselves generally disagreeable, while
the baby yelled till 1 almost wished my
fictitious deafness had been real. To
my great joy, the incompetent mother
removed herself and her dreadful chill
dren from the car few stations ahead.
The conductor came in frequently
and We carried on a written conYersa-
ton, which was as remarkable for its
penmanship, as for the astonishing
stories / was obliged TO invent, TO keep
up my character as deaf mute.
The few passengers dropped OF one
by one. The day was hot, and the
country through which we were passing
uninteresting.
l was sinking into doze, when sud-
denly l became wide-awake At the
sound of terrible oath behind me. l
raised my head. The seats before me
were empty. Feeling thirsty, L went
to the end of the car for a drink of
water. Then l saw that there was no
one in the car but myself and the two
men who had come on board with me.
An uncanny feeling crept over me.
Then l reflected that no harm would
come 10 ules pIOOdDly, III DIOdl udy-
light, with conductor and brakeman
passing through the car constantly, and
on a road where there were liable to he
any number of passengers at the first
station.
took my seat again, and opened
box of candy with which l had provided
myself, when / has again startled by
the loud tones behind me.
II tell yer won't have so many in
it. The more there Is in a job, the
likel'er il is to be found out, and the
more there is to be grabbin' fur the
swag The fewer the better, L
whether you're goln' to do one masay.
a railroad tIain.n or
well, don't yell So" demonstrated
the other.
What's the differen Who's
goin' TO hearl" the first speaker went
on, in the same loud tone and with
abundant oaths. AZ get enough of
whisperin', SO l like to speak out when
I glt the chance. / don't want to for
e the sound of my own voice."
81 like to be on the safe slde," was
the cautious answer.
You don't s'pose that desf girl is
Eoin' to split On US. do ye?"