The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-04-03

u
DR.. Royal tcaS huddled against the lrt4l-
do1D.
They all noticed him, even in the
furry of settling into their places, ad-
justing hand luggage and attending to
the requirements of children. The con-
ductor brought him in with great care,
as one would handle fragile china, and
settled him ID seat on the left hand
side. A brakeman followed with hand
luggage, and the two men bestirred
themselves TO make their charge COM
Portable, lowering the blind to keep the
sun from his eyes, folding a railway rug
over his knees, and unlocking nd turn
ing the seat in front in case he should
wish to put up his legs
When the conductor and his satellite
had betaken themselves to their various
vocations IN other parts of the train, the
invalid turned his face TO the window
and his fellow passengers took noe of
him. His height was medium, but
seemed greater by reason of pallor and
emaciation. his eyes had circles under
them. and the droop of his figure indi-
Gated physical weakness. Evidently a
man Just out of a serious illness and
hardly yet in a condition TO travel. At
least such was the dictum of the lady on
the opposite side, given with emphasis
to a girl on the same seat.
Il wonder his people allow him to go
about alone" she commented. 1T
seems positively brutal He can hardly
hold himself upright, and I'm sure the.
very look of him will keep me racked'
with anxiety as long as | sit here. He
may give UP the ghost at any moment"
The girl glanced across Perhaps he
hasn't any people" she suggested, ''or is
on his way TO them" Then she added
sympathetically: Poor man! he does
seem dreadfnIly i'll 1 wonder who he
can be?'
So did the elder lady-so much, in
fact, that, being of decided character
and prone to get that which she wanted,
were it only information about her fell
low creatures, she put questions to the
conductor the instant he returned to her
vicinity. The facts elected were few,
but they served TO deepen her interest
and at the same time to divert her
thoughts into a more personal channel.
The sick man was DR.. Royal, and on
his way TO his people somewhere in the
mountains of Virginia. He had been
badly damaged in a New York railway
accident several weeks before, and, al
though he had escaped with life and
limb, it would probably be many months
before he would be his own man again.
So much the conductor disclosed, in
burst of unofficial confidence which he
was made keenly to regret by having to
combat womanly fears and prognostica-
tons, and also to pledge the honor of
railroad man that no accidents of any
size or description had ever occurred in
the past, or would be likely to occur in
the future, TO any train under his adj
ministration.
Meanwhile DR.. Royal sat quietly In his
place, with his knees well covered and
his travelling bag beside him. At inter-
walls he would glance at his watch and
administer to himself medicines from
bottles which he manipulated with elna-
ciated but steady fingers. From time TO
time the conductor would come to him
with offers of service, but he appeared
ayerse to giving trouble or making stir
IN any way, and, on the whole, kept him.
self so quiet that the interest of the other
passengers waned, although each new
conner would treat him TO stare Of SYM
pathetic or stolid curiosity, according TO
each individual nature. And so the day
wore on, eventless, into afternoon.
The brakeman dashed open the door
of the rear car and sent his voice along
the aisle. Nobody eyinced other than
passing interest, and it was apparent
that the information concerned nobody
present The door closed with a bang,
and the brakeman stepped back to the
platform of the forward car. The en-
CINE gave a premonitory toot- toot, the
train rolled forward a little way and
then came to a standstill. The invalid
lifted himself and leaned on the window
frame Away IN front he could see the
dingy red round of the water tank, and
so satisfy himself as to the cause of the
DELAY. He let his eyes wander hstlessly
here and there over the prospect spread
out before him.
1t presented the rather poverty stricken
aspect of the hill country in December
a stretch of hills in the background,
clothed with forest for the most part,
but diversified by cliffs and the jutting
forth of granite powders. At one point,
nearly opposite the sick mans window,
a red CLAW road circled and sided down
the hillside to the river at its foot-its
objective point, apparently, small ferry
house upon the bank. The embankment
on which the track lay was lifted above
the low grounds, SO that the view was
unobstructed to the river, the landing,
and the hills beyond.
On the low grounds the corn stalks
stood in struggling rows, upright or IN
ciined at various angles according to the
winds good pleasure, and the burrows,
surcharged with overplus of moisture,
showed long slnshy puddles half hidden,
hale ~,ox,alod I,v fayulou IF roupHla hx1rra