Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-04-11
A DETECTIVES STORY.
Why He Ie Not on the Force
Any More.

q smoking car on one of our railroads and
chatted famlliarly Of the ups and downs OF
q miners life, the topic being suggested Dy
a landscape dotted with coal-breakers and
f,lrrowed with coal roads.
The freedom and interest Of their conver-
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 "prace-
lets"
The few persons who had observed them
learned from the confidential brakeman that
thev 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
rrnkeman 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
aud curiosity by stopping to exchange Few
words with the detective; the former then
pcrched 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; 81 was
born there Came near being buried there,
too ba ad after a moments nauSa
GLOW was thats"
"Its pretty long story" said the de-
tective, 'but guess we'll have time for it
between this and the next station. Way
up there on the slope is the little settlement
where l made my debut, so to speak !;
from it to the bottom Of the hill there used
TO be gravity road-a long, winding track
reaching from the settlement down to the
top of a bank wall of earth where a slide
occurred the year l was born. On both
! sides of the track grew saplings that had
sprung up since the disaster (what l am
telling you occurred five years later, and
thcy crowded the road and hung over the
old rusty rails on which the coal cars used
| to run You must remember that the
houses were built near the mouth of the pit
that was one of the first mines worked in
| this country, and one of the first to be
abandoned. Time am telling about, some
men were walking up track, and q lot OF
children playing near the top, climbing in
and out of au old car which had lain there
since it made Its last trip with the broken
spraggs still in its wheels.
"The men were miners, all but one Of
tham, who Questioned his companions about
their work and the country they lived in.
He was evidently a stranger.
presently, as they talked, shout from
the top of the slope attracted their atten-
tion, and they looked up just in time to see
the car begin TO move slowly down the
grade.
"There was an impatient exclamation
from the oldest man in the party. Them
brats is always up to some mischief he
said. They have started that old thing of
at last; I've been eXpectin' to see it 60 at
any time this five year. They'll be break
ing their necks yet with their tom-fooling.'
And another of the group added: we
must dust out Of this lively, unless we
want to get our necks broke; she'll either
| jump the rail or 90 TO pieces at the bot
tom; lucky there amt no one aboard of
her.
"The stranger was looking anxiously up
at the approaching runaway. His quick eye
had caught sight of something round and
| golden above the car rim.
"'There's child in that car he said,
| quietly.
1T was a second or two before his COM
| paniOns realized the awful meaning Of that
! statement A child That was as if he
had said that in few moments some one
/ perhaps one of themselves would be
| chldess.
"With one impulse they turned to look at
| the broken rails at the edge of the fault
| Shuddering, they fixed their eyes again on
the approaching mass, then hopelessly at
| each other. They could not dream Of stop
/ ping the progress Of the car. But, quick as
| thought almost the stranger took hold Of
| saphng and bent il down till il nearly
touched the track Hold on he said To one
! "f lo men, IL viii help @ check hl-r
aaF. hf'r a sfr' 1nofier 1fli D..
Concluded on foarth pagel