The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-02-03
SOLITARY PASSENGER.

The 1850 train from White Peak
was late that snowy February night.
;It never was what one would call q
painfully prompt train; but tonight
it was full fifty 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 q
half circle, and toward which q most
inartistically foreshortened hand was
depicted as extending 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-circle
gilt lettered legend referring to click.
cts" In a manner she had had great
ness thrust upon her. Old Mr.. Petty
Glove, who represented the majesty Of
the railway company in the particu-
lar spot, had gone home in the early
dusk with a raging facial neuralgia,
and in common humanity Eunice
could not have refused temporarily
TO assume his position with its duties.
cit will be only another hour of
work, she told herself, cheerfully, and
she put an additional log of frost. firing
ed wood into the little alright stove.
<'When the 1850 had passed / can
shut up my place and 60 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 OF her autocrat, the telegraph.
"a MESSAGE" she thought. And at
this time of the night. Well, wonders
wiz never cease"
A message it was; to Peter Petty
Glove, station agent at Big Pine sta
ton.
Deialcation in Home bank. Detain pas
senger ON train No. 81. Small, dark, wear
ing fur-trimmed coat. Keep in custody
until further notice.
H. V. CARTER.
Chief of Police at White Peak
Almost before she had deciphered
these words, Eunice Barlow telegraph
ed back "All right" and once more
the small silver heart left off its tum-
s,ituous throbbings. And not until
then, did the telegraph operator re-
allie what q very peculiar position,
and officially authorized, in right of
her substitution, to arrest bank de-
falcator on the spot!
Even while she pondered on this I'M
expected state OF things there was a
curious thrill and tremble of the floor
beams under her feet; shrlll steam
whistle rising above the sustained
roar of the tempest. The 1850, Of
fcially known as No. FL, was swinging
around the curve.
In an instant Eunice Barlow was out
i'm the deep snow~of the rude board
platform with the lighted lantern in
her hand. The conductor of the train
was not at all surprised to see her
there. He knew that Peter Petty
Glove was old and feeble, and a.
spirited young female telegraph op-
orator is rather at her full value in the
Big Pine section. She tried to signal
60 him she wanted to speak to him,
but the binding show droveits shroud-
like sheets between them. He smiled
and nodded to her in that aggravat-
ing way that men have when they are
particularly obtuse, shouted some in
comprehensive comment on the
weather, helped to loosen the brakes,
and was an eighth of a 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 a fur trimmed over
coat.
ais this the statlon?" said a low,
well-modulated voice, which gave Miss
Barlow the idea that the unhappy
gentleman of Justice was gentleman
born and bred. "Where are the port
ers? Upon my word" Cooking around
after bewildered fashion,, "Pm
afraid they have forgotten to put my
luggage off. Isn't there a. fire some
where hereabouts?"
Eunice Barlow looked solemuly at
him as she opened the door into the
bright, cheerfully lighted little sta
tion. Yes, the telegraphed description
had been correct. He was small and
dark, and, poor fellow, he looked as if
ne was half frozen to death. But now
arose the perplexing question, how
was she to ''detain him?"
"You are mistaken, SIR" she said,
iu answer to his questions. '"rhere
are no porters here. There is no hotel
nearer than the Pine Barrens, four
miles away. The agent is detained
at home by sickness, and I am the
telegraph operator, on duty in his
absence"
''Can yon tell me-" pleaded the soil
tary passenger, "where can get a
nights lodging and something to eat?
1t is six hours since we left the upper
station, and am just recovering from
a siege OF malarialfe fever. Surely there
must be some one around here who
could act as my guide?"
tThere is no one here but me" said
Miss Barlow, locking the cash drawer
and preparing to extinguish the one
reflector lamp that glowed above the
new arrivals head sBut if you
choose to go home with me dare say
my mother will give you some supper
and bed. Our house is the nearest
to this place. And to-morrow'-with
a somewhat significant pause-s'you
can begin a new career"
81 am awfully Obliged to you," said