The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-11-28

message:
Conductor, East Bound Chicago Express,
Utica, N Y:
please ask lady in section seven of sleep-
ing car Catawba to await her husband at
Delavan house, Albany. A. j. HOBART"
After requesting the operator to
kindly rush the dispatch, he proceeded
to the ticket office, procured seat in
the 5:45 fast mail for Cleveland, and
with his hand clutching the coin in his
pocket and his eyes fixed upon the floor
meditatively paced up and down the
platform, waiting for the train to ar
rive.
AS he did so he was disconnected to
find himself the object of widespread
curiosity; even the newsboys with the
morning papers favored him with an
inquiring stare as they passed. Won
dering what was amiss, he suddenly put
his hand to his head, which furnished
an instant explanation. He was hat
less.
Looking at the big clock, he saw that
it lacked ten minutes of train time, and
hastily crossing over to the farther
track he disappeared through the west
end of the station.
Among the passengers who boarded
the 5:45 fast mail for Cleveland when 1t
Numbered into the station, ten minutes
later, was the bareheaded gentleman OF
a few moments ago, now wearing 4
stylish derby. Once in the train, he
settled himself in his seat with a sigh OF
relief and satisfaction. Not until then
did the really remarkable character os
the situation dawn upon him. On the
very day which Ire had hailed as one OF
the happiest of his life he was travelling
at the rate of about 60 miles an hour
away from the girl he loved devotedly,
and to whom he had been married just
II hours. a queer opening of his honey
moon! In his anxiety to get a cup OF
coffee for his wife, he had lost his hat,
then lost. his change, and, lastly, lost
the train.
Why did he not follow his bride at
once? What mysterious spell had come
upon this 17-hour bridegroom that he
should fly from her as swiftly as the
fast express could carry him? His
hand held the solution of the problem.
simple, yet uneXplainable-a silver dol
lar! 1t held the secret he must unravel
before he could return to her; it was
not then that he loved her less, but that
this bit of precious metal had suddenly
developed an occult power that had
turned their paths, for the present, in
opposite directions.
At the first stopping place he sent
another message, which read as fol-
lows:
Mrs A. ]. Hobart, Delavan House. AL
bany, N. Y:
Cannot possibly reach Albany before to-
morrow morning. ANsEL."
With his brain filled with excited
thoughts, the young man entered the
sleeping-car office at Cleveland four
hours later and asked for Conductor
Parkins. He was told that this official
would not be on duty before night,
though possibly he might be at his home
on St. Clair street.
TO the address given him the indie
fatigable young man repaired at once,
and found the genial gentleman for
whom he sought breakfasting with his
family. He kindly gave audience at
once to his visitor
This coin which you gave the cashier
of the restaurant in Buffalo" said the
latter, revealing it in the palm of his
hand; "can you tell me from whom you
received it?'
Perkins remembered receiving cash
from but two passengers the night be-
fore. one travelling man who got off 1T
Cleveland and the other a woman whose
destination was Erie. The stranger
might ascertain their names by consult
ing the car diagram at the ticket office.
"You seem interested in the coin," he
added, smiling.
81 am, for good reason" laughed the
young man in reply. 1T is separating
a man from his wife" And with these
eni.matical words he made his adieu,
with thanks, FASTENED to the ticket Of
flee, and an hour later was securing the
city for one Richard Spears.
The register of the Stillman house
contained the frcshly-written name of
Richard Spears, Providence, r. L." but
that gentleman, when found in his
room showing samples of hardware 20
prospective buyer, could not throw
any light on the particular dollar his
visitor held up to his gaze, and remem-
bered distinctly that he had given the
conductor a two-dollar bill in payment
for his berth. He came from section
he said, where people took no stock in
silver dollars.
It was three o'clock in the afternoon
when a man got off the train at Erie and
inquired of the cabmen and depot mas
ter regarding a lady who had arrived on
the early train from Buffalo. An hour
later he was driving along a country
road some miles south of the town in
curing for the Wicklffe farm.
AS he finally drove up to the house
which was his destination, he was con-
scious of strange excitement. This,
he realized, was probably his only re-
naming chance to trace the coin by
whose mysterious power he had been
drawn into this wild chase with the
hope of identifying its former owner.
He took a hasty note of the general fea-
nf hn ,N1ooa hn1 70, 10