The free press., 1895-10-17

tramp. He and his chum, Jim Crosby.
belonged to party of engineers in
whose company had camped for sew
eral weeks during the preceding
spring. These two were Just from the
East-the "tenderfeet" of the lot
rather given to picturesque sombreros
and brilliant sashes, yet jolly COM
rades.
"Have you been long on the road?"
l asked, when he gave me back the
glass.
"A-few days."
"Where from?"
He stared at his shabby boots with
out reply.
Mentally reviewed the list of ca
tastrophes in recent daily papers, and
could recollect no mention of the
name of Rolfe.
"Hard luck, I'm afraid-eh?"
He nodded.
"Where is your chum?- doubles, ,
we used to call you!'
He looked dumbly up at me, while
into his eyes came that which none of
us behold often-thank God but
which at first meeting we know to be
despair.
Then his head dropped, and he
tainted
l got him down on the floor, and
worked over him until he revived q
little.
"Why should bear this?" he mur-
INJURED, half consciously. 81 would
let no other man live who had killed
Jim!' He caught his breath with a
sobbing cry that hurt to hear. "My
darling, l must go to her I must
tell her how /" His voice sank
inaudibly.
And remember hearing that he was
to marry Jim Crosby's pretty sister
next autumn.
Rolfe rallied some strength after he
had eaten the fragments of my din =
ner, and bathed his blistered feet.
But he refused my offer of ticket on
the night express to the east.
~ cannot ris k meeting any one.
from Trinidad" he said hoarsely.
I bethought me of certain box cars,
waiting on our sidetrack, to be car
ried during the next twenty-four
hours many hundred miles further
from Trinidad. Within one of these
empty vans proposed to install him,
ana SO label it that neither tramp nor
official would disturb his solitude un-
til it reached the limit of his journey,
where he could probably slip out un-
detected. This plan he accepted
eagerly, and, just before the time for
my own departure. l accomplished
that defrauding of the company VIII
paid me to protect their interests.
"You don't want thanks" he ex-
claimed. when left him in the dusky
car, with jug of water and some
crackers. "As for shaking hands !"
he ended, shuddering, "you have
guessed what mine have donel"
was going whence he had come. as
l had been summoned to Trinidad
by division superintendent at that
point. 1 should soon be familiar
with the details of poor Rolfe's
tragedy, I reflected, as settled my
self in the smoker" The conduct
or took seat beside me when we
we're fairly off, and remarked that we
had escaped the wanted fight to dis
possess secreted tramps.
"There is one chap, however, sup
posed to be tramping IN this way,
whom 1 would like to meet, he con-
tinued-" "Terrence Rolfe.
"Terrence Rolfe?"
'Young engineer-you know him'
Watts; you went down the road with
his party few months ago."
"Great chum of a fellow named
Crosby?"
"Just 80. aud engaged to Crosby's
sister. Well sir, he skipped out OF
Trinidad last week under the belief
that he had killed his friend"--
"The belief? Is Crosby not dead?
1 interrupted something children call
"lump" choking my throat.
"Neither dead nor likely to die un-
less he brings on brain fever frettinS
over Rolfe's disappearance. F."
ssVal1 ma vnur storv and L will tell