The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1896-01-11
the telegraph Office, where he sent this

"Piease 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 10
kindly rush the dispatch, he proceeded
to the ticket Office, procured a 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 boardei
the 5:45 fast mail for Cleveland when 1T
| Numbered into the station, ten minutes
later, was the bareheaded gentleman Oh
a few moments ago, now wearing
stylish derby. Once in the train, he
settled himself in his seat with sigh OF
relief and satisfaction. Not until then
did the really remarkable character OF
the situation dawn upon him. On the
very day which he had hailed as one o.
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 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
J opposite directions.
At the first stopping place he sent
another message, which read as fol-
lows:
l DaIo A l.
Cannot possibly reach Albany before to-
morrow morning ANsEL."
With his brain filed 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 officia
would not be on duty before night
though possibly he might be at his homo
7 on ST. Clair street.
: To the address given him the indie
fatigablc young man repaired at once
and found the genial gentleman fol
: whom he sought breakfasting with hi.
Z family. He kindly gave audience a
j, once to his visitor.
"This coin, which you gave the cashier
r of the restaurant in Buffalo," said thu
: latter, revealing it in the palm of hi
t hand; "can you tell me from whom yor
received it?"
Perkins remembered receiving casf
J, from but two passengers the night be
N fore, one a travelling man who got off a
S Cleveland and the other a woman who's
+ destination was Erie. The strange
!, might ascertain their names by consult
! ing the car diagram at the ticket Office
l. you seem interested in the coin," h
:, added, smiling.
v 81 am, for good reason" laughed tn
t young man in reply. ut is separatin!
= man from his WIFE" And with thes
$ enigmatical words he made his adier
|. with thanks, FASTENED to the ticket OF
e flee, and an hour later was securing tn
e city for one Richard Spears.
5 The register of the Stillman hous
# contained the frcshly-written name O
"Richard Spears, Providence, r. /" bu
3 that gentleman, when found in hi
It room showing samples of hardware t
r. prospective buyer, could not thro'
g any light on the particular dollar. hi
II visitor held up to his gaze, and remen
It bered distinctly that he had given tn
& conductor two-dollar bill in paymel
le for his berth. He came from a section
4 he said, where people took no stock
is silver dollars.
e 1t was three o'clock in the afternoo
n when man got off the train at Erie all
h inquired of the cabmen and depot mas
t. ter regarding lady who had arrived o
the early train from BNfalo. An hou
IN later he was driving along countr
n road some miles south of the town il
l. quiring for the Wickliffe farm.
t. AS he finally drove up to the hous
he which was his destination, he was ccI
rs scious of strange excitement. Thi
ID he realized, was probably his only r.
id manning chance to trace the coin b
ne whose mysterious power he had bee
~ drawn into this wild chase with til