The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-01-08
The Red Hot Dollar.


1t lacked three minutes of five by the
big clock in the tower when the east
bound Chicago express rumbled into
the station at Buffalo. The train had
not vet come to standstill when hat
less man jumped from the platform of
the rear sleeping-car and ran across the
tracks into the depot restaurant. A
few minutes later he reappeared, carry
ing a cup of coffee in one hand and a
small paper bag in the other.
With these he hurriedly made his
way back to the car through struggling
procession of drowsy tourists, who were
taking advantage of the trains five
minutes stop 10 breathe the crisp morn
ing air. The last of these had already
resumed bis sea! when the man without
hat again appeared at The lunch
counter, returned the borrowed dishes,
and ordered coffee for himself. He had
just picked up the cup and was raising
IL to his lips when the conductors "All
aboard rang through the station.
Leaving the coffee untouched, he
thrust hve-dollar bill at the attendant,
grabbed his change, and started in pur-
suit of the moving train. He had
almost reached it when an unlucky
stumble sent the coins in his hand
rolling in all directions along the
floor. Quickly recovering himself and
paying no heed to his loss, he re-
doubled his efforts, and, though losing
ground at every step, kept up the hope.
less chase to the end of the station.
There he stopped, painting for breath.
The slip had proved fatal. He had
missed the train!
AS he stood staring wildly through
the clouds of dust that rose from The
track, young woman, evidepCly deeply
agitated, suddenly appeared in the
doorway of the vanishing car. Upon
seeing him, she made frantic attempts
to leap from the platform, when she
was seized by man and pulled back
into the car. When the door had closed
upon the two the bareheaded man in
the station faced about and philo-
sophically muttered:
"Il's fate!"
Then, after pausing few moments,
as if to collect his thoughts, he slowly
retraced his steps to the scene of his
mishap, and began calmly searching
for his lost change. Clrcing closely
about, his eyes scanning the floor, he
succeeded in recovering first one and
then another of the missing coins, un-
til finally, after repeated rounds, he
lacked only one dollar of the whole
amount. At this point be paused,
clinked the recovered coins in his
hand, looked at his watch, and then
started on final round. AS this failed
to reveal the missing piece, he gave up
the search, transferred the contents Of
his hands to his trousers pocket, and
started in the direction of the telegraph
office.
He had proceeded perhaps twenty
PAGES when it occurred to him to turn
about and cast one more look along the
floor. As he did so his eye fell upon
shining object lodged in au opening be-
tween the rail and pauked floor, few
feet from where he stood. He stopped
to examine it, and, seeing that it was
the mi sing coin, reached for it, but
found the opening too narrow TO admit
his fingers. He tried TO recover the
piece with his pocket knife, and failing
in this attempt, took his lead pencil,
with which, after repeated attempts, he
succeeded in tossing it upon the floor.
With an air of subdu, satisfaction
he walked away, and was about to con-
vey the coin 10 his pocket when sud
den impulse led him to examine it.
Holding it up before his eyes he
stopped, scrutinized every detail, and i,
as he turned it over and over, the puz-
zled look on his face changed to one of
rigid establishment. For fully min
ute he stood as if transfXed; then rous
ing himself and looking anxiously about
as if to see if any one had observed
him, he hurried to the cashiers desk
in the restaurant, and, producing the
bright silver dollar, asked the girl if she
happened to remember from whom she
received il.
She didn't remember, bat would ex-
change it for another, she said, if he
wished. Politely declining the offer
and aplogizing for having troubled her
he said that, as the coin he held in his
hand was separating loving wife from
her husband, he wished very much to
find come trace of its former owner.
The girl looked up, thought for mo-
ment, then, pulling out the cash drawer,
and examining its contents, said she
might have received il from the con-
ductor of the Lake Shore express which
had left for Cleveland at 3: Is. She
now recalled that when she came on
duty at midnight there was no silver
dollar among the change in the cash
drawer, and that the only one she re-
membered receiving was from Sleeping
Car Conductor Parkins.
The man thanked her and fastened
to the telegraph office, where he sent
This message:
"CoNDUcToR of East-bound Chicago Ex
press, Utica, n. Y.-Please ask lady In sec
tion seven OF sleeping car 'Catawba to
await her husband at Delaven House, Al.
bany. A. j. HoBARTn
After requesting the operator to
kindly rush the dispa' cb, he proceeded
to the ticket Office, procured seat in