The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-06-16

The conductor had eyed Lambert Gu
xiously as he punched his ticket. He
held 1t for moment and edged his Ian
tern around so that its feeble light
could reinforce the glimmer from the
bleared and smoky globe above Lam
bert's curly head. The train had started
from the junction with that quick series
of back-wrenching jerks which all vet
eran travellers remember as character
istic of American railways, before the
Introduction of coupler buffers" 1t
was shabby, old-fashioned train-one
whose cars had ''seen service" and not
little Of it, during the long and event
full war so recently closed. 1t had
baggage car behind the wheezy old
wood-burner that drew the rickety pro-
cession out into the dim, starlit aisle
through the eastward forest, and, for
the first time in a week. that baggage
car contained a trunk. 1t had "smok-
er," in which three or four negroes were
soundly sleeping on the worn cushions
at the forward end, and three or four
lank, shabbily-dressed whites were con-
suming tobacco and killing time under
the single lamp at the other. 1t had a
''ladies' car"-so called-in which no
ladies' were visible, and which differed
in appointments from the smoker only
in the facts that its seats were uphol-
stored in dingy red plush instead of
backened canvas, and that both its
lamps could be induced to burn, how
ever feebly, instead of only one. twas
forlorn. hangdog. shame-faced sort
of train. that seemed oppressed with
sense of its own disrepute-a train that
Kept in hiding during the broad light
Of day and ventured to stink forth only
after nightfall. like some impoverished
debtor, not loving the darkness better
than light because of evil deeds, but
hating it as it hated its own shabbiness,
and accepting it as only one plane above
total decrepitude, the junk shop and the
poorhousc. Starting at dusk from
populous station on a north and south
'trunk" line, it turned and twisted
through red clay cuttings, jolted over
mud-covered ties and mosS-grown tres
ties, whistling shril to wake the watch
ers at 'crcss-country stations on the
way, and finally, after midnight, rested
an hour at prominent point, state
center" where, sometimes at one
o'clock but generally long after, the
night express came glaring up from the
south along the glistening rails of an
other great northern" route, and three
nights IN the week, perhaps, gave it
sleepy passenger or two to trundle away
westward towards the big river town it
managed to reach by sunrise, once
more to stink out of sight until dark,
when again it crept forth and stole
away on the return trip over its clank-
ing road, unresentful of comment on its
loneliness and poverty, and proud, II
anything, of the fact that this way, at
least, it ran right end foremost" ac-
cording TO the American idea, with the
baggage instead of the ladies' car next
the struggling engine.
1t was a clear, starlit night, sharply
cold, and the planks of the platform at
the junction had snapped and creaked
\ under their glistening white coat OF
|, frosty rime. The up train came in even
later than usual-so much SO that the
stationmaster had more than once
asked his friend the conductor of the
waiting owl whether he really
thought he could make it" over to Quit,
man in time for the down express al
dawn. You'd better pull out the min
ute she gifts hyuh," was his final in
junction when at last her whistle was
heard.
A 1.-THE, active young fellow in trim
suit of tweed had sprung from the
sleeper before the incoming train had
fairly stopped, and, hailing the first
man he saw, asked: Train for Tuga
loo gone yet?" which so astonished the
party addressed that he simply stared
for minute without reply. voice il
the wilderness. apparently, was heart
above the Kissing of steam and the louc
mouthings of the negro porters of thu
two rival hotels. 'All aboard for Quit
man." it said, and. abandoning his ap
parent purpose of repeating the ques
ton in sharper tone, the young fellow
turned and ran nimbly across the dim
ly-lighted platform in the direction o
the hail.
"ouitman train ?-Tuga!oo?" he aske'
OF dark form standing above the tai
light of the car.
"Quitman it is. Anybody else thar?
And the interrogative went of in
shout. No answer.
"Aw. Hank! Anybody else| Still
no answer. Two or three dim figure
were by this time clustered around tn
fiaring torch of coffee stand at tn
edge of the platform. The conducto
got off and walked impatiently toward
them.
"Any you gentlemen for ouitman ?
he asked.
"Quitman? He'll. no! What's an
man want to go thar for night like this
Pull out with your old sneezer. .Jimm!
'nless you'll stop and take Gu
coffee"
"Oh. that you. cap? Amt you &c
anybody for us? Thought the jndR
was comm up tonight"
-Warn't on my car" said the brals
- man of the express. possesSivel'