The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-12-01

CO.an Ill 90 s1C quicker n a Stfeak-
.Listenl You told me that this man
/ did not buy ticket from you when. he
left. Therefore he must have obtained
one from the conductor on the train.
That VIII be enough to have impressed
the circumstance on his mind. If not.
the ticket itself can be found, and that
Will tell US where he left the train.
What I want you to do is to introduce
me- to the conductor when the train
comes In and arrange It SO that he will
not hesitate to tell me all that he may
know as we 90 along, for Tmean to
take that train tonight .
.Thatn be simple enough, for Berry,
the conductor, is nice feller. He'll do
all he kin to help you. 2
Very good. What time did you say
that train leayes:
aTen thirty nine. *
Prompt to the minute the train which
he was so anxiously awaiting came
along and was stopped by the agents
flag. Mr. Skene found the conductor
and introduced Burrows to him, at the
same time giving hint of What was
wan.ed. As soon as they had started the
two dropped into conversation, for there
had been no other passengers to take
up, and therefore there were no tickets
to be collected.
Mr.. Berry, said Burrows. to make
no mystery about what I want, I will
say at once that am detective and
am looking for particular man. One
answering his description boarded this
train last Sunday night. I desire you
to tell me where be wes going.
s.I should like nothing better than to
.oblige you, Mr.. Burrows; but, really,
we see SO many passengers that it is not
an easy matter to know all about where
they get on or off, especially after the
lapse of several days.
stOf course not. but consider for a
moment It cannot be a common thing
to get a passenger at this hour at SO
small place as Lee. y
''No; you are right about that. New
ertheless I get them all along my route,
ft1lQ SuS4S O4O AAa1y cups eAS
tant as this one: !"
81 see I must assist you memory.
This man did not buy ticket from the
agent at the station, and consequently
he must have done so on the train. Can
you not recall that circumstance"
'Y-e-s-y-e-s-it seems to me that I
do. All, have it! The man you want
had full beard and wore long over
coat. He also had large satchel, and
remember that he would not let me
send it to the baggage room. But where
did he want ticket for? That I don't
get somehow"
s'Haven't you the ticket which sou
sold him?" asked Burrows anxiously.
'.No. We turn our tickets in at the
end Of each trip. Of course shey would
| have it at the main Office. But stop a
minute. Perhaps have the stub. I" Bur
rows watched him as patiently as pos
| sible while be looked through his book,
turning to the right iate and glancing
over the stubs Of the tickets which he
had sold on the train. This occupied q
| few minutes only, at the end Of which
the conductor continued:
II am sorry, but it is not here. You
see, use that book when I sell ticket
for any distance, and as there is no
stub for anything from Lee it must be
that your man only made a short ride.
The farmers along the line often do
that and we let them simply pay the
agent where they stop Of. the agent
giving US the ticket. .
"Can yon tell, tnen, where this man
got OFF,
ST cannot be sure about it. He i.ust
have left the train either at Epping, the
next stop, or one station beyond that,
for we seldom let 1uan ride farther in
the way that have described. But
stop here minute and I will ask my
brakeman if he knows y
/ The conductor was gone but few
moments and returned With disappoint-