Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-04-01

was 'HoW's the missis?
=" FIXING he said, with a grin, wip-
ing his face with piece of rag, dark
with emery dust.
HoW's yours? he inquired, plung-
ing the long rake among the coal on
the tender.
- Oh, she's all right, lad, | replied,
taking my thick driving coat off the
nail beneath the roof Of the ingine cab.
An how's the baby? Ny wife saws
she's nice little thing.
She is that. She favors her mother.
l remarked in a grateful tone, for my
wife, was q pretty one.
During our gossip l had run the en-
CINE into the south siding. There, by
special instructions, We hooked on the
bullion Van, five passenger carriages
and the guards van
The guard, Fred Clayton, generally
very c!&tty. was tonight, [ noticed
full Of mystery. He was on the state
Of suppressed excitement He merely
expressed the opinion that the strong
had wind blowing up from the channel
would make running heavy. He SAID
nothing about the gold stored away in
the bullion van; but | could tell from
his manner that he had also seen the
general jDanager-that he was acuuint
ed with the value CT the freight. His
siIYer-bralded coat was partially uI-
buttoned and [ saw by the light Of mis-
hand lamp weapon that cleaned like
a revolver On the left sids of his waist
belt.
When the shunter had run the com
munication cord through the rings
above the carriage windows, and
George had securely fastened the end
OF it to the waning apparatus l took
the train to the terminus platform for
passengers
Many people were travelling. The
carriages were crowded, and | had to
run out fer an extra coach; but [ kept
my eyes on the bullion van. The
guards van was SO piled with baggage
that there was hardly standing room
for it's custodian.
'RehOoking at the platform with the
train completely equipped, | noticed
the two bank clerks show their permit
and bullion van key to the ticket col
lector. They were rather distinguished
looking men. All bank clerks are. It
is foolish notion that the touch Of
money makes every man sordid On
some natures it is actually refining.
/ Take these bank clerks a. an example.
They had counted ECtes and weighed
gold till they had a look of nobility.
One clerk was tall and dark. The other
short and fair. They wore light tweed
travelling clOaks, and caps of the same
cloth. They looked more like golfers
u salmon angles off for a long holiday
than city men on resp )nsible duty
Inn ressed with the object of their jour
ney, the ticket collector touched his cap
and conducted them to the bullion van.
which they opened with the special key,
and eLtelCd.
by this time the mail was one min
l tie late, and | was impatient to be Off
So eager was | to clear the station and
get settled down at good speed on the
main line. that | almost anticipated the
guards signal to start. He was rails
ing his flag and parting his lips to
shout Right away when man ran
breathlessly agong the platform.
Is zis re Continental mail?" he
gas ped.
'Yes-jump in" replied the guard
sharply, taking the nearly too late pas
senger by the arm and thrusting him
into the already limited space in the
luggage van, for there was no time to
open a carriage door
Grazing my head round the tender
corner | caught glimpse Of the trav>
eler as he ran and sprang into the van.
He was tall and apparently powerful
man about twenty-seven years of age.
Though in civilian attire, he had a
military air. Accustomed as [ am TO
see Inany faces and forms, [ should
have taken him for an officer in the
German army. On his right cheek he
had q deep scar inflicted in q student
duel and he ran with the peculiar step
that Jerks and springs from Teuton
drill.
I'VE had now cleared the platform,
and in giving sharp attention to the
home and distant signals, and the score
of trains mat seemed by the fitful light
of their tall lamps to be making to the
same point of the same track, forgot
the latest passenger. My mind was
concentrated on my duty. l told George
to bank up the fire. There was not
signal against me, and l with the train
we'll coupled up and a clear track for
we had left the crossing and junction
| maze we were running fifty-five miles
an hour with a steady beat, and if
wheel and axel kept sound, with per-
feet safety.
''As we were passing the dark wood
land country between Gnarled Oaks
and Cambridge, and the Indicator re-
corded a speed of sixty miles an hour,
1 congratulated myself that we should
gain the lost minute, and reach the
quay at the scheduled time But my
5Self-congratulation was premature. I
was peering into the darkness through
! the right hand disca when I heard the
! hinge of the communication bar creak-
| ing. I turned quickly and saw the cord
was at its greatest tension. l applied
the brake sharply, pulling the train up
! almost in it's own length Meanwhile