The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-08-22
THE NEWS AND OBSERVER, AUGUST 22, 1897.

Three or four years ago, when father
was running the POI, they had pretty
spirited tiff and father quit and went
over the East and West. Since that
time the master mechanic has had 10
use for any of as
WHO was to blameE'
81 never knew They're both rather
DeppeIy, and | guess it was six Of one
| and half-dozen of the other. But that
| doesn't help me out of my bucket of hot
water. What am [ going to do?-thats
what I'd like to know"
The conductor opened his watch. and
| ppeared to be making a reflective COM
| )utation.
I've got a scheme, but | don't know
| as it's worth much. He registered out
| - minutes behind us. If ne doubles our
| ScheduIc-which he'll hardly dare to do
/ on this light iron-he can't catch. us be-
| fore we make Brownsville, can heI'
II should say not; but s, hat of thatE"
Just go little mite tHsy; I'm com
ing to the scheme pretty Quick now. At
| Brownsville We meet the way freight,
and Jack Benson's running it, Happen
to know JackT
Tom, you're trump. Jack Will do
| it, if it costs him his job. You'n give
me time mt Brownsville 10 get Il word
with him:'
Sure thing, but you don't want any
body to see you talking to limits got
| to be straight-out accident. YOU know,
| with nobody to blame
II know, replied the young rascal,
| with a nod Of Intelligence: trust me
for that Hello! this is La Vaca. Let's
go see what the wires have to say"
They went out together, leaving me
with a new responsibility. Here was
| bold conspiracy to obstruct the railway
| cOmpany's business: possibly to involve
| an innocent person. or perhaps more
| than one, in trouble. Was it not my
duty to interfere at all hazards? l
confess | have little regard for inter-
medlers in any sort, and this was GER
| tainly no affair of mine. Nevertheless,
l compromised on Il resolve to expostu-
| late with the young man himself before
we should reach Brownsville and in
the eddy of that determination resumed
my book and the interrupted train of
| thought.
Now, it is a students weakness to be
| unconscious of the lapse. Of time, and,
| after what seemed to me very short
interval, indeed, my young. Romeo en-
| tered the smoking room alone. Here.
| thought /. is my chance to reprehend the
young knave, and Was about to do so
when he forcStalled me.
This is Mr.. Penburton, l believe" he
began affabiy, producing a cigar case.
''Will you join me?'
THANK You, do not smoke" l re-
piled, as severely as might be.
No; but YOU don't mind my smok
ing, will you"
Certainly not; l wish I might, as
| readily absolve you of your weightier
| offenses."
Meaning ?"-his eyebrows went up in
well-affected surprise.
Meaning your reckless defiance Of
the proprieties in elophlg with that
| sweet young girl in yonder-that and
your plot to delay her anxious parent"
said l. sternly. 49,.
His smile was more THAN half
grimace. You don't kgssNethe cream
| stances, father; if y0a ISL, You wouldn't
blame us much. Ana~sssvto the plot
well, that was ratll;F>, 4 ss4habby trick to
play on the old genfIeflan, but it's too
late to repent of that T>ow"
Too late? How? What do you mean?"
why, it's n matter of history, so to
| speak. We managed among us to delay
he is after us again now, at the rate Of
a mile a minute"
DO you mean to tell me that we have
already passed Brownsville? l demand
ed. bic to believe that my abstrac-
ton had been so profound.
Rather Better than an hour ago. This
is Tornado with a wave of his hand
toward the station at which the train
was then passing.
The minor transgression being unpre-
veptable, l was about to attack this
major, when brakeman came in and
handed the young man a telegram, up
on which the ink was not yet dry. The
lighted cigar fell from his fingers as he
read, and would assuredly have burned
II hole in the carpet had l not promptly
set my foot upon it.
Great murder! but that does settle
itr he groaned.
THE way of the trangressOr-" l
began, but he broke in as one who hears
not.
Say, Mr.. Penburton, can a priest of
the Catholic church marry pair of
heretics at a pinch"
The question seemed singularly irrele- !
want, but l answered it to the best of
my knowledge and belief. !
Il know of no rule forbidding it. Why
do you ask?'
Read that" he said tragically, I
thrusting the message into my hand. i
IF you can't help us out we're done for, !
world without end!'
/ read:
"To Alan Roderick, on Train No. Z:
Everything o. X. as ordered, except |
the minister. He is out at Reservation. /
Have sent COW puncher after him on +,
best broncho in town, but am afraid he
can't reach before o'clock. Shall l get
justice peace. Answer"
1t was signed 'Harwicke," and there
was fOotnote in bTackets-evidently a |
bit of extraneous information added by |
the receiving operator at Tornado;
"Bosty is overhauling you right. He
passed Ormsbee five minutes ago, run
ming like the Wild Irishman. He'd beat
you 10 minutes into Lavarock if he could |
get by you"
What have 1 to do with this?" said :
l indicating the message.
''Why, / thought-that is, l didn't i
know but you'd-well, you see, Mr.. Pen
burton, we've got to have a minister of
some sort, some way. It's no use talking /,
about a justice of the peace to Eleanor !
she won't listen a minute to that; but !
she might consent to be married by a
Catholic priest. She is what we call !
pretty high church, you know"
''Still | do not understand. | am not |
justice of the peace nor yet priest of