Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1897-07-03

The conductor had eyed Lambert cu
iiously us he punched his ticket. II,
held il for moment and edged his Ian
tern round 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
Gran travellers remember rs character
istic of American railways, before the
introduction of coupler buffers" II
was n shabby, old-fashioned train-one
whose cars had "seen service" and not
a little Of it, during the long and event
full war so recently closed. 1t had n
baggage car behind the wheezy old
wood-burner that drew tie rickety pro-
ccssion out into the dim, starlit aisle
through the eastward forest, and, for
the first time in a week. that baggage
car contained trunk. II had "smok-
err" in which three or four negroes were
soundly sleeping on the worn cushions
ut the forward end, and three or four
lank, shabbily-dressed whites were con-
stunning tobacco and killing time under
the single lamp at the other. 1t had n
'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
blackened canvas, and that both its
lamps could be induced TO burn, how
ever fecbly, instead of only one. TWAS
forlorn, hangdog, shame-faced sort
of train, that seemed oppressed with o
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 il as it hated its own shabbincss,
and accepting ii as only one plane above
total decrepitude, the junk shop and the
poorhousc. Starting at dusk from
populous station on north and south
trunk" line, it turned and twisted
through red clay cuttings, jolted over
Undiscovered ties and moss-grown tres
ties. whistling shrill to wake the watch
ers ut ere ss-country stations on the
way, and finally, after midnight, rested
an hour at prominent point, Estate
CENTER" where, sometimes at one
o'clock hut generally long after, the
night express came glazing up from the
south along the glistening rails of an
ether great northern" route, and three
nights in the week, perhaps, gave 1t n
sleepy passenger or two to trundle away |
westward towards the big river town 1t |
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
of the fact that this way, at
least, it ran fright end foremost" nc
cording 10 the American idea. with the
baggage instead Of the ladies' car next
the struggling engine.
1t was n 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 rhine. The up train came in even
later than usual-so much so that the
btationmnster had more than once
nsked his friend the conductor OF the
waiting "0wl" whether he really
thought he could snake it" over to Quit
man in time for the down express ut
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
iairly stopped, and, hailing the first
nan he saw, asked: "Train for Tuga-
90 gone yet?" which so estonished the
party addressed that he simply stared
or a minute without reply. A voice in
he wilderness, apparently, was heard
lbove the Kissing of steam and the loud
OF the negro porters of the
wo rival hotels. "All aboard for Quit
man," 1t said, and, abandoning his ap-
,arent purpose OF repeating the ques-
ion in sharper tone, the young fellow
urned and ran nimbly across the DIM
y-lighted platform in the direction Of
he hail.
"Quitman trainf-Tugx,oo?" he asked
4 dark form standing above the tail
ight OF The cur.
"Quitman It Is. Anybody else thar"
md the interrogative went off in n /,
bout. No answer.
Jaw, Hankl Anybody eise?' Still
10 answer. Two or three dim figures
we're by this time clustered around the /,
airing torch OF coffee stand ut the :
dye of the platform. The conductor +,
OF of and walked impatiently towards ;.
hem.
"Any you gentlemen for Quitman?" Z
G asked. n
"Quitman? He'll, no! What's any c
ian want to go thar for night like This? S
ull out with your old sneezer, Jimmy, "
less you'll stop and take cup L
offee." O
"oh, that you, cap? Amt you got e.
nybody for us? Thought the judge b
rs comm up tonight" m
"warn't ON my car" said the brake G.
IAN of the express. possessively. n
Young Teller n the sleeper oil know C,
~ u
Got him." answered the conductor, b
briefly as possible for q man long pl
tuned to the southern drawl and h
hose got" was more like 'gnwt." j.
reckon we might rs well git. then" he A
'ntlnned. returning to the colloquial n
'esent Indicative of verb Of manifold C
raining and usefulness. Tell Hank. n
III you2-iet 'er go. Jack. " be shouted in
the engineer. with n wnve of his Inn M