Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-04-06

years ago and had to quit. "
"Know Of him well, as most Of us
did and I'd be glad to sec him. He's
pulling us tonight, il ho;"
ayes, and ] wish you'd como for
ward with me when we get to Willow
Springs, only a few miles ahead now.
He thinks there's something wrong
with that young fellow in the ulstor.
I've got to go back and look him up.
Meet mo on the platform, right hand
side, when we stop, will you?"
Tho sergeant nodded, and the con-
ductor went his way.
In the foremost sleeper he found the
object of his search, already comfortably
ensconced in the smoking compartment,
his ulster thrown aside, his feet on tho
opposite seat, fragrant cloud Of smoke
curling from the tip of his cigar. He
had raised the window and was gazing
out upon spangled ornament above, q
black void where lay the barren earth
below.
Without word, his cigar still be-
tween his teeth he felt in the waist
coat pocket of well made travelling
suit of tweed took out cardcasa and
extracted therefrou bis railway and
berth tickets and handed thom to tho
lantern beHring official.
Tho conductor studied the former
closely. 1t was Through" from Chi
cago to Butte, unlimited He turned it
upside down, hind side foremost and
still seemed to find nothing amiss.
"Whered you get thisH" he presently
asked. glancing koenly at the young
man from under his apvisor The pas
scnger, still without removing his cigar,
simply pointed to the head of the ticket
which showed that it was purchased at
tho Office of the G. II. |. and p. in Chi
cage STOPPED off ut Plato Junction."
asked the conductor.
Eyes. What timo will we reach
Buttc:"
"Not before 7. Plenty of time to go
to bed and sleep" And the tone Of tho
railway official plainly indicated that
that was what the conductor thought
the young man ought to do, instead If
incoming to all hours Of the night i'll
the smoking room. Tho 1asseng +
grayely nodded acquieSconce ard said
nothing. After an irresoluta pause tho
conductor again spoke. Ibid You tell
the porter to show you to your berthe
The traveller III tw,cds was evidently
a youth Of varying moods Chatting
with the engineer he was frank, Joyial,
light hearted. even cuntiding In the
brief scene with the troopers he was
laughing and friendly, even lavish,
from their point Of view. Was il s1mo
sense of suspicion some subtle intuition
that he WAS the object of special scru-
tiny on the conductor ; part that he
was being subjected to a eros, question
ing never thought Of i'll the case Of 9TH
er patrons Of the road?
Something III the conductors lock,
tone and manner had given him um-
bragg. Like some itinerant clam, storm
tossed and at odds with the world. he
drew within his shell and clumped the
jaws Of his reserve. Something akin to
Il irown settled between his eyebrows.
He looked coolly, almost dcGantlv,
straight into the half closed eyes Of his
questunor, with Il pair of wide omen
keen blue orbs of his own, and under
his soft brown mustacho his curved rinl;
lips set like trap For a moment he
made no reply, then finally answered,
"No."
Mr.. Jarvis was al old hand. lie had
run trains over the Yranscontinental
ever since it first bored way through
the hunting grounds of the Sioux, and
many tramp had he hustled oil the
cars i'll midprairie. But this was no
tramp. This was self possessed, we'll
dressed, fine looking tourist, and, bat
for the straight, sharp, American clip
to his words rather Of the English
type. lie nettled the conductor, and the
conductor had uettled him. Each was