The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-07-25


"'Therel' said my uncle, passing the
book to one of the drummers. DO You
see anything the matter with that2'
That's no good' said the drum
mer.
"'It isn't?' said Uncle Sandman.
SD like to know why it isn'tl
I" 1t isn't witnessed. replied the
commercial traveller.
"'Oh' said my uncle. We'll, you
two fellows just put your names down
as witnesses.
"They did so with some joking, and
then my uncle called brakeman VIII,
was sitting near and who had heard the
talk. Just put your name down there,
Johnnie, he said. We might as well
do the thing in style and have three
witnesses.
'The brakeman signed his name, and
then Uncle Sandham, closing the book.
handed it over to me. Take care of
that. Sandy. my boy. he said. There's
your fortune in Virgil
1.-The drummers began swapping
yarns again. After awhile the smoke in
the car began to make me sick. was
only kid then, you know. and wasn't
used to it. Well, got up to go in one
of the forward cars The smoking car
was the last on the train. 1t was snow
ing. raining and hailing by turns, and
the wind was blowing a gale. As
crossed the platforms from one car to
another my foot slipped on the icy
boards, and great gust of wind carried
away my hat and nearly made me lose
my balance. threw up my arms to save
myself and the Virgil slipped from my
hand and disappeared beside the track.
I was afraid of what my uncle would
say when told him of my carelessness.
So I went forward into the farthest car
from the smoker and sat down in a cor
ner 8"
The boy stopped as if that were the
end of his story and idly rolled the ciga1
, in his fingers.
"Well." said l, "go on Was your
uncle SO angry that he disinherited
your"
"No." replied the boy slowly. 81
hadn't been in the forward car 20 min
utes when there was a terrific crash
that smashed the windows and threw
me against the seat in front.
IAN express train had come up be-
hind us and smashed into us, telescop-
ing the two rear cars. Uncle Sandman
| and the two drummers were among the
| killed. The brakeman who had signed
the will escaped with only slight in
juries.
well" l said. "that is quite a
yarn.
1.-The day after the funeral" the
trainboy went on. II went back to the
nearest town to the place where the
book had been lost and walked up and
down the track for miles looking for
| it,.
| "You never found t2'' I asked
''No. but three months later was
there again, and could not help look
ing along the side of the track as
walked. although Of course I didn't
really expect to find it. met a small
boy, who asked me what I was looking
for. asked him if he had ever heard
of any one who had found book neal
there He said Yes, he knew boy
who had found one there early in the
spring. l gave him quarter and made
him take me at once to the boy S house.
The boy was at school, but 1 saw his
mother. She said yes, Tommy haG
found book beside the track. quee1
book that none of them could read.
asked her if she would let me see it
She said she had sold it to peddler fol
paper rags day or two after it was
found. She had never seen the peddle1
since. and was never able to trace
him. The book may have been used NJ
in some paper mill. or it may possibly
have found its way to some secondhand
bookstore. | never pass secondhand
bookstore without going in to ask il
they have an old copy Of Virgil
"Uncle Sandman had left no othel
will He had never legally adopted me-
SO had no legal claim on his money
1t was divided up among some cousins
whom he had not seen for years.
1.-The brakeman who had witnessed
the will got me the place to sell papers
on the cars.
Just then the train stopped at sta
tion. and a number Of passengers go
on.
81 must go through the cars again, >
said the boy He picked up his pile o.
magazines and went off "New month
ly magazinesl This weeks comic pa
persl''
looked at the commercial traveller
across the aisle. ''Do you suppose it,
true?" l asked.
| "Give it up. he replied. "If it's fic
tion. that boy will be writing for ths
magazines some day instead of selling
them" Then he opened his book an(