The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1900-09-19

quite possible. Number Forty-Scven
having been found, that Number
Forty-Slx might not be far OF, unless
it had accidentally plunged into the
Mississippi, or stIayed to Kansas City
by means of misplaced switch.
Dimkins of Dalabeke had accepted
the explanation that the train could
not have left st. Louis, and that
Tompkins and others must have been
mistaken. On the second night after
the train was lost, Dlmkins was quiet
ly playing his usual game OF checkers
In the depot with n friend. Dimklns
was in terrible position where one
wrong move would lose him the game.
and he was intently studying the alb
sOrblng problem. when his friend
said
Whats thatT
Dimklns paused on the brink OF do
structlon and looked up aghast. He
put his hand to his ear and-thcre
was no doubt about 1.-THE heard the
slow putting OF an engine coming 20
ward Dalabckc. Dlmkins snys lie
shall never forget the sensation.
ITS ForySix's schedule" said
Dimkins. deliberately, "but IL amt
FortySiX." Therefore, speaking very
slowly, therefore, IL must be Forty
SKIS Ghostr
Even as he spoke, the putting of the
engine grew nearer and nearer, and
slower and slower. until at last IL
ceased entirely.
"She's gonew whispered Dimkins in
horrOr-strickcn tones.
Then the sound OF yell came from
somewhere.
Dimkins got up and crcpt carefully
along TO the window, while his friend
watched intcntly, as though he expect
cd the ghost of fast freight Number
Forty-SiX to jump suddenly through
the window at any moment. Then
"IIallo!" said Dimkins. "Comc here.
Tomw
what fur?" demanded Tom, very
doubtfully.
IT'S Forty -Sixw said Dimkns.
"Hcr lights a-burnin'w
"Oh! her lights Albumin repeats
anu llllIlONNbIf.
But ont few Dimkins, racing at top
speed down the track toward the
train. When he reached IL there was
no engineer, stoker. brakesman. nor
any kind of living soul TO he seen. But
there was n fearful racket going on
in the third box car.
whats the matter thereT" shouted
Dimkins, from what he considered a
safe distance.
Break open the car and let us outw
responded number OF voices Get
rail and knock thc-lock orr
ITS us!' shouted another voice.
which Dimklns recognized Mt once as
the voice OF Rodney Graham. stoker.
So Dlmkins followed directions. got
n rail. broke the box car, and found
the entire train crew laying on the
moor OF the car, bound hand and foot.
Whether IL was sheer bewilderment
that caused II. or whether the subtle
and pervasive odor of tho box car was
responsible, Dimkins says he doesn't
know, but he says that altogether he
felt so dazed that he hadn't the slight
est recollection the next morning OF
the explanations that We're hurled at
him by the imprisoned men as to the
cause of their extraordinary condi-
tion.
Fast freight Number Forty-Six
pufred out of Dalabeke station en-
route to Chicago shortly afterwards,
and was respectfully signalled, and
notified. and switched, and o. KID
through by operators. The train dis
patcher, thinking he must have made
a mistake, altered his schedule and
said nothing.
The next morning the Federal Ex-
press company received their $50. 900,
and they said nothing.
But day or two afterwards the
general manager Of the r. r. & G. S.
II. Il. fshed n memorandum out OF
some forsaken pigeon-hole and said
by the way, what has become Of
this freight Number Forty-SiI?-
The clerk looked up the records
and found that II was at st. Louis.
Where ought It to beY" demanded
the general manager
The clerk looked up more records and
reported that St Louis was where
freight Number Fosty-Six ought to
be. so the general manager tore up
his memorandum.
Critical persons may talk about the
trains way bill and other railroad
red tnpe that is supposed to keep track
Of trains present or missing. In re-
gard to this we have nothing to sug-
gest, except that n one studies the
records OF some politicians there win
appear many hiatus irregularly
filled in. We look askance, like good
Samaritans, and pass by on the other
side
Dimkins sat In the depot, playing
checkers with his friend, one night,
when fast freight Number Forty-Slx
H. -.