Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-10-03

not nave left st. Louis, and that
Tompkins and others must have been
mistaken. On the second night after
the train was lost Dimkins was quiet
~ playing his usual game of checkers
in the depot with friend. Dimkins
was in a terrible position where one
wrong move would lose him the game,
and he was intently studying the alb
sorbing problem, when his friend
said
whats thatT"
Dimkins paused on the brink of de-
struction and looked up aghast. He
put his hand to his ear and-there
was no doubt about 1.-THE heard the
slow putting of an engine coming to-
ward Dalabeke. Dimkins says he
shall never forget the sensation.
Its Forty-Six's schedule" said
Dimkins, deliberately, but it amt
Forty-SiX." Therefore, speaking very
slowly, therefore, it must be Forty
SKIS Ghostw
Even as he spoke, the putting of the
engine grew nearer and nearer, and
slower and slower, until at last it
ceased entirely.
Shes gonew whispered Dimkins in
horror stricken tones.
Then the sound of a yell came from
somewhere.
Dimkins got up and crept carefully
along to the window, while his friend
watched intently, as though he expect
ed the ghost Of fast freight Number
Forty-Six to jump suddenly through
the window at any moment Then
Halo" said Dimkins. Come here.
Tom.'
What fur?" demanded Tom, very
doubtfully.
ITS Forty Sixr said Dimkins.
Her lights a-burnin'"
"Oh. her lights a-burnin'" repeats
Tom, dogged and immovable.
But out few Dimkins, racing at top
speed down the track toward the
train. When he reached it there was
no engineer, stoker, brakesman, nor
any kind of living soul to be seen. But
there was a fearful racket going on
in the third box car.
Whats the matter there?" shouted
Dimkins, from what he considered a
safe distance.
Break open the car and let us outw
responded n number of voices. Get
a rail and knock the-lock off
Its us" shouted another voice,
which Dimkins recognized at once as
the voice of Rodney Graham, stoker
So Dimkins followed directions, got
a rail, broke the box car, and found
the entire train crew laying on the
floor of the car, bound hand and foot.
Whether it was sheer bewilderment
that caused it, or whether the subtle
and pervasve odor of the 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 were hurled at
him by the imprisoned men as to the
cause of their extraordinary condi-
ton.
Fast freight Number Forty-Six
puffed 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 $4,000,
and they said nothing.
But a day or two afterwards the
general manager of the b. r. & G. S.
r. r. fished a memorandum out of
some forsaken pigeon-hole and said
by the way, what has become of
this freight Number Forty -Six?"
The clerk looked up the records
"Where ought it to be?" demanded
the general manager.
The clerk looked up more records and
reported that St Louis was where
freight Number Forty-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 tape that is supposed to keep track
of trains present or missing. In re-
gard to this we have nothing to sug-
geSt, except that IL one studies the
records of some politicians there will
appear many a 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-S
came laundering by.
Said Dimkins-
"That's no ghostp'
Said Tom
Queer CO. that"
You may say thatr' responded
Dimliins.
1--WE heard of ghosts walks in my
time" continued Tom, but. you know.
that was the first time | ever saw
one"
"Ahr murmured Dimkins, resting
bic n cor on n Gbacl-ar