The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-06-25
On the Home
ward Track.
By w. R. ROSE.....


ton. He was boy of perhaps II, tai
for his age and well put together. He
was comfortably dressed, and over his
shoulders swung a canvas bag of the
telescope variety. The track was laid or
an embankment and extended onward il
an almost straight line as far as the eye
could reach. The boy could look across
the level fields on either side and note the
clumps of trees here and there, with the
farmhouses Nesting near and the great
woods and faroff hills behind. 1t was q
pleasant prospect, and the pleasure OF
viewing it seemed reflected on the boys
face.
Suddenly his attention was attracted by
a figure on the track ahead. 1t was the
figure of a man, and the man was sitting
on a tie with his feet dangling down the
embankment The man arose as the boy
drew near. He was young man with q
bright face and very bright eyes. His
eyes sparkled as the boy neared him.
"a fair morning, young sir" he said as
he arose.
"Yes," assented the boy. He looked
the stranger over. He was tall and slen-
der, his clothes were fine, though dusty,
and he bore a valise that showed the eff
fects of much travel
He fell into step with the boy as they
trudged along side by side.
Rather dull prospect for solitary
stroller" said the stranger.
"Not dull for me-" said the boy. '1'm
on my way home"
''That does make difference" said the
stranger. He looked the boy over. "Been
away Iongp
six MONTHS" replied the boy. "Been
at work in a Chicago store. It's my first
vacation"
'Then don't wonder the prospect is
alluring," said the stranger. Usually,
though. the first homecoming is attended
with some little pomp and ceremony.
May l ask why you travel on the ties in
stead of in a private carp
The boy laughed.
"WeIl," he said, ''it's partly for the ex-
ercise and partly to save the money. You
can't get much exercise. you know, run
ming an elevator at SO week. And you
can't save much either So save little
more and get the exercise, too, by walk
ing the Is miles from the junction"
$50 it's the coming home that makes
the walking pleasant" said the stranger.
And he softly sighed.
"May ask where you are going?" in
quired the boy.
"You may ask. but | can't tell you" re-
Piled the stranger I'm a vagabond, a
wanderer, a first cousin of the tramp.
Last night l was an actor, today I'm a
tie counter Tomorrow? oh, well, some
thing will turn up tomorrow"
"And have you no home?"
"None that I've any right to claim
I'm the black sheep of the family, my
boy, and black sheep are not popular with
the white ones. I've a very respectable
brother. and very grand sister-in-law,
and mother whose heart | have wrung
and whose faith I have abused. There
| would be no fatted calf for this prodigal."
Then his bitter tone suddenly changed
'Not a very agreeable companion for
pleasant morning walk, am Ii" he laugh
ed.
81 think you are wrong about your
home" said the boy. sit doesn't seem
as if my mother could help but be glad to
see me, no matter how | came nor what
/ had done. Doesn't your mother write
to your
''She doesn't know where l am" said
the stranger little slowly. "Fve changed
my name. and I'm a strolling actor. AT
least | was. Our company was broken
up last night; our manager deserted us,
and our baggage was seized. All | pos
sess is what | have on and the Richelieu
costume that | wore last night; rather
a slight capital to face the world with at
my age. Oh. Pm a failure, all right"
"It's Richelieu. isn't it," queried the
boy, ''who says there is no such word as
fail?"
'Ehr' cried the stranger "But that's
only pretty sentiment in a play"
81 think it's true, though, said the boy
''I'm going to believe it's true, anyway
went to Chicago to do great things. and
tramped the streets for ten days tired
and hungry. looking for work, but ! didn't
give it up. And when found a job it
was only So week But | stuck to it.
and I've been climbing little by little ever
since. And | don't mean to stop" He
paused. 81 guess one thing that kept up
my courage was the thought thai my
mother was praying for me and that there
was a good home with its door always
open waiting for me if the worst came to
| the worst"
They trudged along in silence.
"I'm only a boy" said the lad present
". land you're a man. but ! honestly
think if were you I'd go home and see
nv mother and take rest and talk
things over and start in fresh"
But the stranger did not reply.
Then came q sudden diversion.
| The boy stopped. looked back and turn
ed hastily.
"See thisr' be cried. A rail had been
taken up and was lying on the ends OF
the ties, the freshly drawn spikes beside
| it. The strangers face paled.
"Train wreckers~ he gasped, and his
bright eyes searched the bush covered
sides of the emhankment.
"Harkp' cried the boy. "The express
is coming!"
There was a fringe of trees along the
track where it curved slightly two miles
or more away, and above the farthest
tree tops a puff of steam suddenly arose.
1T must be tagged" cried the boy, and
he looked about him wildly.
"Here," shouted the stranger as he
tore open the tattered valise. "Flaunt
the cardinals red robe at them.
The boy seized the garment.
"Haltp' cried ringing voice from be-
low.
Three men had emerged from the bushes
and were climbing the embankment.
Something glittered in the hand of the
foremost. "Halt!" he cried again.
"Runr shrieked the stranger.
The boy started up the track at full
speed toward the approaching train, the
red robe flaming out behind him.
The man with the revolver came up al
most abreast of the boy as the latter
sped by.
"Halt" the man cried once more and
leveled the revolver at the flying lad.
But the stroller, with a despairing
glance about him, had caught up one of
the spikes and suddenly flung it with all
his force at the desperate. His aim was
sure The flying iron caught the ruffian
squarely on the side of the head and tum
| bled him down the embankment to the
very bottom. At the instant he was
struck the revolver went off, but the bull
let flew wild, and the boy sped on. The
other desperadoes, climbing behind their
leader, saw his sudden overthrow and
| hesitated. Then they turned and scram-
bled down after the bounding form of the
| injured man and disappeared in the
bushes.
The stroller watched their flight with
great satisfaction. Then he turned and
looked up the track. Far ahead he could
see the boy wildly waving the red robe.
and still farther ahead was the steam
crowned black dot that he knew was the
coming locomotive Then he heard the
shrill shrek of the faraway whistle and
knew that the engineer had seen the sig
nal and was applying the brakes. In a
moment the train had rushed by the boy,