The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-19
a nEcsssARY aLAckmAiL

ager of a big packing house. Judge
Sidener of St. Louis may be right theo-
retically. but it's against the rules in my
house and my wife knows It and abides
! by the unw-itten law. don't deny. mind
/ you, that what's mine is hers and that
| what's hers Is nine. but l have estab-
hshed and enforced a set of rules which
| precludes the promiscuous and hsphazard
appropriation Of moneys that may. from
time TO time. lie uninvested in my cloth
| Ing.
.One night last winter car
| RED home about $50 intended for the
payment OF household expenses coming
| due Saturday 1t was Friday, and l drew
| the money then because l always make
| IL a point not TO get into the Saturday
| rush at banks She didn't need any OF
| IL till Saturday night. and 1 didn't hand
il to her for the good and sufficient rea-
| son that l expected TO go TO the Satur-
| day ball game and spend a few on my
own account. Saturday morning l got
down town in a hurry. but when l walk
! ed UP the street toward my office the
bookkeeper was standing in the doorway.
| air in a futter. He told me that he had
! just received a telegram from our Chi
! cago headquarters instructing me 10 go
at once TO Topeka &c attach a shaky Gus
toner who was said 10 be getting ready TO
make an assignment
There was yet about ten minutes left
to catch the train. and as the customer
| in question owed my office considerably
more than 5000. it was eminentiy import
ant that l land on him as quickly as
possible. The bookkeeper had the account
! all made out and handed il 70 me. I held
my hand on the pocket in which 1 sup
posed the fifty dollars was safely slowed
and ran ali the way to the depot arriving
| jut in time to do a fying-trapeze leap
| for the end car as it started away from
| the platform.
Il was sitting in the smoker. all out
| of breath. when the conductor, evidently
new man. as had never seen him be-
| fore. came in and cried Tickets, l made
plunge for my pocketbook. and. of
| course you've guessed. found it empty
Tickets, please?' said the conductor.
| looked at him a moment and saw that
| he was indeed new, full OF the zeal and
| technical asperity Of his authority. and
| expecting trouble. I asked him to sit
down and began to explain. But he look
| ed annoyed. and said he'd be back in a
minute. When he came back be would
not sit down, but remained standing. his
| cold, gray eye fixed upon me as tried TO
grow eloquent. I explained the sudden
ness OF my summons and the importance
| of my business at Topeka, but il dldn I
| evoke the slightest fash of interest.
Can't help that he said at last.
That's your business. My business is TO
collect s6-S4 unless you have pass or a
| ticket
Il began 10 call him old man then.
and expatiatcd upon the vast volume Of
business which my firm gave annually to
his road said that would make 1t all
right with him, besides paying the full
fare on the rext trip. but he didn't en-
| thuse over the prospect a bit.
That may all be So he said. with
slow and sad precision. but instructions
are instructions. I'm not allowed to let
anybody ride free. and you must pay or
| get of. the train.
Il knew by the calm, stern way he said
IL that 1t was up TO me, so I pleaded with
| him to give me time to look through the
| train. Surely l would find somebody who
knew me and who would advance me a
| small loan. All right. He would agree
to that. l went through that train like
| ferret after rats. I even peeped into
! sleeping berths In the Pullman and mar
rowly escaped friction with some sensitive
| passenger for whom 1 had no time for
explanation. There wasn't a soul on the
| train whom | knew or who showed any
| evidence of recognition for me. ! went
back to the stoical conductor and i'm
| Dlored him to wait till we got to Usage,
| the next station.
Il saw him size me up, and I was
| his eye. but my fate was In his hands.
and ! knew It.
''I'n give you till Arkansas City he
! said. and that's all II you don't pay
| you'll hayv to get off there.
Il was never in such an awkward posi-
ton in my life, and as canvassed that
| train for the fifth time I swore mentally
and vocally that never, no never. again
| should Mrs. Topping have the right of
way through my pockets. Growing des-
perate as the train flew onward, accost-
| ed a simple but prosperous looking old
| gentleman in one of the sIeepers and.
taking him aside. explained my predica-
| ment. But he only glared at me over his
| glasses and growied: Siri How dare
| your Then he rang for the porter, and
heard the whispered caution: You
want TO watch that fellow. Hes up to
| some rascality.' AS I retreated toward
| the smoker l was aware that the con-
6uctor. the brakeman, the porters and
even the news agent were watching me
| with furtlve and wholly uncomplmentsry
| glances. I telegraphed to every agent
| along the route. to my bookkeeper and
| TO the friends / had ahead at Topeka
| Then I stood on the platform in the hope
that ! might see familiar face at the
/ stations where we hesitated or took wa
we're utter strangers and l reflected with
bitter realization that it was too early in
| the morning for my influential friends to
I respond effectively TO my wild tele-
graphic appeals for help. When we got 10
/ Valley Center the conductor got Particu-
! larry watchful of me, and as we were
| pulling out Of that place he came along
| side of my uneasy seat and began: You
| claim 10 be well acquainted along this
read. don't your I said yes, with a glad
note OF hope In my voice but he fioored
me with Well. l think you're putting
] up a Job on me. That's what I think I
| tried 10 look indignant. but he resumed
| If you re so well known, it's f,mny you
don't know the sheriff of your own coun-
ty.''
Sheriff Mccook?' said.
Yes. Sheriff McCook. he sneered.
| you run right into him back there at Val
/ ley Center and he never took of his hat
and saluted you You never showed any
! signs Of knowing him. and I've about
made up my mind to throw you of at the
/ next water tank
How did you know it was Sheriff
HcCook?' I asked, forgetting nay pride
/ and certain that / would have known Nc
! Cock among 4 thousand.
I took UP his ticket, didn't - grin
ned the conductor. 1esstwise seen his
( pass
Pass. the idea struck ne ike lash
/ Of light at night.
/ I" Where Is he7 where's McCookg I
snapped end the conductor had 10 sooner
/ pointed cut the stranger than I was be-
/ side him
4 understand you're Sheriff McCook
( OF Greer county / said 70 the stranger.
I And. as he nodded assent went OF with
my tale I wanted the loan Of SO