The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-11-20
! lAIhEN PEGGY
! " TOOK THE KEY
BY MARJORIE STEVENS
Copyright. 1870. by T. c. Mcclure
BY MARJORIE STEVENS

about the strike.
In fact, it made precious little diff
ference TO him ut just this moment
whether any trains ran on the ID. r.
and q. tracks at all. His engagement
with Miriam Bentley had been sudden
ly derailed. and that was trouble
enough for him. He had appointed
himself a wrecking crew of one TO act
that very night at the church fair and
possibly TO undo the mischief wrought
by too much steam in the form of
hasty words And then had come the
orders from headquarters TO stand by
his instrument until relieved.
Brownsville was an unimportaDt sta
ing section. Its stockyards and grain
elevator dwarfed the passenger sta
ton. and there wasn't enough busi-
ness in the whole town TO support n
night telegraph station. In fact. Don
aid. with his lusty helper and messen-
ger boy, Andy Johnson, constituted the
entire ID. II. and G.. force.
was htt oh
work, and ut any other time the order
to remain ut his post for twenty-four
hours would have affected him not at
all. But tonight he thought of VIII
son. Graham. Donaldson and the rest
all clustered about the table where
Miriam was selling fudge and other
homemade sweetmeats. and his hapds
were plunged into his pockets. even as
his soul was plunged deeper In gloom.
The idea of disobeying orders. how
ever. never entered his head. though
he did not fully realize the danger
which beset the road. This strike
through the great wild west was not
the ordinary secthing turmoil of sud-
den dissatisfaction which yields quick
ly TO pacific treatment. 1t had been
a prolonged. quiet struggle between
capital and labor, with no apparent
gain on either side. but an attempt to
install yard force of ''scabs' at Mid.
ford Junction had precipitated active
demonstrations. Seeds of trouble had
been sown with reckless hands in the
shops and yards, where the stolid
Swedes. seeing their jobs and com
Portable home lives threatened, had sci
their teeth hard. And when a Swede
says nothing. but draws his eyelids
down to a narrow slit. railroad author
ities know that trouble is brewing In
the brain behind that stolid face.
Andy Johnson stuck his head int,
the door. Murray caught sight of ;
vivid red necktie and knew what wa
coming.
''You won't need me. will your
want TO take In the fair again."
Andy's long. lank body. clad in
wonderful store suit OF gray, greei
and brown checks. followed his goo'
natured face. lie closed the door, ant
his voice took on a whecdling tone.
There's goin' to lie such doin's
honest there Is. MIR. Murray Tha
there fish pond just takes my eye, an
you get the funniest things what yol
| amt expectIn' to get. Then there
goin' to be votin' contest tonight
That silver toilet set cost so much n
one won't buy it. so they're goln' t
vote it or to the most popular lad
present"
Murray's face was suddenly FLU
I, mined.
''Of course you can go. Andy. Their
won't be much doing here tonight. b
sides. l want you to do some votin
for me-" He laid five dollar bill o
the table. "Miss Bentley must hav
that prize
-Of course she will. Everybody like
Miss Miriam" assented Andy. wit
eyes fairly devouring the bank note.
But we want her to be so far ahea
Of the other girls that they won't be
the running. See? Now. you vote ths
money slow. Have il changed and vol
Ii quarter at a time"
Ii Andy nodded and then, filled wit
importance. turned TO go.
wait a minnie"
Murray drew a pad toward him an
bit his pencil nervously. But at In
the note was finished and carried ava
by the elated Andy. II read:
HI My Dear Miriam-l am sorry that
cannot be with you tonight when you W
the prize. for OF course you will win
Andy will vote for me. and when II Is oy
won't you send me word how many vot
| you received? ! ask very little. and IL
| so lonely down here ! must stay becau
there Is trouble of some sort up the lin
know IL can't he bad as the trouh
that has been In my heart since We qua
relied. Yoars. DONALD
Murray went out into the passeng
room and stared up the street whe
| Il hall Ghni
gayIy. Then. with n sigh. he return'
to his little Office. locked the door al
threw himself on the carpet cover
sofa for nap He was reused by
sharp call Mt Ills keyboard.
Trouble brewing along the lin'
sang the little ticker. ''Al Reeves. wi
gang OF Swedes. hts Slipped out
town. Keep sharp lookout for No. 3
No. was the u. L. AMI G.'s era
train. II carried the mail and the bu
OF the cross continent passengers.
Murray was wide awake now.
went the rounds of his little statiC
- making sure that all was secure. Tn
he examined his revolver and laid
within easy reach on the table and :
staring at the instrument while he
viewed the dangerous points betwe
70 Brownsville and the stations east a
b west. There was the cut sevents
10 miles east. 1t had once been fav
,s lite spot with train robbers. but III
harm could come there from a DER
ment. The one dangerous spot v
W the JamIson arroyo. below the TO
by three miles at least. IL No. 8