The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-09-22
A Cold.
Ion GYM on
BY IRVING BAcHELLER
CcOpyrlshssd. isOa. b. Dxny ssory Pub. Co,

WopJnS1seo' lSes, d Daily stoTy Pub Col
TT WAS our wedding journey. We
4 had come up to San Francisco on
our way to New York by rail The /
journey was rather too costly for the
income enjoyed, but, alas had
promised
You can get scakpers' tickets" a
friend had said to me, they viii save
enough TO pay Pullman fare"
/ had small kuowled dye Of scalpers'
tickets. OF their cheapness |. had often
heard. but of their power 10 democrat
ize a man and change everything that
is his, from his name to his character, /
knew nothing.
had taken a stateroom in which
we were TO have a week of Dur honey
moon quite TO ourselves. A little be-
fore train time l went out TO investi-
gate the matter of scalpers' tickets.
II can fix you all right" said the
agreeable gentleman, who dealt in
them. Here are two tickets good for
a man and woman. They viii save you
$40. First-class, and guarantee their
acceptance"
looked at them hurriedly-there
was no time to lose. 1t was saving
worth while. Twenty dollars would
nearly pay for the stateroom.
l took them. He tucked them into
an envelope. l paid him the money
and hurried back. The stage was
about to leave and my wife was wait
ing at the ladies' exit. We got aboard
with all haste and were shortly on
our way to the depot. When we were
on the train at last / looked at the
two tickets. That for my wife had
been issued to one Miss Bridget Muir
ply.
Miss Bridget Murphy" softly
exclaimed. What does that mean?"
l studied the half-yard of coupons
and the regulations of the company.
The ticket had evidently been bought
by Miss Murphy. II was good from
Seattle to New York via San Fran
cisco. She had used it 10 the latter
point and then sold it. for some rea-
son, to the scalper The thing that
worried me was the fact that the
ticket was not transferable, according
to the contract on its face. Miss Muir
q
dorse it in the presence of the con
ductor If any other endeavored to
use ii the ticket was forfeit to the
company. The train was under way.
/ excused myself and went to the
smoking room. Sitting there quietly
I ] examined the other ticket. That
was signed one Sam. Swackhammer.
/ 1t was the handwriting of black
/ smith and not easy 10 initiate. 1t had
! sledge hammer swing TO it. The
i truth came clear to me after little
thought. A scalpers' ticket was one
/ a man paid for partly in money and
/ partly in his hope Of Heaven. could
not afford to buy new tickets and,
! for the rest of the trip, / must be Mr..
| Swackhammer and my wife a lady of
1 the name of Murphy. I presume my
! first name was Samuel. but the man
/ had written ii Sam. I must manage
/ it somehow and quickly. / took out
nv pencil and tried to initiate the
clumsy signature. As soon as I got
4 the swing of it FASTENED to my bride
She had happy smile and was look
ing out of the window. She wished
me to view the scenery. but saw my
perturbation as she looked Up at me.
"Darlingl" she exclaimed, what is
the matter?'
only this" ] said. "a mistake has
been made, and until we get to Kew
York your name will have to be Muir
ply"
'Murphy," she exclaimed, what
/ 10 vou ynaan -
well, got the wrong tickets some
way" i said. 81 don't know how it
happened-I was in great hurry. We
must make the best of il now. Just
sign the name of Murphy on your
ticket 1t viii be all right. There it
is, Bridget Murphy" l said. holding il
up to her.
what a horrible name." she said.
with a sigh.
Here" said, take my pencil and
see il YOU can initiate it."
"Why. Tom" she exclaimed "that
would be wicked. 1 don't think it's
nice at ALL"
at isn't nice" answered. shut it's
necessary. can't see anything else
to 60. Besides you mustn't call me
Tom. You mus, call me Sam"
II couldn't do it," she said, de-
cisively
She turned and sat looking thought
fully out of the window.
"And do YOU think l shall let you
call me Bridget" she asked, in tone
of injury. >