The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-06

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There was ii, airj OF excitement abcut
the whole station al we drew up bsfors
tho platform. Groups Of railway om-
cials were clustered toEether talking
eagerly, the bartnalds were al looking
out 81 tho retreshnisntsrooin door: po-.
ilcenen fwore stat ioned here and there,
and outside the Iron gates OF the station
i littiey crowd Of pAopis swere wal ting In
tire trodden yellow IN 0 NJ. paerlnS through
1vs got out, ana Charles went up to :
respectab looking man In black, cyl
IDENTITY an oflotal Of some oorseqiiance
ana asked what was the matter, The
mar, informed him that 4 special had
boon sent down the line with wofkrnanyto
clear the rails, ana that IT. return. with
tlle passengers In the ill-fatsd express,
was expected at any moment. "a
you don't mean TO say the wretohsd
passengers have been there all night ~
exclaimed Charles. From the mans 40
count, II appeared that tho Travellers had
taken refuge In a farm near the scene
OF the accident, and. the si,ow-storm kcon--
thought expedient to send O. train down
the limo to- bring them away TIL after
daybreak 1T has been gono on hour. :"
no said, looking at tho clock; f"'and It ~
hardly fine yet. Consld e11ng how late
we received notice OF the acctdent--for
the news Ind to- travel by night, and on
foot for a consid erable Distance! don't
think there has been much dela
"Will tho passengers come back By
this train r. asked Ralph. rs s.
eva viii 3waitt,..s said Ralph: ana no
went and paced up and down theS most
deserted part ct tho platform. T he man
followed him with his eyes. 81
Anxious about friends, sir2 he asked
Charles. 81 &c t33 y X n d ~ II WI 4,
Yes" I heard Charles say, as I went
or to warm myself BY tho waiting room
fire, keeping ii q sharp lookout for tho
arrival OF the train. When came tout
some time later, wondc 4 Il were
ever going to arrive at all, Y found
up ana down together. evidently In
earnest conversation When I Joined
them thoy ceased talking Il never oan
imagine why people generally 40 when
I como up), and the latter said that he
would make inquiry at the booking
Office and left us. Il
St"Wto Is that man r. I asked. i84
8{""IIow should know" said Charles,
absently HE says he has boon O Lon-
don detective till Just lately. but no -
an inspector Of police now. Well as
the man returned. .ta8l3 3. d
"Booking clerk can't remember. BIZ
but the clerk at the telegraph office re- re-
members yOuIl8 1fh0y 40 AA6
gram last nigh Ito DO sent on first thing
this morning. AK ;S A.
| Has It been sent yet AZ Il i5
9''Y os, sir; some time 4. e al,
wv here was ut sent to r
.~rhat Is against the rules, sir. mo
clerk has no right8lio give gtnformation.
Anyhow, 1t is sas good as certain. from
what YOU say, that5 the party was in the
train, and at all events you will not be
i,nnt in doubt much longer" and no
pointed to the long expected pun OF
white smoke In the direction in which all
eyes had been anxiously turned. ne
train came slowly round broad curYe,
and crawled into the sta tom. Ralph n "a,
come Up, and his eyes were hxed IN
tently upon 1t. The hand he LAID on
Charles arm shook q little, a. he Wills 't1l
pered In o. hoarse voice: fSt984 sss
III /. must speak to her alone before tiF
anything Is said ii I. /.
you shall" replied Charles; ana ne
moved forward a little. and waited for
tia passengers to alight.q telt that any
chance OF escape which lay In eluding
those keen eyes would be small indeed.
Then ensued soene Of con fusion,
babel OF tongues, as the passengers
poured out upon the platform: " nat
was II the meaning OF It all hotiy .oe -
manded an Infatuated little man 0e e!y,,',
he was we'll out of the carriage, Why
had a train been allowed to start II u
wos to be overturned by a snowdrlft?
what had the company been about not
10 make itself aware OF the state Of the
liner What did the railway officials
mean by-etc.. etc. But he was not golns
to nut. np with such soandalous treat
ment HN should CAUSE an inquiry to be
made he should write to tho Times ne
should--in short. he behaved IKE q true
| En- elishman In adverse circumstances.
and poured forth abuse like water.
Others Sollowed--some@ angry. some 81
| lent all cold and misera Bio A stout Wo-
man In black. who had been sen. 10. -
| n dying child, was weeping aloud; a
dazed man with bound-up head and
! terrified wife were bounced upon imme-
lSdlately BY expectant friends, and borne
OF with voluble sympathy. One or two
people slightly hurt were helped out AFTER
the others. The train was smptleo AZ
| last Aurelia was not there. Charles
went down the length Of tho train, look
| ing into each carriage. ana then came
back. answering Ralph's glance With
lishake OF the head. The man 10 black,
who seemed to have been watching nm
came up. \, -, !, y.
r"AIl, sir, except"-and no hesitated-
"excapt q few The doctor who wen,
has not returned; and the guard says
4 there were eonle OF the passengers nadly
i HURT that he would not alloy 20 g
moved from the farm when the train
came for them. The eng1ne-drlver and
ono or two others we're
Charles made q sign to him to DO o. u
lent. SEQ s
.'IIow far Is It r. he asked.
3'"rwenty miles, Sir"
.sAre the roads practicable7"
emo, sir, At least they would be very e,
uncertain once you got into the lanes"
4 ''sWs !, can walk along the line. sale
Ralph THAT must be clear. Let VI
start at once" ,
"Could not tho statlon-master send VI
down on en- engineer" asked Charles
avs would pay well for Il"
\ The police inspector shook his head
but Charles went OF to Inquire never;
theless, and he eollowsd MN, !lg 2,
person, II have always had great dis
ike to the idle curiosity Which IL con,
tinually prying into the concerns : q, o.
| nnTand down the now deserted PLATFORM