The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1903-03-21
He handed the note to me. Holding
II where the light fell upon il, l read:

nome. ana nave foASon " th'hh shc -
on your train. IL so, send her back BY
the bearer. JACOB HENDERSON,
"Division superintendent"
r think that / must have given .
more forcible exclamation than had
Davis when / read the note, for now
IL was half plain TO me.
There's something queer about
this" | said. slowly, as | passed back
the note. us she aboard your train
now?"
us she aboard my train now?' he
repeated in surprise. mo, she is not,
and II she was, I'd not make her go
back 10 that old sldnflint, unless she
wanted 10. She is not "A girl 10 leave
home without some good reason,
know that. I'd take her along TO
where she wanted 20 go, and keep my
mouth shut. That's just about what
I'D do"
"All right then. Charlie" | said
slowly, for / had been think
ing very fast. "Pll just put her
aboard your train now and send her
along. She's up there in my cab"
Davis looked at me moment in
surprise, then puckered up his lips
into prolonged whistle. then
told him, in as few words as possible,
how she happened to be there, and.
without a word, he opened Hender-
sons note again and wrote on the
back:
Jacob Henderson, Esq:
mo q has overtaken me. and your note
delivered. Your daughter is not aboard
my train nor has she been up TO the
present time. c. W. DAVIS.
Conductor No. 81.
There, Ned" he exclaimed, as he
handed the note back to me. Take
that back to the old man. Ii does
not say that she will not be aboard
my train after the present time.
Now we must hustle"
explained the situation briefly to
Grace, and. not without little regret
on my part, the transfer was quickly
made. / babe her good-by and after
little hnndshalIe, climbed up into
my cab and started 10 run back to
the junction.
| suppose / must have been rather
glum on the way back. Nick did not
say much and l said less, barely an
swering n few necessary questions,
for l was wondering what it all
meant.
IL was just past midnight when we
rolled back into the roundhouse yard.
Henderson was there, waiting for us,
and he came rushing out as soon as
| L.. n,sI h.a tnh Ia "a
| outside.
"Where is she?" he cried, jumping
up into the cab almost before the en-.
CINE had stopped,
l feigned ignorance, and passed him
the note i'm reply. Nick was doing
the eXcentrics, and heard nothing.
He would not have known any more
about it than did. Nick was one OF
the kind that knew when it was best
TO know nothing.
Some prodigious oaths escaped
Iendcrson's lips as he read the lines
from Davis, but as they were not di.
rected at me, / had nothing 80 say.
| had done my work according 10 his
orders. Then he walked off without
|
That was not the last of it, how.
ever. The next morning | was called
into lIenderson's private Office and
put through series Of questioning
that would have done credit TO O
criminal lawyer; but when l left his
august presence, Jacob Henderson
was no wiser regarding the matter
than when | came in.
He also had Nick up before him
and asked him u few questions, but
the honest fellow knew no more
about il than / pretended 10 know
SO, on the whole. Henderson got but
very little information from eithol
of us.
A few days later / met Davis OF
the street, and, as he came up anc
shook hands with me cordially, h'
looked at me strangely.
Ned" he began, perhaps yol
don't know it, but you have won tina
girls everlasting gratitude, il not L
use n stronger expression, for wha
you did that night. 1t was clos'
rub, though. She told me all abou
| ~ Dtlblt We EoA lllAo Aihihl''Nhs
ut seems that the odd man i
only her guardian after all. He
parents died when she was child
and she has lived with him ever since
He was determined that she shoul'
+ marry old Bailey, who owns the big
, gest half Of the road. but she oh
/ lccted. and as she had not lived quit
| long enough to be her own mistress
she was n few weeks short-sh
, couldn't do any better than TO ru
| away.
, 'Thc danger Is over now, and sh
, can choose for herself. Better go u
/ and see her. Ned She's .stoppin
with a friend. Here's her address.
: II may be quite needless for me I
: state that / took Charley's advice an
! found time TO 60 and call upon Grac
very soon after. There was some
: thing in her brown eyes when | lei
1 her that encouraged me TO call agai