The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-02-06
CHAPTER 1.
THE NE'ER-DO-WELL.

and each IN turn ceased TO move.
The jar wakened Rossiter, out
stretched upon the top of some boxes
and bales, from heavy sleep, and
on opening his eyes and finding him
self emcompassed by breathless
tropical blackness ne did not for an
instant realize where he was. He put
out his hand and encountered the
boards of the car-roof just above
his head. Then he recalled his
whereabouts. He was reeking with
sweat, for the atmosphere of the con-
fined space was sitting.
All day the pitiless September sun
had blazed in a coppery heaven; all
day the parched earth had given back
to the sky the fumes of heat; and
yet Rossiter had chung to his oven
like retreat, in the first place because
with every revolution of the wheels
he was carried nearer to his destina-
ton, and in the second place because
he could not easily descend from the
train while it was in motion. Half
loaf of bread and few dry cookies
had served to quiet the cravings of
hunger, while two wizened lemons
had in measure allayed the pangs
of thirst. But now he sought in vain
for the last precious bit of fruit
which he had intended to keep
ing of the car had evidently caused
his treasure to roll from the spot
where he had placed it with such
care. Uttering an exclamation Of
disappointment, he dragged himself
a few feet and placed his lips to q
crack in the side of the car, through
which he drank eagerly great
draughts of the partially cooled night
air. AS he was about to resume his
former position he inhaled heavy
watt of engine smoke.
"The devil!" he calculated. "This
is more than I can stand!"
He seized his little bundle of clothes
and worked his way over the bales
and boxes to the door. For time
he feared that he was hopelessly a
prisoner, as the obstinate barrier to
his escape would not bulge. The per-
spiration streamed from his forehead
into his eyes, and his hair was as
wet as though he had soused his
head in water. He had taken stock
of the fastenings when he had slowed
himself away at Clevalo, but he was
discovering that an easy entrance
into freight car packed with mer-
chandise that has space enough to
shift slightly does not necessarily
mean an easy exit.
At length, after several sharp
creal1s of remonstrance, the door
gaped sufficiently to allow him to
squeeze his body through He cast a
glance up and down the adjoining
track and then leaped down. AS his
feet crunched upon the cinders some-
one sprang from the next car to the
top of the one he had just quilted. 1t
was brakeman.
"You damn tramp!" he shouted,
to hurl a missile.
Rossiter ran, lodging as he went,
but nothing save harsh guffaw fol-
lowed from the car-top.
'Sold, Johnny!" beloved the
brakeman; 'but I can tell ye if I'd
had hunk of coal, ye'd have got it
blim in the back!"
Just then, with a long series of
jerks, the train started. An electric
light beyond the tracks threw the
gesticulating figure on the car top
into strong outline for a moment
and his pose held Rossiter's atten-
ton, but the effect was quickly
spoiled by the onward movement of
the train. Rossiter now turned to
survey his surroundings. The sput-
tering electrics told him that he was
in town of considerable size. Above
the rumbling cars several large build
ings loomed blackly. Behind him the
ground sloped sharply to stream,
which he could not see on account of
a white vapor which hung over it.
At his left was a bridge, and as
he examined this, and the ugly frame
structures which lined the street to-
wards which it led, a sense of IA
niliarity gave him a swift thrill of
surprise.
''The deuce!" he exclaimed. 81 won
der if it is?"
He wheeled to the right and re-
garded long freight house and
tall pile capped by huge sign, the
letters upon which he vainly strove
to distinguish. A puzzled expression
crossed his face, and he waited i'm
patiently for the cabeose of the
freight train to pass. At length the
tracks were clear. A few rods away,
on one side of a small square, the
lights of a hotel twinkled through
the branches of a row of elm trees.
Directly opposite was a railway sta
ton, short distance from which a
freight and accommodation train
was about pulling out.
"Illica, by Jove!" cried Rossiter.
"Well, if this isn't curious!" and his
mind went back dozen years to the
June day when he had last set foot in
the quiet city on the banks of the
Mohondaga. Then he was a thought
less youth fresh from college, full
of youths dreams, not without am
bition-and now-well, his present
status was not one to be contem-
plated with pride, nor did the vista
down which he looked in retrospect
afford him many CLEANS of satisfac-