Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-01-03
A BOX CAR ROMANCE.
BY JOHN II.

Peter Tifin, the osl-time trainer, owner
and driver Of PAGERS, sitting In the lobby Of
a hotel, told this one.
| had FIVE in my string at Denver, and
decided TO bring them to st. Louis for a
chance at the money hung up by the fair
grounds. The Missouri Pacific owed
damages for killing a nice two-year-old, ard
Is l was short In cash and never believed
Ia soaking the railroads, / agreed to gu
a release if they'd give me a free box ca
from Denver to st. Louis for my five horses,
myself and my outfit. They were glad t9
DO ii aud so was /, so / had a car sidetracked
and spent about four days putting IN box
stalls for my stable. | rugged up the stals
IN each end, leaving a kind Of wide halfway
from the opposite side doors u the car.
Then | put in some provisions, canned
stuff. a case OF bottled beer, some books
and all the newspapers and sporting maya
zines | could buy. ] lung my lantern 70 the
rafter and let EN- know | was ready for
the road. Oh, yes, | had my dog I've got
him yet, and, by the way, he can trot az
far and faster than any dog ever seen.
That's him, setting over there by the
| counter. Well, the night we left Denver
they jerked my car around the yaras tn
my head ached. We were bumped and
iostled for near three hours, and by tne
time the train was made up, lingo, tEat
the dog, and my five horses, to say nothing
Of me, were as nervous as a bunch Of girl
graduates. Finally they pulled us down
the yards about a mile or so, when sud
denly discovered that / hadn't laid n
| enough tobacco. / asked one OF the crew,
who came past. If / had time to run over to
the store, and as he said yes, l jumped out
with lingo, bought a canton OF smoking to-
baeco and caught the train just as It started
away toward Pueblo.
We ran along pretty steady then, down
| past Burnham, heading up for Palmer Lake,
and ! got out my newspapers and began to
read them. One was an extra, all about
a shocking murder. 1t seems a woman
named Bardee had stabbed her husband,
left him dying on the floor and escaped. |
had read that and another part OF the pa
per, when the train iolted to a standstiH
Pretty soon l heard footsteps ~crunehlng
along by the track-I had closed both my
eyes, for the mountain air was ch1liy-and
then there was a pounding at the car SIDE,
and q voice yelling: open up! want to
see your contract OF course | opened the
door, and then | saw five men standing
outside in the gray of a starlit night. I'm
the conductor" said one, gimme your con
tract" | handed it to him, and was a bit
surprised when he thrust it into his pocket
and said to a fellow next him: Better get
in and search the car"
whats the matter?" | asked.
Got anybody in the car with you?" he
snapped.
Nobody but five horses and a dog |
grinned. but he boosted the other chap IN
- -. gsrrLt- Ln-. ;a nopvar OF poffxsp
He's looking for an escaped murderer and
he wants to search the car"
"All right" says ], 'but be careful about
that sorrel FLY in the corner stall. Shes
devil with her heels!"
The detective had a dark lantern, and
vent fumbling in among the horses, giving
Lady Wilkes a wide berth. There amt
nobody in here but me" l went on, winking
at the crew assembled at the car door, but
Pm dead nxiou for company. I've got
a few cold quarts here, all right"
Maybe that fetched the detective, but
ANYWAY he came back out OF the box stalls
and set down on my bunk. l opened up a
few, and the crew went back and the train
started. Then the detective, drinking up
my suds most friendly, said he was after
the Pardee woman that had killed her hus
band in Denver. 1t seems she had made for
the railroad yards during that afternoon,
and it was suspected that she had crawled
into an empty freight. We drifted onto
horse talk then, and when we got down
to Palmer Lake got out to catch the night
passenger train back to Denver.
When we got going again lingo, thatsmy
dog. he began to act queer. Lady Wilkes
was kicking a good bit and hanging back
on her halter, but lingo was used to thom
capers and | couldn't make out what he
meant. He sneaked up by the stall, begun
paving at the straw and hollering like he
! smelt a badger at least. Finally about md
night | wanted TO go to bed, and com
menced hollering at him. He went on worse
than ever, and l got over the partition and
took a look at the Lady.
What do you think l sees, setting right
under the feed trough, her face white and
her clothes covered with straw and chatf?
The prettiest little woman you ever saw.
There she was staring at me out OF her big,
scared eyes.
Mister" says she, "you won't give me
up?"
'Not on your life says I, wondering if
she was really the Pardee woman as had
killed her husband, 'Are you Mrs. Par
dee?" | asked her, and she said she was,
but that She never done it. l showed her
the paper, and asked her if she knew a de-
t~ective had searched the car.
ooh, yes, l know it," she said, sitting
in the straw bed that Lady Wilkes had
paved up over her. 81 knew they'd say
inst. | heard them come to search the
car. and I blessed you when you said that
this horse would kick. | thought maybe
YOU saw me crawl in here. Did you? No:
well, / got in while you were over at the
store. Is he-is Pardee dead: l hope he
isn't dead"
| showed her the paper which said that
he was found dead, and she put her little
pale face down in herlap and cried like a
baby. Then ! passed her a sandwich and
an orange, she wouldn't try the beer, and,
| souatting there under the feed-box, she
said:
He wanted to sell me, At least, he said
he Ind friend was willing 70 MARRYING