The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-02-01
THE GIRL IN THE
SAILOR COLLAR
toriginal.l

some adventure that had happened Il
him while on the box. This is what
succeeded in drawing forth:
When they was buildin' the Union
Pacific l was drivin' between Jules.
hurg-tbat was the end Of the rai--to
Denver One night I'd scarcely got
cut O. tawn when l could see in the
dusk the figur' of a sal skippin' along
the road ahead of me, When ketched
up with her she turned frightened
glance at me- and. feelin' kind Of
Gurus about her / asked her to Git
up on the coach. | give her hand and
lifted her to the seat you're occupsln'
now. She didn't seam inclined to talk,
and as pushed her pretty hard te do
SO she climbed up onter the hindmast
seat, where couldn't git at her.
When we made the second change Of
stock it was dark as pitch, for it was
10 o'clock and a cloudy night Soon
as I'd twisted the ribbons In the brake
turned round toward the gal and
found her sprawied half on the seat
and half on the coach top. l went
back to her and found her dead, with
knife stickin into her heart.
Well, the body was sent back to
Julesburg. where there was an inquest.
The gal was recognized as one of the
kind that made up the population OF
that temporary settlement, though she
hadn't been at the place more'n two
days. The coroner didn't give himself
much trouble about the case, and as
for suspectin' me he knew hadn't no
motive fur the act Them rough and
tough people was always a-killin' each
other. and the gal was probably run
MIN away from some un who follered
her, climbed up over the ''boot' and
stabbed her.
The railroad reached Laramie, and
Julesberg was deserted. was drivin'
from Laramie one night--it was just
about as dusky as when TUX on the
gal year before-when see a Teller
ahead of me beside the road washin' |
his hands in pool O water. When |
come up with him. he didn't seem to |
notice me, keepin' on washin' his
hands as though he'd got pizen on 'em
and was mighty anxious to git it of. I |
noticed he was mighty pale, and, not /
ikin' to leave human being who
didn't seem quite right out so far from
any one, asked him If he wanted a
lift. He turned his face on me, and /
give you my word, stranger, 1t was. the
widest lookin' face l ever see. He
didn't say nothin', but jist KEEP on
washin' his hands. More n ever dis
likin' to leave him, asked him ag'in
This time he stopped his washin' and
climbed up. | wanted him to set by me
so s could pump him, but he went
up to the back seat and never said a
word. | concluded to let him alone,
and as he didn't say nothin | forgot
he was there
Bimeby | remembered him and look
ed around to see if he was all right. 1t
was dark night, but could see his
fgur', fur it stood out above the sky
line. But what surprised me was that
close beside him was another figur'.
which, it seemed to me, was a woman.
But ! wasn't certain that it was
either man or woman--I wasn't GER
tain that it was any living thing at all.
didn't want to make mule O. myself
by askin the feller if he had any one
beside him when | wasn't certain there
was anybody there, so jist attended ,
to my drivin' and let him alone. Not ,
hearin' no conversation, / concluded
I'd been mistaken, and to make sure | ,
turned to look ag'in
If that what he was a-leanin up
agin' wasn't a gal, then | hadn't eyes Z
capable o. drivin' a six. boss team.
was a white sailor collar
where the neck ought ter be- and sud
iently remembered that the gal that
lad been murdered had worn jlst such al
| collar | had to supply the head by it
maginin it, but bimeby it seemed to K
ne the face of the murdered gal came ce
Dut O the blackness. la
| must have been fustered, for =,
lidn't show no kind O. sense. If it il
vas the gal it must have been her =,
yhost, and there wasn't no use talkin' j.
bout her to no one. Instead o. keepin'
luiet | asked:
Where did y take on the gall? r'
The feller seemed to wake from a
leep, for be set up straight instead
# leanin' agin the fgur or whatever r
was and asked kind O. dazed: y
''WhatT
THE gal beside y? Where did y :
AXE her on?" 4
"Gal? What gal" T.
"The gal with the white sailor col
Or"
The feller give shrek and climbed
yer the back Of the seat, keepin' his
ace my way and goin' backward till
e disappeared behind the coach and
heered somepn go thud on the road.
pulled in and went back and there