The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-10
TIE EVENING STORY
Two in the Car.

said Jessie Wlstfuiiys we Woulo nos
have to wait until you got your raise =
I'm more. likely to meet the robbers
than the reward, laughed Halliday.
| The girls face went white.
Joe" she cried, grasping his arm,
/ do you mean to say that they are
likely to hold I'D your carr"
Il was only fOoling," he laughed. Il
didn't mean to scare you, dear
She turned from the poster announe-
ing IS, 900 reward for the arrest of each
of the three men who mad been holding
up the trains on the R. and G., and they
went across the street from the station
to where the polished marble OF the
soda fountain CLEANED attraetively in
| the light
Halliday did not commence his run
until nearly midnight, and there was
still an hour before the train should
roll in from the east.
They said nothing more about the cir
cular, but Jessie's face was clouded
and, try as he would, Joe could not
coax a smile from her
The Denver Red gang was operating
along a line some 300 miles to the south
and Halliday had given no particular
( thought to the poster. Even now ne
did not realize that Jessie was conJur-
! ing in her brain visions Of an express
car shattered by dynamite and an eX-
press messenger, with a face very hke
his own, bleeding from dozen
When the whistle of the limited
/ sounded far down the valley they
arose and retraced their way to the
station and in the rush of checking
/ his lists Halliday lost sight of Jessie.
When at last he stood in the doorway
s of the car watching the loading of the
/ baggage car behind, he did not see the
/ eager face upturned toward his. 1t
was too late to jump down and go IN
search of her, and as he stood in the
door of the. car while the train ratified
through the yards, he wondered what
had become of her. Usually hers was
the last face he saw as they pulled out
on their long run over the divide.
Then he turned to his invoices again
and soon was so. busily occupied that
/ he never heard footstep until pair
4 of hands were clasped over his eyes.
With a cry he sprang to his feet and
reached for the shotgun in the rack by
| the door, He was in the very act OF
| taking it down when a cry caused him
to turn again and he confronted Jessie.
II know it's wrong and it's against
orders, and all that sort of thing" she
announced defiantly, but 1 just know
that there is trouble ahead for you to-
night and wanted to be with you.
| s'Therell be trouble enough ahead If
the super finds out" he agreed. ITS
dead against the rules for anyone to
be permitted to ride in the express
| cars
you didn't permit me-" she argued
--A-NA
you can't very well put me off. That's
ALL
I wish it were.'' he said quietly as
he turned to his seat again.
Joe" she cried penitently, "Ill be
/ very good and won't bother you at all =
She crept back to the end of the car,
! where aided by the dim light, she had
concealed herself and snuggled down.
It was a long run and there was much
work to be done. Suddenly Halliday
I a low whistle and she TO
What is it. dear?'' she asked anx-
iously- He pointed to an entry in the
invoice
IF Denver Red and his gang knew of
that they'd be up here in a hurry he
declared. There should be eighty thou
sand dollars worth Of diamonds in that
safe"
.'You don't suppose they can ind out,
do you? % she asked anxiously.
Joe shook his head. u don't suppose
So he said, but all the same. they
have been lucky in picking up only the
cars with rich loads. That's probably
why the shipment was made over this
line
For twenty minutes they talked of the
possibility of a hold-up. Then Jessie
crept off to her nook again and Halli-
day went on with his work. Suddenly
with a screech and a jar, the engine
came to stop. Joe sprang to the
partly opened door to close it. but he
was half a minute too late, for two
burly forms sprang through the open
ing and while one covered him with a
pistol the other floored him, securely
binding him with the bell rope.
Before he had concluded the engine
had started again and Joe knew that
they were taking the car down the road
to where they could work with greater
freedom They were climbing a grade,
and while they We're headed for the
top the other cars were probably
slipping back.
Presently there was another jerk as
the engine slowed down and the two
robbers turned to Joe. where's the
key to the safe?" they demanded.
4 haven't any" was the cool re-
Spouse. That's the through safe, I'm
no. supposed to unlock it..
HE must have the key somewhere, =
suggested the second man. Lend a
hand"
They lnelt beside him on the floor
and unceremoniously rolled him over
as they searched his pockets. SO &C.
cupied were they that they gave heed
to nothing else until a stern command
of Drop that.' rang through the car
and they sprang to their feet to con-
front a short barrelled shotgun in Jes-
Instinctively they threw up their
hands while they commented upon the
situation with vigOr of language that
led Jessie to remark that she would
shoot anyway unless they kept silent
SIN covering them with a gun she
moved forward to where Halliday lay
and with one hand cut the cord which
bound him. It was an easy task after
that to bind and gag the two men, and
together she and Joe, who had armed
himself from the outlaws belts
dropped from the car and got TO the
aid Of the fireman and engineer, who
were under the guard of the third
member of the party
Here they were four against one and
ten minutes later the engine and car
were backing down the grade to pick
up the train. while Jessie, now that
the danger had passed, sat in Joe's
chair, her girlish frame alternately
) shaken with laughter and tears.
ct was easy she explained. 81 was
asleep until the train stopped. Thai