Smyrna times., 1906-01-24

The up express was due to pass at
l o'clock, but it did not stop. Graham
would not have been in the office at
all, only he had some money in the safe
and had received orders by wire to
sleep in the station that night
He did not know how much there
was. 1t had come in a sealed package,
locked in a small pouch. He knew it
was pay day on the new branch then
building on the LIST, and this was the
31st
"Why can't they send a pay carr"
asked Graham of himself
"Too COMPOUNDED mean," he muttered
The hours dragged slowly, but Ora
ham found some solace in thinking of
Miss Delaine.
Miss Delaine was from Chicago. She
was visiting the daughter of Silas
Jones, whom she had met at school
Miss Jones was tall, big and strong
Miss Delaine was dainty.
Miss Jones, with the advantage of her
boarding school years, dressed WE'LL
Miss Delaine dressed better.
Graham had suddenly felt peculiar
sensation when Miss Delaine got off
the local at Naomi He knew that Silas
was going to have company. He had
no idea the company was built more
on the fleeting vision plan than any
other.
IF Silas don't feed that girl up he
will be all out of company" Graham
| had said. "She's almost gone now"
Graham was a husky fellow and had
been at Naomi two months when Miss
Delaine appeared. As Graham board
ed with Silas he had an opportunity to
study her we'll
mo more turkey hunts while she's
here" he grumbled to himself.
Miss Delaine took the grumble out
| of him when she proposed shoot, and
the three went to the scrubs, and Miss
Delaine brought down five to his three
and Miss Jones one.
Miss Delaine proved to have more
get up and get in her diminutive body
than Graham acknowledged in his five
feet ten. She could box big Miss Jones
all over the barn floor; she could climt
a cherry tree in light summer frocl
and come down as neat as she wen
up; she could swim better than Miss
Jones and dive as deep as Graham.
She could play the most charming
waltzes and sing the prettiest songs
She had not been at Naomi two weeks
before she was singing in the choir
and Graham made the narrowing dis
covery that he sang bass.
So on this night Graham console,
himself by thinking gloomy thought
about Miss Delaine.
I'D be fool to ask her and a brut
to expect her to accept if l did ask
He said this with almost a groan
"Why couldn't it have been Fan?
marry Larkins, and if Miss Delain
was poor I'd marry her."
He knew she was rich. She had OF
ten spoken about "our railroad Jane
Delaine was president of the Q. and B
Disconsolate, he smoked his pipe. II
wondered how much money there wa
in the safe. He knew the payroll mus
be long.
He had read last Sundays paper
! dozen times and gone off to sleep an
nearly fallen off the chair which he ha
tilted back. He bad left the door ope
for air. The night was warm.
S Hello there. young feller!' came
| To f,,r to- o,.J k1,<,, Il
, looked into the barrel of a big revolve
; Hold up your handsr
"Er i am agent here" stammere
Graham.
'Oh. we know that You keep Y,
!, mouth shut. Well do the rest
q 81 won't submit to robbery. il that
I what you mean,' said Graham.
! Robbery. Ell? Won't submit, ell
y Well, young Teller. We don't look mu,
q like a fool. Under the circunlstanc
| wouldn't advise yer to be one even
We do know how. I've got two partne
here, and the first yawp out of We w
4 mean a game o. shootin' big No
y Jim"
! Another fellow came in and we
m through GrdDamS pockets.
u "Now. young feller," said the lead
! after Jim had deposited an express
volver on the table, Just tell us t
IL combination to that safe"
Il refuse"
~ "What did l say about bein' a foe
Say, I'll give you three minutes
make up your mind You'll either gi
us the combination or I'll put a BIZ
through you. Now, one"
n Graham was silent.
Jim was working at the safe. I
- third came in and grinned at the p
ture Graham made.
pretty boy" he said.
Three"
Graham opened his mouth to speal
"Ain't no use sayfR' anything, unl'
it's the combination"
N "Aw kill him. We can blow or
~ the safe
Graham knew that these men mes