The Washington herald., 1909-10-13

ting with the conductor while they wait
ed for the right OF way Mr. Ardmore's
pockets were filed with papers. End he
held half dozen kilograms In HIS hand
The freight cars behind him were locked
and sealed, and a number OF men loung-
ing near appeared to be watching them.
The reply OF the sheriff Of Dilweu
County had precipltated the crisis That
oflcial succinctly replied TO Ardmore's
message:
BE good and acquire grace"
While this oictum had aroused Miss
Dangerheld's wrath and Indignation. IL
Gained her fellow-conspirator. and for
hours -Ardmors had poured forth orders
by telegraph and telephone. No such mes
sages as his had ever before radiated
from Raleigh. The tolls would have bank
rupted the Commonwealth II Ardmore had
not cared for them out OF his private
purse. His forester, with an armed posse
from Ardsey was already following the
streams and beating the brush IN search
OF Appleweight One car OF Ardmore's
speciaI train contained a machine gun
and a supply Of rifles; another abundant
ammunition and commissary supplies. ard
the third cots and bags. The men who
loafed about the train were detail OF
strike-breakers from a detective agency
borrowed for the occasion. Cooke, the
conductor OF the train. had formerly
bean IN the government Secret Service.
] and knew the Carolina hill country as
/ he knew the palm OF his hand Ardmore
/ had warned his manager and the house
I keeper on his estate TO prepare for the
arrival OF Mrs Atchison, whose private
car had come and gone. carrying Miss
/ Geraldine Dangerfeld on 10 Ardsley. Ard
more has Just received a message from
his sister AT some way station, reporting
all well, and containing these sentences;
/ '-Sha is rather different. and I do not
quite make her out. She las our noble
! brother-ln-law a good deal bewNdered- 20
/ Cooke ran forward for a cOllOQUy with
/ the engineer over their orders; the guards
climbed into one Of the box cars, and the
\ train moved slowly out OF the Raleigh
Yards to the main line and ratified away
toward kildare. with Mr. Ardmore. pipe
in mouth. perched in the caboose cupola-
4 cabpose. YOU may not know, Is the
Dleasantest place IN the world 10 ride.
Essentially a thing Of utility. it Is not
less the vehicle OF Joy. Neither the cap
tain OF a trading schooner nor the ad-
| miral OF q canal feet Is more sublimely
autocratic than the freight conductor in
hts watch tower. The landscape Is dis
closed 20 him in IeisUrely panoramas; the
| Snr4nRs beneath are not so lulling as 70
duu AS senses. II ne isn't whipped into
the ditch BY the humor Of the engineer.
or run down and telescoped by an enemy
! from behind he may ultimately deliver
his somber feet 10 its several destina-
lions: but he is the slave Of no inexorable
tine table. and his excuses are as various
as his cargoes.
Not Capt. Kidd nor any OF the dark
Brotherhood sailed forth with keener zest
for battle than Mr. Ardmore Indeed.
the trailing smoke OF the locomotive sug-
Rested a black flag. and the thought OF
/ il tickled his fancy. Above bent the
bluest sky IN the world fields OF corn and
cotton. the brilliant crimson OF German
clover. and long stretches Of mixed forest
/ held him with enchantment In a corn
field g girl blowing with a single steer-a
little girl IN a sunbonnet, who reached
YEARLY up 20 the plcw tandles-paused
and waved TO him, and ne knew the de-
light OF the lonely mariner when pass
\ ing ship speaks 10 him with flags And
when night came. after the long mystical
twilight the train passed now and then
great cotton factories that blazed out
/ IRON NneI llOuSdNQ WluloWs Ahb nAbc
! steamships.
When they sought lonely siding 10 al
low a belated passenger train 20 pass, the
conductor brewed coffee and cooked sup
! per. and Ardrnore called IN the detectives
and tralnmen. The sense Of knowing real
! people whose daily occupations We're so
novel and interesting. touched him afresh
with delight These men said much In
/ few words. The taciturnity Of Cooke. the
conductor. IN Niarticular. struck Ardnore
as very fine, and II occurred TO him that
very likely men VINO have had the fun
/ OF doing things never talk Of their per-
! formances afterward. One OF the detec-
tives chGffed Cooke covertly about some
adventure In which they had been Jointly
associated.
IT never thought they'd get the lead
out OF you after that business IN
Missouri. You were a regular mine. "
Hes the little joker. all right"
You can't kill him." remarked the de-
tective. I've seen Il tried"
Before the train started the detective
crawled back into their car. and Cooke
drew out some blankets. tossed them on a
bench for ArdmOre, and threw himself
down without ado. Ardmore held TO his
post In the tower, as lone as the lookout
/ IN a crows nest. The night air swept
more cooIly in as they neared the hills.
and the trains single brakeman came
down as though descending from the sky.
rubbed the cinders from his eyes. and
returned 20 his vigil armed with hand
full OF Ardmore's cigars.
ITO BE CONTINUED To-MORROW.l