Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-08-03

taste 'em. Man that's driven through
as much Ostable mud as you have
ought to know the taste Of every road
In town."
well, you caught the train any
how" observed Dan.
'Yup. If we'd been crippled as well
as blind we could have done that"
He seated himself just In front Of the
pair and glanced across the aisle at Mr..
Graves, to find the latter looking IN.
tently at him.
pretty tough night he remarked
nodding.
Eyes," replied the lawyer briefly. He
did not encourage conversation with
casual a~cquaintances. The latest ar
rival had caught his attention because
there vas something familiar about
him. He must have seen him before.
Conversation across the aisle was
brisk, and Its subjects were many and
varied. Mr.. Graves became aware,
more or less against his will, that the
person called "cap'p' waa. II not q
leader In politics and local affairs, still
one whose opinions counted. Some OF
those opinions as given were pointed
and dryly descriptive-as, for instance,
when a certain town meeting candi
date vas compared to o soulpin, with
a big head that sort OF impresses you
til you get close enough to realize 1t
has to be big to make room for &C
much mouth"
The conductor entered the car and
stopped to collect a ticket from bis
new passenger. It was evident that
be, too, was acquainted with the lat
ter.
Evening, cap'n," he said politely
TRAINS a little late tonight"
"It is-for tonight's train" vas the
prompt response, but II 1t keeps Oh
at the rate It's travenn' now Ten be o
little early for tomorrow mornin's
won't itY'
The conductor laughed. "Guess
you're right" be said. This N abtut
as wet q storm as I've run through
since I'VE been On the road"
The brakeman swung open the door
to shout; "Denboro! Denboror' The
conductor picked up his lantern and
hurried away, the locomotive whis.
tied hoarsely, and the train hiccuped
alongside another little station Mr..
Graves, peering through his window
imagined that here the silhouettes or
the platform moved more bTiskiy
They seemed almost excited. He In.
Rnw~nH that DAp1nrn vra N hinnnx avnH
more wide awake village than Ostable.
But he was mistaken. The reason
for the excitement was mnde plain by
the conductor a moment afterw4rd
That official entered the car, removed
h1s uniform cap and rubbed a wet
forehead with. a wetter hand.
"We1l, gentlemen" he said, Tive
been expecting 1t, and here 1t Ia. Marb
me down as a good prophet, win youi
There's a washout q mile farther on
and a telegraph pole across the track
It's blowing great guns and raining
pitchforks. It'll be out of the question
Tor US to go forward before daylight, II
then. Darn a railroad mans Job any.
how"
Five minutes later Mr.. Graves de
scended the steps Of the car, his trav
cling bag In one hand and an umbrella
In the other. AS sooo as both feet
were securely planted ON the platform
he put down the bag to wrestle with
the umbrella and the hurricane, which
was apparently blowing from four d.
reotions at once Feeling his bat leav-
ing his head, be became aware that
the umbrella bad turned inside out
He threw tho wreck violently under
the train and stopped to pick UP the
bag. The bag VIVA no longer there.
Its all right" said a calm voice DO
hind him. "rve got your satchel
neighbor. Better beat for harbor
hadn't wsf Here-this way"
The bewildered New Yorker felt h&
arm seized In a firm grip, and be was
rushed across the platform, through 8
delugs of wind driven water, and into
o small hot, close smelling waiting
room. When he pushed hts hat elaai
OF his eyes he saw that bis rescuea
wRs the big man who boarded tho train
at Ostable.
"Dirty weather, hayT' he Observed
pleasantly. SORRY your umbrella had
to so by the board / 0 you was
carryin' too much cRnvas and tried to
run alongside In time to give you q
tow, but you was diBmasted just al ]
got there. Here's your dunnasa, al
safe and sound"
He extended the travelling bag Al
arms length. Mr. Graves accepted bis
property and ID irmnred thanks, not toe.
cordisiiy. ~a
"Well," went on his companion,
'there we are! And ] for one wanted
TO be somewhere else. Caleb turn
ing 10 the atstton master, who cam
Ia at that moment, "any way OF my
getttn' home tonight"
"rgraid mol. caD'n," was tho answer.
Il don't know OF any. Guess yeu'D